We've all the seen the incredibly long yet accurate drives of Tiger Woods. The ball flies through the air and lands in the middle of the fairway, 300 yards away.
How can you not become jealous as you wonder if you could ever dare to hope to drive like that? It is consoling to know, that long drives are not crucial to the game of golf.
This where the "short game" comes in because without reasonable short game skills, those great long drives will have been wasted.
We call the 'short game' those shots that get you onto the green from roughly a hundred feet away from the hole, no matter whether it's from the fairway, a bunker, the rough or a drop zone. It includes all chips, sand shots and pitches.
It is in this middle stage of the game of golf that you get to use the higher numbered clubs, your pitching iron and sand wedge or lob wedge.
You will find practice areas on most golf courses. You really ought to spend some time practising hitting the ball onto the green from various distances. Try to hit the ball into a ten-foot circle in the centre of the green at first. Experiment using your wedges, but remember that what works well for one person, might not work so well for you because your particular swing is an unknown factor in the equation.
When you can perform this skill fairly consistently, it is about time to start practising how to get out of a sand bunker. Being able to get the ball out of a bunker can really cut your score quite dramatically and it is very frustrating if you can't do it.
The way to get out of a bunker is to place your feet firmly in the sand with your left foot turned to point towards the hole. Draw an imaginary 4-inch circle around the ball and try to hit the outer edge of that circle with a short, sharp chip.
Kick up lots of sand with the ball and swing completely through as normal. Don't slow down the swing at all when or after you hit the ball. It should jump up onto the green and stop almost dead. This doesn't work very well though unless the sand is soft and dry. On hard, compacted surfaces, you might need to avoid actually hitting the sand all together.
As in all aspects of golf, only practice will help you to improve.
How can you not become jealous as you wonder if you could ever dare to hope to drive like that? It is consoling to know, that long drives are not crucial to the game of golf.
This where the "short game" comes in because without reasonable short game skills, those great long drives will have been wasted.
We call the 'short game' those shots that get you onto the green from roughly a hundred feet away from the hole, no matter whether it's from the fairway, a bunker, the rough or a drop zone. It includes all chips, sand shots and pitches.
It is in this middle stage of the game of golf that you get to use the higher numbered clubs, your pitching iron and sand wedge or lob wedge.
You will find practice areas on most golf courses. You really ought to spend some time practising hitting the ball onto the green from various distances. Try to hit the ball into a ten-foot circle in the centre of the green at first. Experiment using your wedges, but remember that what works well for one person, might not work so well for you because your particular swing is an unknown factor in the equation.
When you can perform this skill fairly consistently, it is about time to start practising how to get out of a sand bunker. Being able to get the ball out of a bunker can really cut your score quite dramatically and it is very frustrating if you can't do it.
The way to get out of a bunker is to place your feet firmly in the sand with your left foot turned to point towards the hole. Draw an imaginary 4-inch circle around the ball and try to hit the outer edge of that circle with a short, sharp chip.
Kick up lots of sand with the ball and swing completely through as normal. Don't slow down the swing at all when or after you hit the ball. It should jump up onto the green and stop almost dead. This doesn't work very well though unless the sand is soft and dry. On hard, compacted surfaces, you might need to avoid actually hitting the sand all together.
As in all aspects of golf, only practice will help you to improve.
About the Author:
Are you a rookie to golfing?? We have some great our website at tips for the beginner golfer on our website at Golfing Tips for Beginners Also published at Golfing For Beginners: Part 4.
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