There is so much talk about distance in the game of golf and many golfers want to hit it longer. Hitting longer drives is fine but it is not the key to shooting lower scores. Just take yesterday's "Golf Match" between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau as an example. Bryson out-drove Brooks by 40-50 yards on almost every hole, yet Brooks won the match 4 & 3. This is not to say any player played better than the other but only to show hitting it long is not always the answer.
Yes hitting the driver long can be an advantage but only if you work on the one part of the game every golfer should focus on. That is you should work on those shots from 100 yards and in.
100 yards and in is not just about wedge shots from the fairway but also includes putting, chip shots, pitch shots, and bunker shots. At a future date I will do a video and blog post on how to dial in those wedge shots from 20 yards to 100 yards but for now, let's talk about why this is so much more important than distance. Although if you can find both that is a very good combination to have.
Unless you are Moe Norman (link to Golf Digest story) you will miss some shots while playing golf. Sometimes you have to hit good shots just to save par or bogey. Maybe it's a long putt you have to make. The point is if you do not focus on this part of the game you can quickly make double bogies or worse. However, if you focus on the shots inside 100 yards you can save bad holes. This is especially key if you can't go for par-5 holes in two. Lay up to a good wedge yardage (if you can) and then knock it close and get it up and down.
The best part of this is it is not about your swing mechanics or club choice. Instead, it is about taking your game as it is and finding consistency with it. You have probably noticed from your playing partners that you all have a different approach to what shots you hit from the same spot. Let's take a 15 yard shot short of the green and on the fairway. Some golfers immediately grab a lob wedge while others immediately grab their putter. The key is to hit those shots that give you the best chance to get the ball close to the hole. The more you focus on those shots and practice them the more comfortable you are hitting them. Your chances of getting the ball up and down increase this way.
Spend some time at a driving range one day and hit shots 20 yards with a wedge or hit some shots with a 9-iron. you will start to develop muscle memory and know what you need to do to hit a ball to those specific yardages. Or go find a golf course that has a really great short game area like Lakewood Golf Club has and work on all the shots around the greens. Keep in mind there may be a charge for use of their practice facilities.
Depending on the size of your yard at home you can also work on these shots in your own backyard. Putt on your carpet at home too. You can even go the route of some training aids like the Dave Pelz Short Game Position Mat if you so choose. However, I'd suggest investing in either the Sklz Quickster Chipping Net or something similar. Or a home putting matt like the Sklz Pro Putting Mat The more you focus on all the shots in this scoring area you can the better your chance at shooting lowers scores.
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