ShareThisBy TOM PATRI
Thursday, October 26, 2006
I watch the golfing public struggle weekly to score for a variety of reasons. Poor putting, bad greenside shot selection, sand play that would scare any lifeguard!
Oftentimes the poor putting is a byproduct of starting too far from the hole via wild approach shots. These shots often leave you behind the 8-ball, in a variety of awkward places, therefore stressing an already shaky short game.
Please allow me to offer a few helpful suggestions.
The next time you watch the PGA Tour, or any professional tour for that matter, observe how few full shots are hit with short irons (7-irons through wedges). You see a knockdown 7, a three-quarter 8, a punch 9. What does all that mean? Simply that these seasoned professionals are doing a variety of things to control their ball flight. The trajectory, the spin rate (the quality of contact), the curve of the ball (the on-line condition), distance control.
Let's go over some of the mechanical factors that I would like you to fool around with. Yes, this is a trial-and-error experiment. I want you to play with how long to hold the club (choke down on the grip). The length of your backswing (compact equals control), the length of your follow-through (high finishers go high, low finishers go low), ball position, weight distribution at address.
Play with all these things a bit. Trial and error can be a wonderful teacher if you have at least a starting point. But be logical.
Imagine this: Let's say through trial and error, you were able to reduce the ball dispersion by 25 percent. In other words tighten your existing pattern, reduce the mishits, eliminate the wild miss (i.e., away goes the unforced error).
What I'm saying is the flat-out miss goes away, the skull, the fat boy, the top, the shank, the big pull, and the block are not gone completely, but the margin comes down 25 percent.
What would that mean to your score? When was the last time you worked only on short game shots in a compact manner?
Try this on for size the next 60 days. I ban you from the range, and confine you to short game shots. Sort of "Short Game Purgatory."
Do you know whom you would run into there? Tiger, Annika, and a host of other familiar faces off tour. You will not run into many fellow 20-30 handicappers.
I challenge you right now to take the next 60 days and spend the time from 30 yards in, not even 50 or 100. Yes, just 30! You will be glad you did.
One more hint to score better. The two things, far and away, I see amateurs doing to kill their putting: Early movement of the head. And breakdown of the left wrist through the impact area. Remember: head still, quiet hands through impact.
Keep one additional thing in mind. Short game skills require feel. Feel is developed only through repetitions. So get busy!
(Tom Patri's teaching academy is at Lely Resort in Naples, Fla. Patri is one of Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers in America. His book "The Six Spoke Approach to Golf" is available at bookstores and online. He can be reached at tpatri@mindspring.com.)
