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Best Short-Game Drills?


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My favorite thing to do is to go to the practice green with 1 ball, my 60*, my PW, and my putter and just try to get up and down from as many different spots as possible. Not a "drill" per se, but it's great practice and it simulates the situation that a lot of us find ourselves in most of the time.

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  • 2 months later...

My favorite thing to do is to go to the practice green with 1 ball, my 60*, my PW, and my putter and just try to get up and down from as many different spots as possible. Not a "drill" per se, but it's great practice and it simulates the situation that a lot of us find ourselves in most of the time.

 

Great idea - gives you the follow through on getting it close and putting it in. I'm into this one!

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In the off season I practice with my wedge in the basement using those firm foam balls. I hit off a small rectangle of astroturf and put chalk lines on the wall at different heights and "climb the ladder" for practice. It really gives me a great feel for how small changes in grip, stance, speed, etc effect the trajectory and spin of the shot. Last winter I was practicing by putting the ball right on the trailing edge of the mat, so I had to pick it precisely clean or I'd stub the club into the edge of the mat or hit it thin. This gave me a really good feel for the depth of the clubhead coming through. Its really really helped this year avoid stubbed shots around the green. On a tight lie, I just think of that mat, and about maintaining the same level through the swing, I'm getting alot purer contact and alot of more spin control because of this.

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What are the short-game drills that you use that you think are most effective?

 

It's not a drill, but I was shocked when I took a lesson and the high-speed slo-mo of my putting stroke was eye-opening. It was the perfect excuse to buy a Casio EX FH-20. Everyone videos their full-swing but never bothers with their putting stroke. Combine it with a cheap tripod from Radio Shack and it will be of more value to you than any drill. FYI, the tripod is a MUCH better idea than asking a friend or God-forbid, the wife to video your putting stroke. Take it from the voice of experience. :angry:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well I've got a number of drills that I practice daily. Not sure if anyone's interested...

 

Putting Drill #1

 

In my experience, 99% of golfers don't practice their short game enough, those that do, do it wrong! How's that for a first post statement! :wacko:

Putting Drill #1.jpg

"The more I practice the luckier I get" - Gary Player


R1, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
RBZ, 14.5, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
R11 17 & 22 Rescues, Motore F3 S flex
Rocketbladez Tour irons, 5 - PW,
ATV 50,54,Tour preferred 58 wedges
Daddy Long Legs 33-35"
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Hey... I like that putting drill Pugh... I'm going to steal that one. :)

 

Please do :)

 

I've more if you're interested...

 

I try and mix it up whilst I'm practicing short game, a mixture of putting and chipping, target stuff and scoring to keep my mind sharp.

 

How about a chipping one...

"The more I practice the luckier I get" - Gary Player


R1, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
RBZ, 14.5, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
R11 17 & 22 Rescues, Motore F3 S flex
Rocketbladez Tour irons, 5 - PW,
ATV 50,54,Tour preferred 58 wedges
Daddy Long Legs 33-35"
Tour Preferred X
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:)

Chipping Drill #1.jpg

"The more I practice the luckier I get" - Gary Player


R1, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
RBZ, 14.5, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
R11 17 & 22 Rescues, Motore F3 S flex
Rocketbladez Tour irons, 5 - PW,
ATV 50,54,Tour preferred 58 wedges
Daddy Long Legs 33-35"
Tour Preferred X
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Good drills, pughdog, keep them coming.

 

:)

 

Putting Drill #2

Putting Drill #2.jpg

"The more I practice the luckier I get" - Gary Player


R1, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
RBZ, 14.5, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
R11 17 & 22 Rescues, Motore F3 S flex
Rocketbladez Tour irons, 5 - PW,
ATV 50,54,Tour preferred 58 wedges
Daddy Long Legs 33-35"
Tour Preferred X
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Anyone had a go at the above drills? I'd love to hear any feedback before posting some more up :blink:

"The more I practice the luckier I get" - Gary Player


R1, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
RBZ, 14.5, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
R11 17 & 22 Rescues, Motore F3 S flex
Rocketbladez Tour irons, 5 - PW,
ATV 50,54,Tour preferred 58 wedges
Daddy Long Legs 33-35"
Tour Preferred X
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Assuming our putting green has been cut recently, today I will be mainly holing lots and lots of short putts :D

 

junk2006-1.jpg?t=1277522461

 

junk2005-1.jpg?t=1277522460

 

You can just about make out the feint blue chalk line between the alignment sticks. Can only find blue chalk here so far, I'm guessing white would be better but from above the ball the blue is still very visable.

 

The tee is in the back of the hole to give me a nice small target to aim at.

 

Anyone wanting to improve on those 3 - 4 footers should give this a go. It's hard not to follow the symmetrical lines and get into a good rhythm of rolling putts in.

