Short Game Tips

The best way to get a lower score is to improve your short game skills. You have to take into consideration that your driving skills should now be up to standard. Long drives down the fairway will give you shorter shots to the green and improve your overall score.

The best way to decrease your shot is having confidence. If you feel comfortable with the shot you should be able to get the right distance and land your ball in a perfect position on the green. A lack of confidence will make you hit the ball too hard and over the green, hitting the ball too softly will leave you with another shot to get onto the green.

The key to a great shot will be less of a back spin and moving the momentum through the shot. Your clubface should flow nicely under the ball and lift it onto the green. Your stance is important when trying to achieve this, place the ball in the center between your legs when taking the shot.

A mistake a lot of people make with short shots is trying to lift the ball with their leading arm. Instead you should let the club loft lift the ball and do its work. Trying to lift the ball with your leading arm will result in a topping shot.

Whether you are setting up for a chip or a pitch, the address position should be the same. The difference between chipping and pitching is simply wrist action - chipping requires no wrist action, while pitching requires some wrist action due to the length or trajectory of the shot. The set-up, however, remains the same.

When you are hitting from an uphill lie the ball will fly higher than normal. The slope you are hitting up effectively adds loft to the club. When you are hitting from a downhill lie the ball will fly lower than normal. The slope you are hitting up effectively removes loft from the club. So use less club to compensate. When the ball is above your feet you are standing more upright and therefore the swing becomes flatter. A flat swing will encourage a draw or hook and the ball will tend to have a lower trajectory flying further.

Putting backspin on a golf ball is not as easy as it might sound. Working on the same concept as back spinning a cue ball in pool. You should hit down on the ball basically pinching the ball between the grass and the club face. The right angle and force will be needed to master the back spin shot. Keep your clubface clean at all times to ensure a successful shot. Use a high spin golf ball to make it easier and enjoy the backspin of 5 -10 feet when your ball lands on the green.