Everyone loses the feel for his or her short game at times. That includes players with high golf handicaps and players with low golf handicaps. Smart golfers know how to find their swings—especially when it affects their short games. The quickest way of doing that isn’t by taking golf lessons or reading golf tips. It’s by fixing your own faults. In other words, it’s by becoming your own swing doctor.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take advice from trusted friends and/or instructors. Sometimes, they can see what you’re doing wrong better than you can. And sometimes their advice is right on. But good players also “diagnose” and “treat” their own short game problems. If you’re serious about improving your short game, learn to fix your swing problems yourself.
Losing The Feel For Long Putts
If you find yourself three-putting on long putts, there’s a good chance you’ve lost the feel for speed. Adjusting quickly to the speed of different greens is a key to being a good putter. If you play a lot of different courses, it’s imperative to maintain your golf handicap.
To re-gain the feel for putting speed, try the following drill on the practice green before playing. Start with hitting two-foot putts. Study the optimum speed the ball can be rolling and still fall in the side of the cup. If it misses, the putt shouldn’t roll more than 12 to 18 inches past the hole.
Now work your way back from the hole. Hit five-footers, then 10-footers on up to 40-footers and 50-footers. As you hit the longer putts, try to visualize the ball rolling up to or just past the hole. Doing this helps ingrain the feel for the speed of the green that day. It’s the quickest way to do it.
Pushing Or Pulling Short Putts
If you’re pushing or pulling your short putts, your mechanics are probably off. To correct this problem, take two boards (2x2s or 2x4s) two feet long. Lay the parallel to each other on the carpet at home or on the practice green. The space between the boards should be one-half inch more than the length of your putterhead. Then, with your putter inside the boards, practice short strokes—straight back and straight through.
While using the boards, concentrate on keeping the rhythm of your putting stroke. Make your follow through “quiet” with no sudden acceleration or jerkiness. Don’t use a ball while doing this. Using the boards without thinking of where the ball is going allows you to concentrate on mechanics. And don’t use the boards for longer putts. As your stroke gets longer, the putter naturally goes back inside.
Inconsistent Contact When Chipping
If you’re making inconsistent contact when chipping, you’ve probably become too wristy in your stroke. The means the club is probably past the bottom of its arc when it meets the ball. To regain solid contact on your chips, do the following:
Use your putter grip, with your hands opposing each other, to eliminate wristiness in your stroke. Ideally, you want an arms-and-shoulders motion with the fewest number of moving parts for more consistent contact. Also play the ball back slightly in your stance. This, in effect, shifts your weight forward and promotes a descending angle of attack. You want the club traveling downward when it meets the ball, just as they teach you in golf lessons.
These drills will help you regain the feel for your short game when you lose it. Research golf tips in magazines and books to discover other ways of regaining your swing when you lose. Remember, the quickest way of doing that is by being your own swing doctor. But don’t ignore golf instruction tips from other sources. Sometimes other players can spot what you’re doing wrong better than you can.