 

As a side note, I never 'see' the ball go in, instead I hear it drop and can just about 'sense' it out of the corner of my vision. Listening to the ball drop (or not as the case may be) is one of the best putting tips I ever picked up in my youth! :blink:

"The more I practice the luckier I get" - Gary Player


R1, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
RBZ, 14.5, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
R11 17 & 22 Rescues, Motore F3 S flex
Rocketbladez Tour irons, 5 - PW,
ATV 50,54,Tour preferred 58 wedges
Daddy Long Legs 33-35"
Tour Preferred X
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Anyone had a go at the above drills? I'd love to hear any feedback before posting some more up :blink:

 

I did you 18 holes putting game yesterday and shot 1 under (made a 36 footer, 2 putted everything else). I enjoyed the constant changing of distances, and I'll definitely do it again. Keep the drills coming!

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I did the chipping drill #1 starting at 5 paces. Heh.. hit the towel on my first chip. *ahem* then I woke up.

I finally made it back to all balls at 6 paces and had to stop. It took a few shots. I didn't count, but lets just say I started over more than once. :blink:

•Never argue with an idiot. First, he will drag you down to his level. Then he will beat you with experience!•

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I did the chipping drill #1 starting at 5 paces. Heh.. hit the towel on my first chip. *ahem* then I woke up.

I finally made it back to all balls at 6 paces and had to stop. It took a few shots. I didn't count, but lets just say I started over more than once. :D

 

Good to hear Mike :)

 

It's not a race, it's more about taking time over each shot as though it actually means something, hence the need to get all 3 on, each shot counts and the 'pressure' grows with each ball landed on the towel. Beats standing there aimlessly chipping 50 balls or so towards a flag. :D

 

I'm not surprised it took a few goes either, keep the distance short enough that you can complete the drill (all 4 wedges / clubs) reasonably easily rather than trying to get too far away and constantly seeing the ball miss. The idea is to keep getting positive feedback by seeing the ball go where you want. As you improve, move back, challenge yourself...

 

As you get better not only will you complete the drill with less attempts but you will also begin to actually hit the smaller target a few times too. I managed to hit the gum box 3 times yesterday.

 

The next chipping drill is waaaaaaaaay harder! ;) :D

"The more I practice the luckier I get" - Gary Player


R1, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
RBZ, 14.5, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
R11 17 & 22 Rescues, Motore F3 S flex
Rocketbladez Tour irons, 5 - PW,
ATV 50,54,Tour preferred 58 wedges
Daddy Long Legs 33-35"
Tour Preferred X
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I did you 18 holes putting game yesterday and shot 1 under (made a 36 footer, 2 putted everything else). I enjoyed the constant changing of distances, and I'll definitely do it again. Keep the drills coming!

 

-1 is a great score! Imagine playing 18 holes each time and never 3 putting! I don't buy into this 'putt into a dustbin lid' theory. As Rotella wrote in "Putting Out Of Your Mind", why aim to miss the hole!? Starting close in and putting from similar lines but longer putts each time encourages the feeling of trying to make the longer ones.

 

I like to keep a 'best score' in my head that I try and beat each time I visit the putting green. Alternatively, challenge another golfer to '18 holes' and see who has to buy the drinks :D Nothing beats a bit of competitive practice.

 

Chipping Drill #2 coming soon....

"The more I practice the luckier I get" - Gary Player


R1, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
RBZ, 14.5, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
R11 17 & 22 Rescues, Motore F3 S flex
Rocketbladez Tour irons, 5 - PW,
ATV 50,54,Tour preferred 58 wedges
Daddy Long Legs 33-35"
Tour Preferred X
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:)

Like the drill.... will try it next time I am out.

Pat Mullaly

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Assuming our putting green has been cut recently, today I will be mainly holing lots and lots of short putts :)

 

junk2006-1.jpg?t=1277522461

 

junk2005-1.jpg?t=1277522460

 

You can just about make out the feint blue chalk line between the alignment sticks. Can only find blue chalk here so far, I'm guessing white would be better but from above the ball the blue is still very visable.

 

The tee is in the back of the hole to give me a nice small target to aim at.

 

Anyone wanting to improve on those 3 - 4 footers should give this a go. It's hard not to follow the symmetrical lines and get into a good rhythm of rolling putts in.

 

As a side note, I never 'see' the ball go in, instead I hear it drop and can just about 'sense' it out of the corner of my vision. Listening to the ball drop (or not as the case may be) is one of the best putting tips I ever picked up in my youth! :)

Great drill. I agree with your side note of not following the ball with your eyes or your head, but just listening for the drop. Makes for a much more accurate putt.

Pat Mullaly

Editor, GolfGurls.com

The Resource Site for Today's Woman Golfer

http://www.golfgurls.com

 

FREE E-Book - WIN THE WAGER: Golf Tournament Formats For Fun & Profit

Fun formts for 1,2,3 or 4 players / Great ideas for league tournaments, corporate outings and special events

Vist http://www.golfgurls.com, subscribe and download your FREE copy.

