Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible

Master the Finesse Swing

and Lower Your Score

DAVE PELZ
with James A. Frank

BROADWAY BOOKS
NEW YORK
BROADWAY

DAVE PELZ’S SHORT GAME BIBLE. Copyright © 1999 by David Pelz.

All rights reserved.

Broadway Books, a division of Random House, Inc., 1540 Broadway, New

York, NY 10036.

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the photographers whose photos are

reproduced in this book. Photo on page vi by Dan Sellers. The following photos
in the text were provided by F. Vuich/GOLF Magazine (Figures 4.15.1, 7.20.1-6,
7.22.1-9, and 9.14.3).

All other photos in the text were provided by Leonard Kamsler. The photos in
the color insert were provided by F. Vuich/GOLF Magazine, Sam
Greenwood/GOLF Magazine, and Leonard Kamsler.

Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.

ISBN 0-7679-0344-7

FIRST EDITION
Designed by Tina Thompson
99 00 01 02 03 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Dedication

Eddie … Eddie … Eddie …

You’ve been with me from the beginning. We started Pelz and Son Golf
when you helped me build out a little office and make wax patterns for
investment cast putters in our basement. I’m sure you slipped more grips onto
Teacher putters and caught more wedge shots from Tour pros than any kid alive.
You stayed with it, balanced three-ball putters and helped manufacture
frequency matched Featherlite clubs in the struggling years, then managed to get
your engineering degree on borrowed money. At early Short Game Schools you
set up equipment before the students came, then picked up the balls after
everyone left. And, of course, you built the laser measurement devices we used
in teaching.
You’ve given me test ideas, run the tests, then helped me write articles on
them for GOLF Magazine. And you’ve done so much, including production, for
my TV shows on the Golf Channel. I think you’ve held reflectors and positioned
cameras on more photo shoots than I’ve been on myself. As Technical Director
of the first two Dave Pelz World Putting Championships, you were incredible.
And you’re still there for me: mapping golf courses for our research
projects, designing and building equipment for the Pelz Golf Institute, writing
your own articles for Junior Golfer and the “Pelz Report” newsletter, developing
learning aids for U.S. Golf Aids, and picking me up after I’ve fallen into a ravine
building the Cordillera Short Course.
I want to tell you how much I admire you as a person, for the job you do,
and for the way you make those around you feel. And there is still nothing more
fun than hopping into our FlexJet (times change, don’t they?) and flying off to
run another test, then playing a round of golf together. I couldn’t have done these
things, especially this book, without you.
I dedicate all the joy this book is going to bring to so many golfers around
the world to you. I am so proud of you, son, and I hope we can go on forever.
Eddie … Eddie … Eddie … I love ya, man!
 Contents

