Become a Great Short Game Player

Long Game is important in golf because if you can’t find the fairway from the tee box you are always chasing and trying to catch up on your second shot.

However short game is also very important in golf and I believe for the best part of golfers worldwide, that improving this part of your game is a must, especially if you want lower scores and handicaps!!

Short game starts from within 100 yards of the green and this is the area we are going to concentrate on in this blog.

There is a lot of misconception when watching the best players on TV, especially as the cameras concentrate on the leaders and players hitting great shots. Of course the Top 10 or so players in the field are playing exceptionally good golf; otherwise they would not be in the chase of winning the event!!

So the big question is “how close do we need to be hitting our approach wedges, bunker shots and chips?”

Firstly let’s take a look chipping from around the edge of the green.

Chip Shots from the Fringe

A top ranked PGA Tour player will on average hit his chip shots from the fringe to within 2 to 3 feet from the hole. They will then proceed to make the putt 95% – 99% of the time which keeps there scores low.

How many of you achieve this from the Fringe?

Greenside Pitching from within 20 – 30 Yards (from the rough)

When a top ranked PGA Tour player misses a green in regulation and has to play from the rough, within 20 – 30 yards of the green, they will on average get the ball up and down to save par 58 % of the time. They will roughly end up somewhere between 6ft to 8ft from the hole from this area.

Are you within this category?

10 – 20 Yard Greenside Bunker Shots

A top ranked player of the PGA Tour will hit there bunker shots from around the green to within 7ft and 9ft of the hole. This is from all types of lies and sand conditions etc. They will then go on to hole the putt 53% of the time.

How good are you from this Range?

Greenside Pitch Shots

Did you know that when a top ranked PGA Tour player misses the green and is left with a Pitch Shot of around 20 – 35 yards, they will on average get the ball up and down 60% of the time?

They will regularly pitch it in to around 8ft of the hole most times.

Wedge Shots from 50 yards to 75 yards

From a distance of 50 yards to 75 yards a top ranked PGA Tour Player will pitch it to within 7ft to 12ft of the hole. If they are pitching from out of the rough then the distance they pitch to on average is within 15ft of the hole as there is less control on the ball. They will go on to hole an average of anywhere between 30% – 50% of their putts from there.

Approach Wedge Shots 75 to 100 Yards

In this distance range a top ranked PGA tour player will hit his shot 75 to 100 yard approach wedge shots to within 12ft to 16ft of the pin consistently. They will go on to hole on average between 20% to 30% of their putts.

From Your Friends at Mark Wood Golf Academy

PS. Come down and tee it up to make some magic moments of your own. Check our website at 

www.markwoodgolfacademy.co.uk

Mark Wood

PGA Advanced Professional
UK’s No1 Golf Coach

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