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Great idea - gives you the follow through on getting it close and putting it in. I'm into this one!

I usually try using 4 balls at a time, trying to get the ball within a 3 foot circle around the hole. Helps with my accuracy and touch.

Pat Mullaly

Editor, GolfGurls.com

The Resource Site for Today's Woman Golfer

http://www.golfgurls.com

 

FREE E-Book - WIN THE WAGER: Golf Tournament Formats For Fun & Profit

Fun formts for 1,2,3 or 4 players / Great ideas for league tournaments, corporate outings and special events

Vist http://www.golfgurls.com, subscribe and download your FREE copy.

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I like the drills Pugh - especially for putting. I might borrow some of those.

 

For chipping... well... sometimes we tend to complicate things too much. Here is my chipping drill:

 

1) Fill shag bag full of balls

2) Empty balls from shag bag onto ground

3) Chip balls into hole until all the balls have been hit

4) Walk onto green to retrieve balls and fill shag bag

5) Move to a new spot and repeat step 1 (MANY times)

 

I recommend this drill to all you high handicappers out there. Spend AT LEAST as much time chipping as you do on the driving range practicing your full swing. It never ceases to amaze me how many weekend golfers can't hit a simple chip.

 

This was a public service announcement. I now return you to your regularly scheduled program. :)

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I like the drills Pugh - especially for putting. I might borrow some of those.

 

For chipping... well... sometimes we tend to complicate things too much. Here is my chipping drill:

 

1) Fill shag bag full of balls

2) Empty balls from shag bag onto ground

3) Chip balls into hole until all the balls have been hit

4) Walk onto green to retrieve balls and fill shag bag

5) Move to a new spot and repeat step 1 (MANY times)

 

I recommend this drill to all you high handicappers out there. Spend AT LEAST as much time chipping as you do on the driving range practicing your full swing. It never ceases to amaze me how many weekend golfers can't hit a simple chip.

 

This was a public service announcement. I now return you to your regularly scheduled program. :D

 

You missed a few:

 

-Walk past green to pick up balls you bladed,

-Walk into sand trap short of green to pick up balls you chunked, and

-Walk to the right of green to pick up balls you shanked. :)

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You missed a few:

 

-Walk past green to pick up balls you bladed,

-Walk into sand trap short of green to pick up balls you chunked, and

-Walk to the right of green to pick up balls you shanked. :)

 

LOL. Yeah, that's possible, but in my case I'm a 14 more because of inconsistent iron play and putting. Chipping is usually not my issue (probably because of the amount of time I spend on it). ;)

Callaway FT-9 Driver 10.5* Grafalloy Prolaunch Axis Blue

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Cobra Baffler Rail F Fairway 15.5* Fujikura Motore

Wilson FYbrid 19* UST Proforce AXIV Core

Cobra Baffler Rail H Hybrid 22* Fujikura Motore

Ping I15 Irons 5-UW AWT

Ping Tour-W 56*,60* DG Spinner

Ping Redwood ZB Putter, WRX Starshot, 35"

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I like the drills Pugh - especially for putting. I might borrow some of those.

 

For chipping... well... sometimes we tend to complicate things too much. Here is my chipping drill:

 

1) Fill shag bag full of balls

2) Empty balls from shag bag onto ground

3) Chip balls into hole until all the balls have been hit

4) Walk onto green to retrieve balls and fill shag bag

5) Move to a new spot and repeat step 1 (MANY times)

 

I recommend this drill to all you high handicappers out there. Spend AT LEAST as much time chipping as you do on the driving range practicing your full swing. It never ceases to amaze me how many weekend golfers can't hit a simple chip.

 

This was a public service announcement. I now return you to your regularly scheduled program. B)

 

Ok, this may ruffle a few feathers but I strongly advise against practicing your short game that way! ;)

 

Let me explain why...

 

I'm guessing said shag bag holds anything from 30 - 100 balls depending on size. Hitting that many chip / pitch shots from the same place is, only in my opinion of course, mind numbingly boring. Worse still I believe it to be counter productive. Sure, the first 3 - 5 balls may be a quick learning curve but once you've got the 'feel' of the distance all you're doing is repeating the same shot over and over. To make matters worse, as the attention level drops with the more balls hit, balls that have finished around the target now become obstacles. Potentially good chip shots strike other balls short and end up nowhere near the hole or worse still, balls that would fly past the hole strike another and stay close to the hole, both giving 'false feedback'.

 

I agree, there is a time and a place for standing and hitting numerous shots in order to learn the skill of lifting a ball into the air. However, chipping requires little technique to lift the ball, once this skill has been aquired it's time to move on and concentrate on learning how different clubs perform and learning about landing areas, amount of roll etc etc. When I have taught chipping, once a student could demonstrate that they could lift the ball and land it in a large target like say a bunker, reasonably consistently, that was the basic technique done.