Acknowledgments
Foreword by Lee Janzen
Introduction
Chapter 1 Score Counts in Golf
1.1 Defining the Scoring Game
1.2 Why Is This Book Necessary?
1.3 The “Golden Eight”
1.4 Giving Your Short Game Its Due
1.5 Learn How to Learn
1.6 The Pelz Overview of Scoring
1.7 How I Got Here
1.8 A Businessman? No!
1.9 The Day That Changed My Life
1.10 I Followed, Watched, and Wondered
1.11 The Scoring Game Taught Here
Chapter 2 Understanding the Game and its Realities
2.1 What Is a Good Swing?
2.2 A Little Slack, Please
2.3 Shot Performance Evaluation
2.4 Data, Data, and More Data
2.5 The Man in the Raincoat
2.6 The Reason to Caddie
2.7 How Good Are the Tour Players?
2.8 No Two Were the Same
2.9 Are PEIs Important?
2.10 Why Is the Short Game So Important?
2.11 The Data Speaks
2.12 Now We’re Getting Somewhere
2.13 The Conversion Curve
2.14 If It’s Straight, It’s Good
2.15 The Scoring Game
Chapter 3 The Five Games of Golf
3.1 “The Golf Swing” Is a Myth
3.2 The Great Ones
3.3 There Are Three Swings and Five Games
3.4 The Power Swing
3.5 The Putting Game
3.6 The Short Game
3.7 The Differences
3.8 The Golden Rule
3.9 Pros I’ve Worked With
Chapter 4 Mechanics of the Short Game
4.1 Muscles and Adrenaline
4.2 Dead Hands
4.3 Alignment Is Critical
4.4 Parallel Left
4.5 Every Swing Has a Bottom
4.6 Ball Position Is Fundamental
4.7 Don’t Go to Fat City
4.8 A Concept of Stability
4.9 Pull Carts and Clubs Are Stable
4.10 “Short-to-Long” Has It
4.11 Intellectualizing Comes Up Short
4.12 The Synchronized Turn
4.13 Rhythm and Timing: The Power Source
4.14 The World-Class Finish
4.15 Cocking the Wrists
4.16 The Finesse Grip
4.17 The Finesse Swing Plane
4.18 Hold, Watch, and Feel: Learning from Feedback
4.19 Good and Bad Finesse Swings
Chapter 5 How to Score
5.1 Research on What Works
5.2 Do You Think Distance?
5.3 In the Early Years
5.4 Fast Eddie
5.5 Learning Through Repetition
5.6 Here Comes Rhythm
5.7 The Players Knew at impact
5.8 I Knew at Impact
5.9 Timing the Wedge Swings
5.10 9:00 O’clock Is Best
5.11 Working with a System
5.12 Turn Away and Turn Through
5.13 My “3 × 4 System”
5.14 Good News-Bad News
5.15 Is This Mission Impossible?
5.16 Don’t Think
5.17 Preshot Routine
5.18 Preshot Preparation
5.19 Preshot Ritual
5.20 Religion Helps
Chapter 6 Distance Wedges
6.1 Which Shot?
6.2 There’s More to Scoring Than Hitting Shots
6.3 Four Basic Shots
6.4 From 30 Yards or More
6.5 Distance-Wedge Execution
6.6 Distance-Wedge Recap
 6.7 What Happens After Impact
6.8 Average Expectations
6.9 The Ball’s Pitch Mark Controls Roll
6.10 The Grip-Down
6.11 Low Trajectories
6.12 The Cut Lob
6.13 Calibrate Your Cut-Lob Technique
6.14 From Deep Grass
6.15 Against the Grain
6.16 On Hardpan
6.17 Ball Above or Below Your Feet
6.18 Downhill and Uphill
6.19 From Sand
Chapter 7 The Pitch Shot
7.1 You Could Toss It On from Here
7.2 Execution of the Pitch Shot
7.3 Standard Pitch Recap
7.4 S-Wedge, L-Wedge, and X-Wedge Shots
7.5 Cut Shots
7.6 Pinch Shots
7.7 Minimum vs. Maximum Spin
7.8 Don’t Hit into Slopes
7.9 After It’s on the Green
7.10 P-Wedge Flight vs. Roll
7.11 Loft Affects Roll
7.12 Spin Effects
7.13 The Grass Menagerie
7.14 Avoid Humps, Look for Valleys
7.15 Gripping Down
7.16 Uneven Lies
7.17 Tight Lies, Then Hardpan
7.18 From Serious Greenside Rough
7.19 From Nesty Lies
7.20 From Tight Quarters
7.21 From Impossible Stances
7.22 From Shallow Water
Chapter 8 Chipping and the Bump-and-Run
8.1 So Simple-Yet Difficult
8.2 Dead Hands … Quiet Wrists
8.3 Clean Contact
8.4 Make a Stable Swing
8.5 Chipping Recap
8.6 What Happens on the Greens
8.7 Lower Is Straighter
8.8 No Backspin
8.9 Keep the Face Square
8.10 To Putt or to Chip?
8.11 The Chiputt
 8.12 Get It Down and Rolling
8.13 Down Lies, No Problem
8.14 Against the Rough—Or in It
8.15 The Cock-and-Pop
8.16 Flagstick in or Out?
8.17 Chip Yips
8.18 Bump-and-Run Mechanics
8.19 Why Play the Bump-and-Run?
8.20 Land on the Flat Spots
8.21 The Texas Turn-Down
8.22 The World Game
8.23 We Need More Short Courses
Chapter 9 The Sand Shot
9.1 How Not to Do It: The Dig-and-Push
