Happy Monday, Golfers.
Without question, being a longer hitter and a quality ball striker is a HUGE advantage in today’s game, and the data clearly shows that.
However, even the best players in the world average around 12 greens in regulation per round. That tells us something important: the ability to get up and down, or limit the damage when you’re out of position, is absolutely key.
For the truly AVERAGE golfer, trying to reach that ELITE level of ball striking isn’t realistic…
and probably not the best use of your practice time if your goal is to score lower. As long as you can keep the ball in play off the tee and hit a repeatable ball flight with your irons, sharpening your short game is one of the most effective ways to make real improvements on the scorecard.
I often hear golfers say, “I want to get better with my 4 and 5 iron.” I’ll always remember a lesson in which a student came in with exactly that goal… to improve his long-iron ball striking. After a quick chat, I asked him a simple question: “How many holes can you realistically reach in regulation?” He thought about it and said, “Not many.”
At the level of golf he was playing and his age, I suggested a different approach.
Instead of grinding away with the long irons, he replaced one with a 7-wood, and we focused on sharpening his short game from 50 yards and in. The result? He became a much better golfer, not because he learned to hit his 4 iron perfectly, but because he learned to play smarter golf. At some point in your playing career, if you haven’t already, you will cross paths with a golfer who won’t hit it more than 200 yards but will take your lunch money. The secret is they’re patient and can get up and down from EVERYWHERE, and that’s why they’re still a scratch golfer.
The Young Aspiring Junior Effect
Think like a young aspiring junior, maybe not with aspirations of playing on the PGA Tour, but how can I shoot as low as possible without being able to hit many greens? Many juniors who fall into this category have very impressive short games.
The average club golfer is doing well if they hit more than 6/7 greens in regulation. If you have a poor short game, then this is going to be a stressful day out on the course. We all know there’s nothing like ripping a long iron or when we hit those positions that give you that little buzz, but when It really comes down to it.
Where can you be sharper to help reduce your scoring average? Is your short game sharp enough?
– Coach Tim
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