 

I've spent many years watching fellow golfers practice in the 'quantity not quality' manner described. Very rarely does it improve the golfers skill for reading greens, understanding how different clubs work etc. Sure, it may improve their ability to hit the ball into the air and run it that particular distance but what happens out on the golf course when the first 9 missed greens offer different length tests!?

 

Now, I'm also not saying that it's 'my way or the highway' :)

 

The chipping drill that I posted a few days ago is one of many I try when I spend time on and around the practice green. I mix up my practice between target practice (both short chips and longer) and competitive practice. Again, in my opinion, there is no better practice than competitive practice. I have spent literally thousands of hours of my life having informal chipping competitions against fellow high or low handicap / pro golfers.

 

This usually goes along the lines of 2 or 3 balls each. All players using the same club, a hole is chosen and shots are hit alternately towards it. Closest to the hole may get 2 points, 2nd place 1 point and a bonus of say 5 points if you manage to chip it in. Added incentives can be the furthest from the hole retrieves all the balls before the winner of the 'hole' choses the next location and target hole.

 

This kind of practice means you are constantly changing the shot type and club. Over a bunker followed by a long chip and run followed by a lob shot then a bunker shot. I try and mix it up as much as possible. Why? Because it keeps the brain working, you have to constantly ask yourself - "Ok, where do I need to land this to make it run down that slope to the pin?" Correct me if I'm wrong but on the golf course we don't get 30 - 100 goes at getting a chip shot right. We don't even get 2 or 3 so you could argue that 'my way' is too generous! :D

 

Damn it, I've waffled on much longer than intended. I'm by no means 'having a go' at Mr A2G. This is just years and years of experience speaking here from, dare I say it, a pretty good exponant of the short game.

 

I have worked hard to remove any signs of 'hit 'n drag' practice from my routine over the years. If like me, you wish to improve at this crazy game... I suggest you do the same :)

"The more I practice the luckier I get" - Gary Player


R1, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
RBZ, 14.5, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
R11 17 & 22 Rescues, Motore F3 S flex
Rocketbladez Tour irons, 5 - PW,
ATV 50,54,Tour preferred 58 wedges
Daddy Long Legs 33-35"
Tour Preferred X
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Grab 'em now before I decide to write a book on it and charge money for this info! ;)

 

The important thing is to try to make all practice as interesting and fun as possible, not just short game of course. I figure if I share my drills on here maybe someone will come up with a couple in return for me to try.

 

Unfortunately I have nowhere to practice them at the moment. I complained to our golf mamager about the practice green being scruffy, it doesn't get cut from one day to the next recently and there are flags missing from the holes etc. Not sure if he was making a point but yesterday they dumped a ton of sand all over it :lol: It's unusable for a while. The Malaysian way seems to be if there's a bare patch - dump sand on it. Hey ho.

 

Anyone with any drills of their own or ideas shout out...

 

I had a great idea for a kind of 'battle' chipping drill the other day, still working on the logistics to make it work.

"The more I practice the luckier I get" - Gary Player


R1, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
RBZ, 14.5, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
R11 17 & 22 Rescues, Motore F3 S flex
Rocketbladez Tour irons, 5 - PW,
ATV 50,54,Tour preferred 58 wedges
Daddy Long Legs 33-35"
Tour Preferred X
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I tried the "Chip onto a towel" drill yesterday, and let me tell you: not easy. For one thing, it was very counterintuitive for me because I prefer to look at my end target, not where I land my ball, but I don't think there's any harm in being able to do both. I spent a lot of time hitting 5 yard chips, but every time I hit the tee (I used a tee, didn't have a gum box) it was like an instant jolt of energy/concentration.

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I tried the "Chip onto a towel" drill yesterday, and let me tell you: not easy. For one thing, it was very counterintuitive for me because I prefer to look at my end target, not where I land my ball, but I don't think there's any harm in being able to do both. I spent a lot of time hitting 5 yard chips, but every time I hit the tee (I used a tee, didn't have a gum box) it was like an instant jolt of energy/concentration.

 

I don't always look at the landing point out on the course either. I try to but sometimes it just 'feels' right to look at the hole. However, as you say, I don't think it does any harm to practice landing the ball exactly.

 

Stick at it, it gets easier the more times you try :lol:

"The more I practice the luckier I get" - Gary Player


R1, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
RBZ, 14.5, Matrix Black Tie 7M3 S flex
R11 17 & 22 Rescues, Motore F3 S flex
Rocketbladez Tour irons, 5 - PW,
ATV 50,54,Tour preferred 58 wedges
Daddy Long Legs 33-35"
Tour Preferred X
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