9.2 The Right Way: Scoot-and-Spin Mechanics
9.3 Blast Calibration
9.4 Margin for Error
9.5 Chipping Mechanics in Sand
9.6 The Putt from Sand
9.7 Accuracy Benefits
9.8 Disaster Is Close
9.9 Spin Controls Behavior on the Green
9.10 Spin Mechanics
9.11 Generic Expectations
9.12 Distance Control for Blasting
9.13 Bounce vs. Conditions
9.14 Ball Position vs. Lie
9.15 The Cock-and-Pop from Sand
9.16 Downhill Lies
9.17 Uphill Struggles
9.18 Deep Problems
9.19 Imagination Helps
Chapter 10 Short-Game Equipment
10.1 Generic-Set Design
10.2 The Standard Way
10.3 Sets in the Field
10.4 A Better Set Design
10.5 Why Four?
10.6 The Male Ego
10.7 How Should They Perform?
10.8 Are There Any Negatives to This?
10.9 Is This Set Practical?
10.10 Club Specifications
10.11 Optimizing Your Set
10.12 Scoring Considerations
Chapter 11 Everyone Has a Short-Game Handicap
11.1 The Overall Handicap
11.2 Your Short-Game Handicap
 11.3 How to Measure It
11.4 How You Compare
11.5 Missemall
11.6 The Bad vs. the Good
11.7 Strategy
11.8 The Architect’s Way
11.9 Play the Probabilities
11.10 Reading Your Lie
11.11 Reading the Green
11.12 Choosing Your Equipment
11.13 Using the Right Ball
11.14 Bad Mistakes Are Bad
11.15 Commit to Your Shot
11.16 Conservative Strategy, Aggressive Execution
11.17 The 90% Rule
11.18 Don’t Be Too Conservative
Chapter 12 Secrets of the Short Game
12.1 Secret No. 1: The Secret of Feedback
12.2 Secret No. 2: The Secret of Productive Time
12.3 Secret No. 3: The Secret of Hand Muscles
12.4 Secret No. 4: The Secret of Repetition and Drills
12.5 At-Home Drills
12.6 At-the-Course Drills
12.7 Secret No. 5: The Secret of the Preshot Routine and Ritual
12.8 Secret No. 6: The Secret of the Secrets
Chapter 13 The Future
13.1 A Scoring Machine
13.2 The Awesome Talents
13.3 Future Greatness
13.4 Finesse-Swing Mechanics
13.5 Essential Short-Game Principles
13.6 Don’t Forget Your Secrets
13.7 Don’t Try It Alone
13.8 At the Course or Range
13.9 Away from the Course
13.10 The Golfer’s Achilles’ Heel
13.11 Work Hard and Smart
13.12 Keep the Trees and the Forest in View
13.13 Keep Your Priorities Straight
13.14 Understanding Comes First
Resources
Acknowledgments
First I would like to mention and thank all of the PGA and LPGA Tour
professionals who have contributed enormously to my understanding of the
scoring game and have been of such help in my quest to learn about it. They
have given me honest feedback, never letting me get away with any unwarranted
assumptions, and so many have grown to be good friends over the years. I truly
appreciate you all.
In addition, I want to thank Jim Simons, Tom Jenkins, D. A. Weibring,
Tom Sieckmann, Peter Jacobsen, Payne Stewart, Vijay Singh, Steve Elkington,
Lee Janzen, and Tom Kite. These special people are more to me than great
players; they are great human beings, and friends.
Jim Simons was the first Tour player I met while taking data, and he
became a good friend. Jim has given me many honest, thoughtful answers as to
what he was feeling, what he believed, and what he experienced during
competition. In the years we worked together, Jim developed one of the best
short games on Tour (and I’m not just saying that; the data bears it out): He won
all three of his PGA Tour titles shortly (within 7 to 10 days) after grinding with
me on his short game, and Jim … I thank you for those thrills, too.
Tom Jenkins has been another friend, and an invaluable source of
inspiration. We worked together while he was on Tour, and his focus and
dedication quickly proved what our concepts could do if you worked with them.
Then he served as lead instructor at my Short Game Schools for a few years
before going back out on Tour. T.J. has what is possibly the most repeatable,
beautiful wedge swing of them all, is an absolute magician from sand, and I rate
him among the finest wedge players in the world today. T.J., you are the
greatest.
D. A. Weibring is another longtime friend, who brought his knowledge,
skill, and feedback to my work. D.A. is one of the more naturally talented
