The Road to Improvement in Golf

I lived in Pinehurst, North Carolina, for a few years. Our home was near the green of a 170-yard par-3. On idle afternoons, I’d sit on my deck and watch player after player hit from the tee. It’s not a stretch to say that 85-90% of them would land their tee shot within 20 yards of that green. And I’d watch in amazement as they walked off that hole with a four or five (or more) on their scorecard! 

If you go to any practice area, you’ll see any number of golfers hitting balls. If there are say ten people there, it is likely eight of them will be working on full swings, (driver, hybrids, etc.), and perhaps two of them will be practicing short shots (chips, pitches, putts, etc.) Now, consider the fact that 65-70% of golf is played with short shots; 30-35% of your round will likely be all-out power swings. This is statistically a fact. A round where someone shoots 90 might contain 30 full swings and 60 short ones. Why then would most golfers prefer to spend most of their time practicing what amounts to a statistically small part of the game? 

As further evidence of this mistaken approach, I have conducted some 35,000 lessons in my career. It would not be hyperbole to say that 32,000 have been on the full swing. Rare is the day when someone says, “Coach, I want to lower my handicap, and I think my short game is holding me back.” So, let’s explore…

The object of the game of golf is to get the golf ball in the hole in the fewest strokes; not, contrary to popular myth, hit the longest drives, the purest irons, draws, fades, and so on. Yes, I agree that the swing is the thing that gets us all in a position to use the short shots, but I’m telling you that your current swing is very likely capable of producing better scores. Your short game is not as good as you might think it is! To prove this to yourself, you will need to closely detail and track your scoring. Here is a guide:

1. Track Your GIRs; do not fret over missed fairways or length of drives etc., nothing concerning full swing for this test. 

2. Now keep a record at what type of shot you had when you missed the green…chip, pitch, or bunker shot.

3. Count your putts. Total number and lag vs. hole-outs.

4. Finally, count your ups and downs.

The PGA Tour has a category of statistics known as Strokes Gained (SG). The purpose of this is to let the player know where they stand in relation to their peers in all areas of the game. SG putting, SG chipping, SG bunkers, etc. This lets the pro know exactly where he/she is weak or strong in their game. For example, a player might be in the top three in driving but 100th in bunker play. Unfortunately, most of you cannot track anything about your game to that degree. However, you may be able to track yourself and possibly even start a SG stat in your own club. In any case, you will quickly discover where you're losing strokes in the short game area.

I had a student some years ago who came to me for a series of full swing lessons. He had a swing capable of shooting low to mid-70s, in my opinion. He had never broken 80; in fact, he had not broken 40 for nine holes. I told him we would go play nine holes under these rules: He hits the first shot on a par 3, first two shots on the par 4, and first three on the par 5, and WHEREVER his ball was, I’d finish the hole. We shot 37! He got the message loud and clear! It was time to work on his SHORT GAME! 

Finally, the best thing about learning to chip, putt, play greenside bunkers, etc. is that it takes much less athletic skill and experience to learn these shots. You can develop a very sharp short game with training and practice. Where to do what shot and how to execute it is vital to getting up and down far more often. And believe me, you will score much, much better! 

Dennis Clark is a PGA Master Professional and seven-time PGA award winner, including Teacher of the Year and Golf Professional of the Year. Dennis is available for private instruction at Eagle Lakes Golf Club. He can be reached at 239-777-6043 or dennisclarkgolf@gmail.com.