How to Improve Your Short Game: Techniques and Drills to Sharpen Chipping and Putting Skills

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Golf is a game of skill, strategy, and precision. For players of different abilities, competing fairly can be a challenge without a standardized system. That’s where the golf handicap comes in, ensuring a level playing field for all golfers, from beginners to professionals. In this guide, we’ll dive into why having a handicap is beneficial and answer essential questions like what should my handicap be, how long does it take to get a handicap, and more.

How to Improve Your Short Game: Techniques and Drills to Sharpen Chipping and Putting Skills

A strong short game is essential for lowering your score and handicap. Improving your chipping and putting skills can save strokes and make you more competitive on the course. In this article, we’ll cover how to improve your short game with practical techniques and drills that can help both your chipping and putting.

Why the Short Game Matters

The short game refers to the shots you play close to the green—mainly chipping, pitching, and putting. Even if you’re excellent off the tee or with irons, struggling near the green can quickly add strokes to your score. This is why focusing on short-game improvement can have a big impact.

Most of the strokes in a round of golf come from within 100 yards of the green, meaning mastering the short game is important for all players, from beginners to professionals.

Techniques to Improve Your Chipping

Chipping is an essential part of the short game, allowing you to control the ball’s trajectory and get it as close to the hole as possible. Below are a few key techniques to improve your chipping:

1. Choose the Right Club

When chipping, selecting the right club is key. While many golfers naturally take a wedge, there are times when a lower lofted club, like an 8-iron or 9-iron, might be more suitable. Using these clubs keeps the ball lower and allows it to run toward the hole, which is often easier to control than a high-flighted wedge shot.

2. Control the Ball’s Trajectory

To control the ball’s trajectory, focus on your hand position and weight distribution. For a lower shot, keep your hands ahead of the ball, with more weight on your front foot. For a higher chip shot, position the ball slightly forward in your stance and allow your hands to stay neutral through the shot.

3. Focus on Crisp Contact

A clean strike is essential for successful chipping. Keep your wrists firm during the shot to avoid flipping or scooping the ball. Think of the motion as more of a pendulum swing, and let the shoulders, not the wrists, drive the shot. This technique leads to more consistent and solid contact, improving accuracy.

Drills to Sharpen Your Chipping

1. Landing Zone Drill

Pick a spot on the green where you want your ball to land. Practice chipping balls from different lies, focusing on hitting that spot every time. This drill helps you control the ball’s distance and get it to roll out properly toward the hole.

2. One-Club Chipping Drill

Limit yourself to one club, such as a 7-iron, and practice chipping from different distances and lies. This drill encourages creativity and forces you to focus on feel rather than technique, which can help when you’re in tough situations on the course.

3. One-Handed Drill for Better Feel

For right-handed golfers, practice chipping using just your right hand (left hand for lefties). This drill helps develop a better feel and control over your chip shots, as it forces you to rely more on touch rather than mechanics. Focus on making smooth, controlled swings while keeping your body stable. This drill improves wrist control and overall coordination, leading to more consistent chips.

Techniques to Improve Your Putting

Putting is the most important part of the short game, as it’s the final step to putting the ball into the hole. Here are some techniques to improve your putting:

1. Develop a Consistent Putting Stroke

A consistent stroke is the key to successful putting. Focus on a smooth pendulum-like motion using your shoulders and keeping your wrists quiet. Many players benefit from simplifying their stroke by using a straight-back-and-through technique, minimising unnecessary movement.

2. Control Speed

Speed control is just as important as reading the break of the green. Practice hitting putts from different distances, paying close attention to how hard you strike the ball. Focus on developing a feel for how far the ball rolls with each stroke, rather than fixating on the hole.

3. Read the Green Properly

Reading the green is essential for knowing how the ball will break. Look at the slopes and contours around the hole. Start from behind your ball and visualise the ball’s path to the hole. Taking time to assess the green before each putt can help you make better reads.

Drills to Sharpen Your Putting

1. Gate Drill for Alignment

Set up two tees just wider than your putter’s width. Practice putting the ball through the gate without hitting the tees. This drill improves your alignment and ensures your putter is striking the ball properly.

2. Lag Putting Drill

Pick a spot 30 to 40 feet from the hole. Focus on getting the ball within a 3-foot circle around the hole. This drill helps improve your distance control on long putts and reduces the chance of three-putting.