players I’ve worked with. A man with great natural touch, his feedback comes
from an entirely different area from that of some other players. I have benefited
tremendously from having worked with him over the years. I feel lucky just to
know you and your family, D.A., and to know you are my friends.
There is only one Tom Sieckmann. After winning tournaments around the
world, he brought his game to the PGA Tour, and won there, too. I can assure
world, he brought his game to the PGA Tour, and won there, too. I can assure
you, I learned more from Sieck than he learned from me. It is a pleasure to
continue working with Sieck. Now that he is playing the Tour only part time, he
has become the Publisher and Editor of the “Pelz Report,” the newsletter of The
Pelz Golf Institute. Sieck, your sincerity and credibility are like a beacon of light
to my day when I see you, and I look forward to continuing our study of the
game together.
Peter Jacobsen is one of the most talented and gifted players I have ever
seen. A few years ago when he was healthy and his short game was sharp, I
believed no one could consistently beat him. During that time, he won two PGA
Tour events, led the Vardon Scoring Average statistics for most of the year, and
played on the Ryder Cup team. He proved to the world just how good he really
is. Peter, remember, when they can’t beat you from inside 60 yards, they can’t
beat you. And I thank you for your honesty, your feedback, and your friendship.
Payne Stewart is nothing but class. His swing is smooth, his rhythm is
great, his talent is enormous. And working with Payne is a real treat. There is
never a moment when you are in doubt about what opinion he has, about
whatever I’ve said or asked him to do. I love that. P.S., I get more done with you
in less time than working with anyone else. Just being there when you hit shots
better than most people in the world, with your eyes shut, is an experience I will
always treasure.
Vijay Singh first came to my school at Cordillera, in Vail Valley
(Colorado), at an altitude of 8,000 feet. You cannot believe how far he can hit
the golf ball in that rarified air. It was a real treat to work with you then, Vijay,
and since, to see how beautifully you adapted our concepts to your game. When
I work with a powerful player such as you, it is so rewarding to see the finesse
touch you developed and use so deftly. Vijay, it was an additional thrill to watch
you win your first major championship at the PGA, and I hope to see you win
many, many more.
Steve Elkington has the best swing in the world. If he can stay healthy for
a while, he will probably be the best player in the world, too. When Elk is on, no
one can beat him, because he is so good in all the games of golf (you’ll see what
those five games are later in this book). Elk, you’ve made great strides in your
short game and your putting, and I hope you will make what I’ve just said come
true in the coming years. You have given me tremendous insight into your inner
game, with how you integrated my advice into your on-course strategy and
performance. Thanks for the pleasure of being your friend, and I’m looking
forward to more in the future.
forward to more in the future.
And Lee Janzen, what can I say? Like all our students, he paid to come to
school. But sometimes I feel that it was stealing, because I enjoy grinding with
him so much. Lee has to be the most fun person in the world to work with. His
personality is incredible, his sense of humor never stops, and his work ethic is
unparalleled. All of this in a person with the heart of an assassin (on the golf
course only). If you can be beaten, Lee Janzen will beat you. Lee, after you won
your second U.S. Open you showed the world what class really is, and we all
love you for that. It is with great pride that I call you my friend.
I thank you all, Simmie, T.J., D.A., Sieck, Jake, Payner, Vijay, Elk, and
Lee, from the bottom of my heart, for your attention, focus, caring, feedback,
and honesty. I love you guys.

