Saving Par on Short Holes!

Congratulations to those who don’t have to putt or try to up and down on a par 3. These lucky few have managed to do what others will never do: hit a hole in one. Here are some short game tips and rules that the rest of us will find handy.

Here are some general short game rules courtesy of Foresite Sports.
• Chip and run when you can’t putt
• Pitch or lob the ball only when necessary

The reason why Foresite Sports and many instructors advise you to chip and run whenever you can’t putt and to pitch only when necessary is that the sooner the ball rolls the easier it is to control your shot and get it closer to the hole. The pitch or lob is still a crucial part of an effective short game and must not be overlooked.

A solid putting stroke is something every golfer should aim for. There are many ways to putt and through experimentation you can find the right way for you. However Foresite Sports believes that keeping your head still is crucial for every type of putting stroke. Abruptly lifting your head is a sign of anxiety and greatly diminishes the chance of you making more putts. If you suffer from this problem here is a quick fix. Put a coin under your ball. Make your stroke, and instead of following the ball, pay attention to the coin as it appears from under the ball.

Can’t get out of bunkers? No problem. All it is a misunderstanding of how your sand wedge works in this situation. The key here is to open the face. Imagine that a glass of water is balancing on your clubface. Most golfers don’t open the face and attempt to play a bunker shot like any other wedge shot. There is no way you could balance a glass of water on the normal shots that you play with a sand wedge. This is why the club digs into the sand. Consequently the ball comes out low and rarely makes it over the lip of the bunker. Once your face is open make sure that it is aimed at the flag and not to the right. To offset the open face you must aim your body left of the pin. Make sure you cock your wrists on the backswing. This stores energy that will be transferred onto the ball on the downswing. You must enter the sand about two inches behind the ball and swing along your foot line. This means that you swing left and not at the hole. This is because your clubface was open at address. Lastly you must accelerate through the shot. Speed is needed to get that ball out. Through practice you can improve your feel and gauge exactly how much speed you need to carry the ball different distances.

Finally the best tip that Foresite Sports can give you for pitch and lob shots is not to try to scoop or force the ball into the air. Trying to scoop the ball will result in fat and topped shots. Instead hit down on the ball. The loft of a 60 degree wedge will do the work for you. When you hit down on the ball the ball slides up the face and the result is a high soft shot that lands softly. If you don’t have a 60 or 58 degree wedge we encourage you to try one out. It makes a huge difference!