Improve Your Short Game in 2 Easy Steps

Did you know that PGA Tour golfers get "up-and-down" only about sixty percent of the time? According to Dave Pelz, that number drops greatly for the average golfer.

Driving the ball moves you down the fairway (maybe), but getting on the green, and finishing in the least number of strokes, is really what the game is all about!

The short game, whether it's chipping, sand saves or putting, should be worked on only at the practice facility - you don't want to start working on your game during a round as that could prove to be disastrous.

Golf for Beginners has compiled a few video tips and drills to help you score better down the stretch.

1. CHIPPING: I just came upon this simple golf video tip from PGA instructor Meredith Kirk yesterday - getting into a good chipping stance.




Read: Tips to Improve Consistency in your golf game


2. PUTTING: According to Dave Pelz, good putts start with tempo. Think "pendulum". Vary the length of your backswing to control the speed of your putts. Watch this Youtube.com video to see how the Master does it:




REMEMBER: Final putting tip for today: the only golf club in the bag specifically made to hit the ball into the cup is the putter – master it first, master it best!

What golf short game tips can you share with our readers? Post in the comments section below and on Twitter, tagging @Golf4Beginners.

Photo: Wikimedia

To Chip or To Putt? A Golf Dilemma Answered!

Your golf ball lies on the fringe of the green with the pin forty feet in the distance - you're scratching your head... are you going to pull out the putter, a pitching wedge or a 7-iron?

You want to keep the ball low for the best results. Arnold Palmer mentioned that a low ball means a lower risk - your worst putt may probably be much better than your worst chip.

Although you can strike the ball with any club in your bag, Golf Tip Reviews writes that amateurs "should putt whenever they can. It will save you strokes on the golf course."

Dave Pelz suggests a unique idea - the "Chiputt" for very long putts.

"The longer the putt, the more likely you are to leave it short, because your stroke (and everyone else's) naturally evolves to favor accuracy over power. You can overcome this tendency by adding a chipping motion to your putting stroke-think of it as 'chipping with your putter.'"

Dave goes on to say, "On super-long putts, stand upright for a better perspective on distance, and then putt with the same body motion you use to chip with a 5-iron. On 75- to 110-foot putts, every golfer I've tested, including Tour professionals, lags closer to the hole with the 'chiputt' method."

A few more creative ideas for using a putter during a game?

Golflink suggests that you can use your putter for getting a ball out of the rough and back into the fairway, from behind a tree or even out of a greenside bunker (if there is no lip and it is reasonably flat!)

When should you opt for a golf club other than your putter and still keep the ball low?

When you have to go over bouncy, rough ground.
When there is an obstruction like a sprinkler head on your putting line.
You may not want to putt when the green is very elevated above your ball position.

The iron, wedge or wood you choose depends on how far the cup is from your position. The further the distance, the lower number club you use. For example, if the pin is close, you might use a pitching wedge - if the pin is very far, you would perhaps choose a 5- or 6-iron (as Dave Pelz explains above).

You should definitely practice these techniques on an outdoor putting green before you play your round of golf. You'll please yourself and amaze your golf buddies!

Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on our Golf for Beginners blog.

Photo credit: SYNLawngolf.com