A Special Tribute to Tom Kite

Last, but certainly not least, comes Tom Kite. This one-of-a-kind Texan deserves
special recognition, not because he has been a better friend or a closer
companion, but because he became, quite simply, the best short-game player in
the world. He proved to me and to the world—although the world didn’t seem to
notice-that a great short game is a key that fits all courses and leads to golf
success.
Tom Kite is not a superior athlete, not a particularly long hitter, not the
world’s greatest ball-striker. In fact, according to the data, he was not among the
top 60 on Tour in ball-striking. However, he is golf’s fourth-leading all-time
money winner, is among the all-time leaders in scoring average, has one of the
best records in Ryder Cup play in history, and has been the best short game
player for the last 20 years.
In 1980, after a meeting with Tom and five other PGA Tour players in
which I showed him his short-game data, he was the only one to immediately
add a third, higher-lofted wedge to his bag. He began practicing his distance
wedges, applying his intelligence, determination, stubbornness, practice habits,
and undying desire to win, to the task. As we worked throughout that year, he
became, according to my data, the Tour’s best wedge player by the end of the
season. As far as I can tell, Tom has remained so ever since.
His accomplishments are impressive. For 15 years, his birdie percentage
on par 5s has been near the top on the PGA Tour. While pretty impressive on its
own, that statistic becomes more so when you realize that the number of par 5s
he hits in two is relatively low compared with many other Tour players. He
he hits in two is relatively low compared with many other Tour players. He
didn’t do this with distance, but with his short game.
Kite holds numerous course records, but the most impressive to me was
the 62 he shot at Pebble Beach when he won the 1988 AT&T National Pro-Am.
In that round he hit only 10 greens in regulation, and besides some great putting,
holed two wedge shots from off the green. During his U.S. Open victory in 1992,
he finessed the ball better than anyone believed possible in treacherously windy
conditions, hitting to the greens with 14 wedges in 18 holes, and shooting even
par 72 to win. In early 1993, he completed the five-round Bob Hope Chrysler
Classic at 35 under par. That score beat the existing tournament record by 6
shots, beat the second-place player by 7 shots, and third place by 10.
I also love the fact that he won an 18-hole Ryder Cup match 6 up with 5 to
play. His stunned opponent was 5 under par when he was closed-out. And in
1997, he holed out from off the green 5 times in one round, to win a tournament
in France.
And best of all, in 1981, his first year of short-game dominance, he
recorded some numbers I find the most remarkable. My data showed Tom
getting up and down an astounding 85% of the time for shots inside 60 yards,
while getting up and down over 70% of the time from the sand. As a result, he
finished in the top 10 in 21 of 25 tournaments; a record I feel will be more
difficult to break than any other he has set.
All this from a man who could barely see (until he had his eyes fixed with
Lasik surgery), and has, in my opinion, mediocre God-given athletic talent. Tom,
I thank you for working with me and being my friend. I know you are a great
family man, and as a fellow Austin-ite with a king-sized heart, a great work
ethic, and a large dose of smarts, you are smart enough to be the best in the short
game. While others may hit it longer and straighter, you take home the money,
and I salute you for that!

