Birdies & bogeys: The Right Choice

By Mark Fry

Master a few simple short-game strategies and start saving strokes.

There’s no question that the most important part of your game in golf is the short game — those shots taken within 50 yards of the green or pin. After all, putting adds up to about 43 percent of your score. Add pitching, chipping, and bunker play and if you’re like the typical player, you’ll find that about 65 percent of your score is obtained from 50 yards and in.

Far too often, as I play golf with amateur golfers and golf-school students, I see them reach for their wedges every time they get inside 50 yards. Many times, a different shot technique and club selection should have been used.

The key is to recognize which techniques are available to you when you approach your short-game shots. One of the first things to remember is that the higher shots (pitch and lob shots) are the more difficult to execute because they require larger swings as well as more body movements (weight shift, wrist hinge, hip turn, arm extension, and follow through).

Of course, if hitting the ball lower is not an option, one of these higher lofted shots must be used. But if you could better understand your available options — which ones are available in certain situations — and how to execute them properly, I think you would save a surprising number of strokes each round. Let’s take a look at your options.

PUTTING
The first option in the short game is putting. Ask yourself: Can I putt? Putting is defined as rolling the ball on the ground without any loft or air time. Putting is the most individualized technique of the game. For example, there are players on the PGA Tour who play right-handed and putt left-handed; players who putt cross-handed or left-hand low; players who use the long putters; and even one player, Mike Hulbert, who putted with one hand a few years ago.

And we should not forget the innovator in “doing it my way,” Sam Snead, who had the Rules of Golf changed because of his style. Sam was using what was defined as a croquet-style stroke with the ball between his feet. The Rules of Golf were changed, stating that you could not straddle the line of a putt, so Sam changed his style to the side-saddle stance that he still uses today.

The point is that the way you grip or hold the club is not important as long as you believe in your method. Putting is a very high percentage shot because there are fewer moving body parts during this stroke. The technique involved is a very shallow stroke both back and through, without any weight shift or breaking of the wrists. The body stays very stable and your eyes remain over the ball. The two variables are distance and direction. Distance is controlled by regulating the length and speed of your stroke; direction is controlled by the path of your stroke and the putter face position at impact. We can learn a lot from European players who often putt from some distance off the green.

Remember, your worst putt will always be better than your worst chip.

CHIPPING
Chipping is your second option in the short game. Ask: Should I hit a chip shot or chip-and-run? Chipping is defined as a shot with minimum air time, maximum roll time. This shot is low to the ground and then rolls like a putt. In an effort to keep the ball low to the ground, a different club selection will be necessary and will be determined by the length of the shot as well as the characteristics of the green (uphill or downhill). If a longer shot or an uphill shot is required, a less-lofted club will be needed (5- or 6-iron). If a shorter shot or a downhill shot is required, then a wedge or a 9-iron may be used.

Remember, you are not trying to fly the ball near the hole. Instead, you are trying to land the ball on or near the edge of the green and make the ball roll like a putt. Common sense says you can land a ball in a circle that is 5 feet in front of you more consistently than you can land a ball in a circle that is 25 feet in front of you and up near the hole. This is the reason for eliminating air time. Also remember that the ball is going to react differently with different clubs; for example, a 5- or 6-iron is going to make the ball roll farther than a wedge or a 9-iron.

Your stance for chipping is important. Start with about 80 percent of your weight on your front foot and leave it there. For every full swing shot, your weight should finish on your front foot. Starting with the weight there eliminates one of the variables — weight shift. Your hips should be turned open, with your toes pointed slightly toward the target. Starting with your hips in this position allows you to eliminate another variable — hip turn. The ball should be positioned back in your stance in order to get your hands ahead of the ball. This will help keep the ball low and make it react more like a putt. Stand closer to the ball and choke down on the club for better control. Remember, you are looking for control, not power, in this stroke.

Once you have the correct stance, you are simply trying to simulate your putting stroke. Keeping the club low to the ground going back and through promotes a very shallow stroke. There should be no weight transfer, no hip turn, and no wrist hinge. Pick an intermediate target where you would like your ball to land, and do your rehearsal swings with your intermediate target in mind.

Remember, your worst chip shot will be better than your worst pitch shot.

PITCHING
The third option in the short game is pitching. Ask: Do I have to hit a pitch shot? The pitch shot is a shot with maximum air time and minimum roll time. This shot is typically used when the ball must be lofted over some type of obstacle such as a bunker, mound, or high rough. This shot also may be used when it is necessary to stop the ball quickly. The stance for the pitch shot is going to be basically the same as your full-swing stance. Set your feet about shoulders width or less, with your knees flexed but not overly bent. Most of the bending occurs in the hips or in the waist as we tilt forward trying to get the shoulders in front of the knees. Place the ball slightly back of center and distribute your weight evenly. Some players use an open stance for the pitch shot. This is done by dropping the leading foot back just slightly. If you open your stance, also open the clubface to achieve a higher and softer trajectory. Technically, the pitch uses the same mechanical motions as in the full swing. Pitching is a great way to work on the mechanics of your full swing because it is a slowed-down version of the full swing.

The key in pitching is regulating your distance. This is done by regulating the speed of your swing. You can shorten your back swing or regulate the tempo of your swing. Regardless of how you choose to regulate your speed, you still need to transfer the weight forward, and straighten and extend your arms. The common faults that I see in this shot are the failure to transfer weight and the failure to follow through or finish the stroke. Also, it is important to make a descending blow. You must hit downward to slide the club under the ball.

Remember, your worst pitch will be better than your worst lob shot.

FLOP SHOT
Your fourth option in the short game should only be used when no other technique is available. This is the flop shot or lob shot. The goal of this shot is to hit the ball straight up in the air and land the ball as softly as possible. The technique requires the most lofted club in your bag, often a 60-degree or more lob wedge. Then, dramatically open your stance, almost facing the target. Also open your clubface, keeping it pointed toward the target. Opening the face of your 60-degree lob wedge is probably adding anywhere from two to 10 degrees of loft to the club.

The swing for this shot should be big and full, with plenty of acceleration. You must swing in the direction your body is pointing, so you are literally swinging across the ball with an open clubface. This produces an extremely high ball flight and allows the ball to drop virtually straight down onto the green with little or no roll. Be careful not to hit yourself in the nose with this one. This shot typically is used when the pin is cut on the very front edge of the green and the ball must be stopped as soon as it hits the green. It’s not a very high-percentage shot because you are swinging so hard and hitting the ball so short. This is truly a glancing blow and is your last option.

Mark E. Fry is director and head instructor of the Golf Advantage School at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia. For  information, call 800-838-1766, extension 5.