Golf Tips

Short Game Pointers

Last Updated on Sunday, 04 May 2008 23:53 Written by Paul Kindel Thursday, 20 March 2008 00:41

I hear it all the time. "My short game is fine, I just need help with my driver." The next question I ask is always "Well, what do you do normally shoot?" Rarely do I get a response that is better than bogey golf.
Am I suggesting that work with your driver is unnecessary? Not at all. But you've heard it a million times...drive for show, putt for dough. We all seem to forget that getting the ball in the hole is the main objective for this silly game.

With that said, what is the best way to improve your putting? My answer might surprise you. The best way to improve your putting is to improve your chipping and pitching. Seems like kind of a backwards answer, but let me explain.

The average golfer only hits about 6 greens in regulation during 18 holes of golf (tour pros average 12-14). That means that there will be approximately 12 holes requiring you to get up and down to save par. After missing a green, a lot of players will get up and hit a wedge shot to within 15 feet and then get angry at themselves when they miss the putt for par. So let’s go hit the putting green for some flat stick practice, right? Wrong.

Here are a few stats directly from the PGA Tour. Percentage of putts made from 3 feet - 91%. Percentage made from 6 feet is 62%. Percentage from 12 feet is 31%, Percentage from 25 feet and longer is 6%. Remember, these are statistics from some of the best golfers in the world who play on the PGA Tour.

So let’s say that you miss one of the twelve greens that you are bound to miss today. You hit a wedge up to 12 feet (pretty good, right?) and then miss the putt. The numbers don't lie. You had a 69% chance of MISSING that putt. The further you get from the hole, the less likely you are to make the putt. Had you hit that wedge shot to 6 feet, your percentage of making the putt doubles.

So the next time you come out to work on your game at Quail Valley, think about bringing along a couple of wedges and take advantage of the best short game practice facility in the area. I believe that this is the quickest and easiest way to take strokes off your game. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a short game lesson, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Paul Kindel
503-324-4444

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