Short Game Drills

[TexasFullSend]

wondering what drills y'all do for shots from the 30-90yard range? I usually go the range and try and hit it as close to the target but was wondering if there is any drills that i can do to further improve my game? 

 

HIT'EM HARD!

[Haro]

I drop balls from 10 random shots from inside 40 yards.  Tight lies , short sided, bunkers, etc and try to see how many I can get up and down.  I find inside 40 yards it’s just a different game. Half my score is inside 40 yards   I find that if I just practice just pitching to the pin without finishing it to the hole gives me less confident 

[GolfSpy MPR]

I definitely advocate getting a launch monitor and dialing in those distances that way. Drill different distances, and then try to hit random numbers between those distances.

I'm also in favor of a clock wedge system; I currently use my LW, SW, and GW for this, and each club has five different distances. I've built a chart that I keep taped to the back of the phone I use for Arccos for on-course reference.

[Kenny B]

Unless you are using balls that you play with, hitting these shots on the range is more about honing ball striking skills.  That's fine, and I do that because I need to practice those skills.  However, it doesn't do anything to practice how your ball will react off the club and when your ball lands on the green.  

From 30-90yards that is either a LW, SW or GW for me after I assess the lie.  I don't do enough of it, but like @Haro, I drop balls at points around the green where I usually find myself.  My focus is on where to land the ball which varies with the club, lie, type of shot, and ball I'm using; that also involves knowledge of the breaks on the green.  I enjoy this type of practice; much more so than on the range.  I used to do this a lot pre-covid, but the course is nearly full all day, making this type of practice more difficult.

[Shapotomous]

I can practice backyard wedge shots up to 70 yards and have hit thousands with the 57* & 53*.  I use the same swing length & technique with a different lofted wedge (either 49* or 45*) to get up to 105 yards pretty consistently on the course. 

At 100 yards I think the big thing to concentrate on is just hitting the green rather than stressing out over getting within 15' or so.  I was surprised to see the tour average for greens hit from there at 77% which was a lot lower than I thought it would be.  

https://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.078.html

 

 

[Haro]

For approx 50-90 yards I used a clock method and aim for the pin  Practice the swing length prior the actual swing 

inside that yardage (too close for my1/2 swing)that I like to walk a bit closer to the green and look for a spot on or close to the hole  to land and use more “putting” method if I can 

Edited October 29, 2021 by Haro

[TexasFullSend]

All great tips! I usually go to the range with my 60 and hit a bucket of balls to the different targets they have (sometimes it just one distance) so I try and focus on repeating the same swing while focusing on posture, grip and swing tempo. I think I need to start taking my other two wedges and learn how to hit multiple distances with all my wedges 

[Beaumissy]

All of these comments/tips are great except that many golf courses don't have short game practice areas where you can use regular golf balls and for sure, you can't go out on the golf course and hit to real greens with regular golf balls.  I understand all this and still don't have a way to really practice this shot....

[TexasFullSend]

Just now, Beaumissy said:

All of these comments/tips are great except that many golf courses don't have short game practice areas where you can use regular golf balls and for sure, you can't go out on the golf course and hit to real greens with regular golf balls.  I understand all this and still don't have a way to really practice this shot....

Yeah that is how the courses in my area are set up. it's just your standard range with pins are different yardages. There is one course with large chipping green but nothing more than 20 yards 

[tony@CIC]

5 hours ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

I definitely advocate getting a launch monitor and dialing in those distances that way. Drill different distances, and then try to hit random numbers between those distances.

Which LM would you recommend? I have a SC200 that I've used for the range but the numbers are way off when I use anything lower than a 50*.  I haven't tried my PRGR LM but my sense is that the they're all inaccurate because the ball is launched so high. I'm fortunate at our Ohio course to have a practice hole adjacent to the practice green so I set up a target on the green and work backwards every 10 years to about an 80 yd mark (I use a LRF for the measurement). 

@TexasFullSend, @GolfSpy MBP's recommendation of a clock approach is a pretty foolproof approach Also you might want to check out this article and corresponding video from Mark Crossfield - it's more than what you asked for in your original post but still pretty interesting. https://www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/features/instruction-features/2021/june/mark-crossfield-golf-short-game-lessons/

[TexasFullSend]

11 minutes ago, tony@CIC said:

Which LM would you recommend? I have a SC200 that I've used for the range but the numbers are way off when I use anything lower than a 50*.  I haven't tried my PRGR LM but my sense is that the they're all inaccurate because the ball is launched so high. I'm fortunate at our Ohio course to have a practice hole adjacent to the practice green so I set up a target on the green and work backwards every 10 years to about an 80 yd mark (I use a LRF for the measurement). 

@TexasFullSend, @GolfSpy MBP's recommendation of a clock approach is a pretty foolproof approach Also you might want to check out this article and corresponding video from Mark Crossfield - it's more than what you asked for in your original post but still pretty interesting. https://www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/features/instruction-features/2021/june/mark-crossfield-golf-short-game-lessons/

Solid article. I took have looked into getting a reasonably priced launch monitor but just as you mentioned unless you're pay top dollar many struggle with short shots. 

[Beaumissy]

Mark Crossfield ......a lot of great info in the article...helpful.  Thanks for sharing.

[I miss, I miss, I make]

Fortunate to play at a course that has a chipping/pitching area.  I use my laser to measure and will cover that distance.  The green normally has two pins so I can vary my distance without having to move.  Outside 50 yards I try to have two different clubs.  I try to use the "clock method" to get more consistent.  I only practice carry yardage.  What it does after landing is judgement. 

[Bassbeamer]

I did purchase a monitor. Use it outside at home hitting into a net. I on my 7,8,and nine irons to know my distances. I agree on comments about going to the range. I go to review and hone in on my swing to-get the correct direction.

[Shapotomous]

@tony@CIC  I have a Mevo launch monitor and tested it hitting wedge shots in the backyard for distance.  Compared to the lasered distances and seeing the ball land it was giving very accurate distance readings for my shots up to 70 yards.  There would be about 1 out of 10 shots that it missed or gave an inaccurate reading.  Moving indoors to the net and hitting wedge shots it seemed there would be 3 or 4 shots out of 10 it would either miss entirely or give what felt like a bad distance based on my feel.  That was about twice the missed shots compared to hitting longer irons or woods into the net, however hearing about the challenge launch monitors seem to have with wedges I thought that was OK performance.  

[flyingwedges]

Drills to lock down your  motion or drills for specific type of shot?