John Lucas
Get serious about your short game
Published on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 by John LucasRead More Lucas
I remember watching an interview with Charles Howell III the other day, after he won the Nissan Open in Los Angeles. The commentator asked him the reason for his sudden success on the PGA Tour this year, as he had two second-place finishes along with the recent victory.
He replied that during the offseason last year, he was checking the world rankings to see how his own game stacked up with the best players in the game today. He said it hit him like a slap in the face. The top five players in the world had the best short games on the tour.
Duh! He said that he then changed his practice regimen with his coach and put 75 percent toward working on his short game and 25 percent on his long game. Obviously it worked and I suggest it will for you as well.
If you are serious about improving your own game, I suggest that you get a small note pad and record shot-by-shot your last five rounds. Then, after it is compiled, sit down and analyze what you need to work on the most. I think you will find that your game from 30 yards and in isn't as stellar as you imagined.
When a higher handicapped player comes to me for the first time for instruction, I usually ask him to hit a few putts and chips for me. I usually get the same response. "Oh, my short game is just fine. I need work on my swing." When he will do that for me, nine of 10 times the putts and chips are not just lacking, they are horrible, leaving the golfer with no chance to ever post decent scores.
Therefore, may I repeat a suggestion that I have mentioned in the past? In putting, first learn to aim the putter head properly. If you are not exact at this, you will be better off never practicing your putting. The reason being, if the putter is not aimed at the spot you want the putt to start out on, you have to make a bad stroke to hole the putt.
Make a triangle out of mica board if available, if not cardboard will work just fine. Make the base of it the approximate size as your putter face and about six inches high. Put a ball on the green and line up to a spot, then bend over, knock the ball away and place the base of the triangle against the face of your putter. Then step back and crouch down and sight along the triangle to see if it was indeed accurately aligned. You can train your eyes by first pacing the tip of the triangle on line with a spot on the green or on your carpet at home, then place your putter face along the base of the triangle, then look at your target with this alignment.
This an excellent way to check your club head alignment with your chipping irons and wedges.
Rules teaser:
A player's ball lies against a rake in the bunker. When he removed the rake the ball rolled away. After several attempts to replace his ball to where he marked it, the ball wouldn't stay. Ruling?
Answer to last column's teaser:
A player holed a short putt while holding the flagstick in his other hand. Ruling? No penalty.
John Lucas is the golf professional and SkyRidge Golf Course and can be reached at john98382@olypen.com.
He replied that during the offseason last year, he was checking the world rankings to see how his own game stacked up with the best players in the game today. He said it hit him like a slap in the face. The top five players in the world had the best short games on the tour.
Duh! He said that he then changed his practice regimen with his coach and put 75 percent toward working on his short game and 25 percent on his long game. Obviously it worked and I suggest it will for you as well.
If you are serious about improving your own game, I suggest that you get a small note pad and record shot-by-shot your last five rounds. Then, after it is compiled, sit down and analyze what you need to work on the most. I think you will find that your game from 30 yards and in isn't as stellar as you imagined.
When a higher handicapped player comes to me for the first time for instruction, I usually ask him to hit a few putts and chips for me. I usually get the same response. "Oh, my short game is just fine. I need work on my swing." When he will do that for me, nine of 10 times the putts and chips are not just lacking, they are horrible, leaving the golfer with no chance to ever post decent scores.
Therefore, may I repeat a suggestion that I have mentioned in the past? In putting, first learn to aim the putter head properly. If you are not exact at this, you will be better off never practicing your putting. The reason being, if the putter is not aimed at the spot you want the putt to start out on, you have to make a bad stroke to hole the putt.
Make a triangle out of mica board if available, if not cardboard will work just fine. Make the base of it the approximate size as your putter face and about six inches high. Put a ball on the green and line up to a spot, then bend over, knock the ball away and place the base of the triangle against the face of your putter. Then step back and crouch down and sight along the triangle to see if it was indeed accurately aligned. You can train your eyes by first pacing the tip of the triangle on line with a spot on the green or on your carpet at home, then place your putter face along the base of the triangle, then look at your target with this alignment.
This an excellent way to check your club head alignment with your chipping irons and wedges.
Rules teaser:
A player's ball lies against a rake in the bunker. When he removed the rake the ball rolled away. After several attempts to replace his ball to where he marked it, the ball wouldn't stay. Ruling?
Answer to last column's teaser:
A player holed a short putt while holding the flagstick in his other hand. Ruling? No penalty.
John Lucas is the golf professional and SkyRidge Golf Course and can be reached at john98382@olypen.com.
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