If you think it will take multiple Florida golf school vacations to break 90 more consistently, then you’re not thinking about how your short game can greatly enhance your chances to break 90 immediately. Many golfers come to John Hughes Golf during the Orlando golf school season to learn how they can break 90 more often. And most golfers believe they must work solely on their ball striking skills to break 90. Not true. The quickest way to break 90 is through your short game. Short game is the key to breaking 90!
Short game can negate ball striking errors while ultimately getting you closer to the hole when you’re not on the green in regulation. And many golfers come to John Hughes Golf to learn how to improve their short games through participating in a Florida Mastering your short game begins with consistently performing basic techniques. Doing so significantly improves the potential to lower your scores and while providing you your first competitive edge.
For this post, we’ll focus on chipping and pitching only. Keeping it simple with both shots will provide a basis to explain other shots in future posts.
Why is the Short Game So Crucial?
At your current scoring level, attempting to break 90 consistently, your short game accounts for approximately 60-70% of your total score. If you can improve your short game, you’ll see immediate improvements in your overall score. And the potential to break 90 increases dramatically.
Getting up and down (making par or better after missing the green) can save you strokes and keep your momentum going. A solid short game allows you to recover from the errant shots of your average ball striking abilities without significantly damaging your scorecard.
If the Short Game Could Travel
It’s been said by many a great player that your game must “travel” for you to be a great player. Meaning, your short game must be able to adapt to the changing conditions of the day. As well as the different conditions you’ll play when visiting a new golf course.
Ball striking is ball striking at your skill level. It should never be different because you’re playing a different golf course. But your short game must adapt to where you’re playing. And the conditions each golf course presents you.
The key to taking your game on the road is short game. And short game is the key to breaking 90 more consistently.
Why Improving Your Short Game Matters
Knowing how to hit the “in between yardage” shots of “No Man’s Land” is essential for you to break 90.
Here are a few good reasons why you need to develop a decent short game to have any chance of breaking 90.
Error Correction – Even the best players make mistakes. In your attempt to break 90, you’re more prone to errors and mistakes. The short game allows you to recover from errant shots and limit the damage. Your ability to perform a basic short game shot can mean the difference between making par or at worst bogie. Or making a double bogie or worse.
Scoring Opportunities – At your current skill and scoring level, birdies and pars are sometimes few and far between. Short game bridges the gap between you making at worst a bogie on every hole. While providing a sense of confidence that can allude to other parts of your game.
Key Components of a Strong Short Game
Mastering the short game is the key to breaking 90 requires you execute a minimal standard 2 primary shots:
- Chip Shots: A chip shot is a shot that rolls more than it flies and is your go to shot almost anywhere on the course. But around the green, there is a premium placed upon chip shots because these shots have the greater probability of ending up closer to the hole when you’re off the green.
Ideally, you want to hit chip shots from almost anywhere around the green when there is enough green between you and the flag to roll the ball. But chip shots do not have to be played close to the green, as demonstrated every year at the Open Championship.
Some of the same reasons why chip shots were important to breaking 100 carry over breaking 90. Short game is the key to breaking 90 and all other scoring milestones!
Your goal when developing a dependable chip shot is to learn to control your distances 1st. Trajectory 2nd. Accuracy 3rd. Learning chip shots in this order will provide you instantaneous improvement in how this shot performs for you while playing golf.
The Basics to a Chip Shot
Practicing your chips shots on the practice green is one thing. Be sure to practice chip sots when ever you can on the course to gain distance control and accuracy of your landing areas.
A basic set up to hit a consistent and simple chip shot is to:
- Ball position should be middle of your stance,
- Your stance should be slightly open to your target, about 10° to 15°,
- Hold the handle of the club approximately in the middle of the grip,
- Allow about 60% to 70% of your weight shift and remain on your front hip to your front foot.
- Make a “big” putting stroke, ensuring you are following through the ball lower, like a putting stroke.
- Pitch Shots: Pitch shots make the ball fly in the air, more than the ball rolls on the ground. Used often to avoid obstacles, the pitch shot is a “mini full swing” and when executed properly produces a ball flight that has a controlled trajectory. And spin that was created by club head speed through the ball causing friction between the club and the golf ball.
During an average round of golf, pitch shots come into play about every 3 to 4 holes when a chip shot can’t be executed. Whether it is a bush, bunker, water, high grass, or any other obstacle between you and the hole, a pitch shot will fly over the obstacle and land on the greed with little to no roll out.
Attention to understanding how far your basic pitch shot “carries” is vital to understanding what club to choose. As well as understanding more advanced shots that require a specified “carry distance” to a specific landing area or target.
The Basics of a Pitch Shot
Practice your Pitch Shots so you have confidence knowing you can hit a pitch shot over the most common obstacles, like a green side bunker.
A basic set up and execution of a pitch shot includes:
- Ball position in the middle of your stance.
- Your stance should be slightly open to your intended target, approximate 5° to 15°.
- The club can be held in the middle or towards the butt end of the golf club.
- Allow about 55% to 60% of your weight to lean towards your front leg.
- The swing of a pitch shot could resemble the arms of a clock stopping on the way back at 9 o’clock and finishing at 3 o’clock. Doing so, your hands and wrists will organically hinge as you reach the 9 o’clock back swing transition. This creates more speed of the club through the ball when you fully release your weight forward to your front leg.
Tips for Improving Your Short Game
- Practice Regularly – Dedicate time to practicing your short game skills, even if it’s just for a few minutes each day.
- Focus on Fundamentals – Pay attention to your grip, posture, and stroke mechanics.
- Understand Your Distances – Know how far you can hit each club when pitching. Practice hitting specific distances to build your feel.
- Engage Your Body – Use your whole body to generate power rather than just your arms. This helps with consistency and control.
- Vary Your Practice – Practice different shots from various distances and lies to improve your versatility.
- Use the Right Club – Depending on the distance and the type of shot you need, choose the appropriate club.
- Practice your Short Game on the Course – Practice your short game on the course to simulate real-game situations.
- Analyze Your Misses – Identify your weaknesses and work on correcting them.
- Create Drills – Use drills to simulate game-like scenarios. For example, practice getting up and down from various spots around the green.
- Short Game Challenges – Set up challenges for yourself, like making 10 consecutive 5-foot putts or getting a certain number of chips within a designated target area.
Conclusion to Why Short Game is the Key to Breaking 90
If you don’t believe mastering the short game is the key to breaking 90 now, I’m sure you will never break 90.
Breaking 90 in golf requires a well-rounded game, and the short game is a crucial component. By mastering your chipping and pitching, you can significantly lower your scores and enjoy greater success on the course.
Dedicating time to chipping and pitching will save you strokes and lower your scores more effectively than by simply trying to crush the ball off the tee. Remember that as you practice, you’re making permanent. In dedicating time, you must also dedicate to the details that will make you a better short game artist on the course. When it counts the most.
If you’re looking to improve your short game skills so you can break 90 more consistently, you should schedule a coaching session with John Hughes Golf. You can contact John to schedule a coaching session by calling him or emailing him.