Every golfer wants to excel when he or she plays. But learning to play golf well is hard. That’s why only a handful of golfers own single digit golf handicaps. These golfers rack up low golf handicaps because they know how to save strokes around the green, not because they hit the ball a ton. A great way to save shots around the green is by mastering the art of getting up and down. Doing so can save you a ton of strokes over the season.
To master the art of getting up and down, you must understand how your wedges work. For example, you need to know what “bounce” is and how it affects your shots. You also need to know the best place to hold your elbow during wedge shots. And you need to know how your right elbow affects short game shots pitches. Having learned all this, you can then go on to practicing drills that can boost your ability to get up and down.
Choosing The Right Wedge
Some golfers carry as many as four wedges in their bags—a pitching wedge, sand wedge, gap wedge, and a lob or a flop wedge. The primary difference between these wedges is their “bounce.” Bounce is the part of the clubhead that hangs down behind the leading edge, as I’ve explained in my golf tips newsletter. It allows the club to skid instead of dig into the ground, making the wedges play differently. Generally speaking, a club with more bounce is easier to hit from the sand and rough because it doesn’t dig into the ground.
Bounce often determines which club is best suited for making a short game shot For example, a 58-degree wedge with 12 degrees of bounce offers the most flexibility from sand and grass. That’s why many pro golfers use this club around the greens, instead of a 52-degree gap wedge or a pitching wedge. The 58-degree wedge is also more useful than a 60-degree wedge with no bounce, which is much harder to hit. That’s why many golfers use the 58-degree wedge as their “go to” club for short game shots.
The Wrists And The Clubface
Your wrists at impact and the face of your club work together. To see this relationship, hold a tennis or badminton racket with your lead hand. Use a golf grip. If you’re right-handed, grip the club with your left hand. A cupped left wrist adds loft to the racket for a higher shot. A neutral or flat left wrist produces a neutral face. A bowed left wrist reduces loft. However, in all these positions, the racket face remains square to the back of your left hand, as many learn in golf instruction sessions. The same holds true for the clubface.
Your back elbow also plays a huge part in hitting good short game shots, which many golfers don’t realize—as I discovered in my golf lessons. Trying to manipulate the clubhead on the backswing is among the most flagrant short game swing flaws. The player either pulls the clubhead inside or pushes it outside, both of which lead to poor results. Instead, slide your right elbow along your side on the backswing and let your right wrist hinge softly. This keeps the clubhead under control, increasing consistency.
Get Forward On Short Game Shots
The key to hitting solid short game shots is setting your weight forward. Also key is keeping your shoulders level. To do that, hold the club in front of you in your right hand and slide your left hand down your left leg. When your left hand gets to your knee, move it to the club and take your normal grip. To get used to how this shift feels, hit some sand shots from this tilted position. This exercise trains you to avoid leaning back during your swing.
If you’re serious about chopping strokes off your golf handicap, you must master the art of getting up and down. Doing so can cut a ton of strokes off your score during the course of a year. Use the golf tips provided above to help you understand how your equipment affects your shots. Once you understand the equipment side of the equation, making adjustments will be easier. Before you know it, getting up and down will be a piece of cake.