The Masters is the one golf event where I park myself in front of the television and watch the broadcast for five hours on Sunday afternoon. I started my professional career in Augusta as an assistant pro at West Lake Country Club. I have been fortunate to play Augusta National Golf Club on a couple of occasions. In 2001, while working with Franklin Langham, I played with him a couple of weeks before the Masters and then joined him at the tournament where he finished T40.
Scottie Scheffler’s win was very impressive and especially given the windy conditions earlier in the week. In his press conference after the event, he contributed his win to his excellent driving and stroke saving short game. Driving distance is a big advantage at Augusta and combine that with an impeccable short game and you are almost certain to find yourself in contention.
While previous posts focused on improving driving and approach play, the short game deserves equal attention. If you have been following my tips, you’re probably familiar with the concept of Tiger 15 – a drill I incorporate into every lesson with my students. It’s a simple yet incredibly effective exercise that can drastically improve your short game skills. There is a video on You Tube of Tiger rolling a ball out in front of him approximately 15 yards and his first shot he lands the ball on top of the ball that’s 15 yards away. Now it’s your turn to give the Tiger 15 a try!
Contrary to the full swing’s power-driven nature, the short game hinges on power control. A proficient short game can salvage a round, turning a bad day into an okay one or a good round into a great one. It’s a myth that only pros excel here – with proper technique and practice, anyone can handle a wedge just as effectively.
The pros are good at the short game and one of the reasons is that they keep it simple. Based on years of research with Dr. Ralph Mann and myself we identified three factors to consider in the short game: solid contact, desired trajectory, and optimal distance.
Once you have decided on the shot and the swing begins, the main goal of the short game shot is to strike the ball cleanly. To insure this, place the ball in the middle of the stance, align the stance slightly open to the target, shift the weight slightly forward and place the hands in front of the ball at address. Not only does this help to get the hands in front of the ball at impact, but the open stance also automatically produces a more vertical or upright swing path. To further help increase the steepness of the swing, limit any shift away from the target during the backswing. Then make a whole-body transition, moving both the lower and upper body forward during the downswing. Unlike the full swing, both the upper and lower body are ahead of the set-up position when impact occurs. Besides the differences in setup and lack of body movement off the ball, the short game has many traits of the full swing. The short game involved the total body, with both hip and shoulder turn.
In the effort to keep the short game simple and repeatable, use the same swing mechanics and learn to alter the length, clubhead speed and club selection for trajectory and distance control. For example, on a 15-yard shot grip down a couple inches and narrow the stance, your swing length (arms) will be waist high (backswing) to waist high (follow through) with a slight wrist hinge. The clubhead speed is approximately 35 MPH. Use a more lofted club to a tight pin, and as the pin location is in the middle or back of the green choose a different loft and keep the swing the same. When the shot increases to 50 yards, grip the club in the normal position and move the feet wider, the swing length (arms) will be chest high (backswing) to chest high (follow through) and a bit more wrist hinge. The clubhead speed increases to 50 MPH.
The better players succeed in their short game shots because they make it simple. First, they account for most of the variation in the shots (distance and trajectory) before the swing begins by choosing the right club and grip length. Second, they set up to the ball to produce a steep vertical swing path, with the hands in front of the ball at impact. Finally, they keep the swing mechanics the same for all shots, varying only the length and speed of the swing to control distance.
The conditions that are encountered in the short game shots vary greatly. The situation that demands the greatest change in mechanics is the type of lie. If the lie is good, then no alterations are necessary. If the lie is poor, regardless of the reason, then the shot becomes more difficult. The best solution is to increase the steepness of the clubhead path to avoid the obstacle between the ball and the club (high grass, dirt, sand, etc.). One way to accomplish this would be to alter the swing to swing the club more dramatically up and down. Since this is too complex and dangerous, the better players choose a simpler method. They simply move the ball back in the stance and make the same swing they would use for a normal shot. The ball position guarantees a steeper angle and avoids the player from having to make complex swing changes. The short game has been made complicated by so many different opinions concluding that there are an infinite number of ways execute a good short game. In fact, the short game is based on simplicity. The simplicity is in keeping the swing mechanics the same and just deciding on swing length and club loft. Simple as that!