3. Circle Drill for Short Putts

Place a few tees around the hole, between 3 to 4 feet from the hole. Focus on making as many putts in a row from this distance. This drill helps with confidence on the shorter putts.

Practice Tips for Improving Your Short Game

1. Dedicate Time to Short Game Practice

Many golfers focus on their long game, forgetting about the short game. However, dedicating just 20-30 minutes of your practice time to chipping and putting can make a massive difference. Aim for balance in your practice routine, making sure you’re not just hitting long drives but also improving your short game skills.

2. Practice Under Pressure

When practising, try to put yourself in a game-like situation by creating challenges for yourself. Set targets, give yourself a limited number of strokes, or turn it into a competition with a friend. Practising under pressure will help prepare you for when you get on the course.

3. Track Your Progress

Keep track of your success during practice sessions. Note how many putts you sink from different distances or how consistently you’re hitting your landing zones. Tracking your performance helps you stay motivated and identify areas for further improvement.

Conclusion

Improving your short game is one of the most effective ways to lower your scores and handicap which will make you more competitive on the golf course, as well as a more complete golfer. By mastering the fundamentals of chipping and putting and incorporating these drills into your practice routine, you’ll see significant improvements in your ability to get up and down around the green.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, sharpening your short game skills will boost your confidence and lead to better results on the course. Take the time to focus on these essential techniques and drills, and watch your scores drop!

What is a Golf Handicap?

A golf handicap is a numerical measure that represents a golfer’s potential skill level. It helps players of different abilities compete fairly, by adjusting the number of strokes a golfer is allowed to take. In essence, the lower the handicap, the better the player.

For example, if Golfer A has a handicap of 5 and Golfer B has a handicap of 15, Golfer B will receive additional strokes to even out the competition, making it fair for both players.

Encourages Goal-Setting and Personal Challenges

For many golfers, lowering their handicap is a key goal. This system encourages players to focus on improving specific areas of their game and set personal goals. As you see your handicap drop, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment that drives you to keep practising and improving your skills.

Facilitates Tournament Participation

Many tournaments require participants to have an official handicap. Without one, you might miss out on a wide range of opportunities to compete in organised events at local clubs, amateur competitions, or even larger tournaments. Having a handicap ensures you’re eligible for these events and that you can compete fairly.

Supports Strategic Course Management

Knowing your handicap also allows you to make smarter decisions on the course. Players with higher handicaps might focus on playing conservatively, while lower handicap golfers can take more risks. By integrating your handicap into your strategy, you’ll improve your overall performance and learn to manage the course more effectively.

What Should My Handicap Be?

One of the most common questions new golfers ask is, what should my handicap be? For beginners, it’s typical to start with a high handicap, such as 20-36 for men or 20-40 for women. As you gain experience and improve, your handicap will decrease.

For an average golfer, handicaps usually range between 10-20. Experienced players often have handicaps under 10, and professionals typically play with a handicap close to zero or even in the “plus” range. The goal is to keep improving your game and lowering your handicap over time.

What Are Professional’s Handicaps?

How Long Does It Take to Get a Handicap?

A common query from new players is, how long does it take to get a handicap? Getting an official handicap typically requires submitting scores from 3 to 5 rounds of golf. These scores are used to calculate your handicap based on your performance and the difficulty of the courses you’ve played.

Once you’ve established a handicap, it will be updated as you play more rounds and submit additional scores. It’s essential to keep tracking your scores regularly to maintain an accurate handicap.

At The Golf Collective to establish a handicap, you’ll need to complete 54 holes. You can achieve this by playing three 18-hole rounds, six 9-hole rounds, or a combination of both. Ensure your scores are verified by a playing partner and submitted according to our straightforward guidelines. Be sure to keep your scorecard for each round.

How The Golf Collective Can Benefit You

You can submit all of the rounds you play, not just at your ‘home course’. You can play at any course recognized for handicapping, and your scores will still be valid. Our system allows you to enjoy golf wherever you choose while ensuring your handicap stays accurate and up to date.

Unlike clubs that rely on manual scorecards, our mobile scoring system offers a convenient, paperless solution for submitting your scores. This allows for quicker handicap updates and provides a more streamlined, modern golfing experience.

At The Golf Collective, you can enjoy a social round anytime, anywhere, and still have it count toward your handicap. Our flexible system lets you play on your schedule while keeping your handicap accurate and up to date.