My Staff, My Wife, and My Cameraman

I also want to acknowledge the contribution of my staff of instructors from my
Scoring Game Schools in Boca Raton, PGA West, and Cordillera. These are the
world’s best short-game teachers, and they have helped me in so many ways, it
is difficult to do them justice. What I can say is thanks, you are the best, and let’s
keep trying to get better.
Of course, this book would have been clearly impossible to write without
the support of my wife JoAnn, who as COO of The Pelz Golf Institute, runs not
the support of my wife JoAnn, who as COO of The Pelz Golf Institute, runs not
only the company, but my life. My dear, you know I love you for that, too.
Anyone who knows us, knows this is not an exaggeration.
I also want to thank my staff at the home office of The Pelz Golf Institute
in Austin, Texas, who helped prepare the photo and video sequences,
photographs, and illustrations that make the concepts of this book come to life.
A special thanks go to David Watford and Joel Mendelman for their tireless
artistic and graphic contributions, and to Eddie Pelz for not only keeping it all
together, but for doing it mainly after midnight.
And finally, my thanks to Fred Vuich and the good people at GOLF
Magazine, who provided me with many photographs from our photo shoots, to
Jim Frank—my favorite editor on earth, and especially to the best golf
photographer in the world, and I’m proud to say my friend, Leonard Kamsler.
Leonard, you ARE THE BEST!
Foreword
by Lee Janzen
Everyone wants to shoot better scores. The best players in the world all agree
that the key to lower scores is improving your short game. We all spend time
pounding range balls and trying to find that perfect groove so we can hit pure
shots, but our most valuable time is spent working on shots from 100 yards into
the greens.
Practicing your short game will help your scores, but practicing techniques
that narrow your chance of error will dramatically improve your scores. Dave
Pelz has spent many years compiling data on every shot imaginable—from
distance wedges, pitching, and chipping to sand play and trouble shots. From his
research, Dave has developed the basic fundamentals that ensure better scoring.
Read this book and then practice the shots you learn. You will enjoy new
skills that impress your playing partners and lower your scores.
I have experienced an improved short game every time I have worked with
Dave. I think everyone who works with the information in this book will
improve his or her ability to score, too.
I could not have won my second U.S. Open without Dave Pelz. He has
improved my scoring game, and I know he can help you, too.
Introduction
I didn’t call this book “THE” short game bible. It’s “MY” short game bible,
Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible. I make that distinction because it is the work-in-
progress record of my research, what I understand about the game, and how I
teach the short game of golf.
This book is not intended to say “everything” about the short game and all
of its shots or to convert golfers to any particular theory or method of play. My
short game bible contains my research on how the game is being played and my
thoughts on how it can be played better, i.e., how golfers can shoot lower scores.
My intent is to help golfers improve; to help them develop their scoring
ability; to help them become better players and to enjoy the game more.
I believe scoring and self-improvement are what the game is all about. The
challenge to each golfer’s ability to post a score is the very essence of the game.
In this regard, I have been doing research for years on how and why golfers
shoot the scores they do. Some time ago I established The Pelz Golf Institute,
creating a medium for all my testing, results, thoughts, and questions regarding
the playing of the game. The Institute was founded to conduct research “for the
good of the game.” Its purpose is not to discover clubs to drive the ball farther or
to make equipment better in any way. Rather, the goal of the Institute is to
discover, understand, and develop better ways to teach golfers to play and enjoy
the game.
This book comes straight from the Institute. It relates the short game as it
is taught in my Scoring Game Schools, so it may seem different from other golf
instruction books. That’s because it is different. This book focuses as much on
understanding as it does on technique, because our research has shown that
golfers learn faster, and better, if they learn both why and how at the same time.
While the traditional instruction you expect is all here, it may be in a different
place than you expect or couched in slightly different terms. I encourage you to
read the book as you find it, and see if you don’t quickly internalize the concepts
and improve your short game shortly thereafter.
Please take a few seconds to consider the following.
Has it ever occurred to you that:
 Golf balls are better balanced today, flying farther and straighter and
spinning better than ever before, by measurable amounts.
Drivers are lighter and stronger, irons are better balanced, and shafts
are lighter and more flexible in the right places than ever before, by
measurable amounts.
Greens are smoother, faster, better maintained, and they roll more
smoothly than ever before, by measurable amounts.
Tour professionals hit longer, straighter, and better shots, hole more
putts, and shoot lower scores than ever before, by measurable
amounts. They are so much better that most tournament courses
have to be “toughened-up” to keep the pros from shooting regularly
in the 50s.
And yet, the average score of the average American golfer has not
gone down in the last 30 years!

It’s true. Even though average golfers are hitting their longest-ever drives
on their local courses (yes, the Big Bertha/titanium phenomenon is real), they
still aren’t shooting lower scores. One of my goals in publishing this book is to
change that.
My short game bible will show you why and how shooting lower scores is
completely reasonable, as well as why “where you putt from is more important
than how well you putt,” and why “if you can wedge it, putt it, and drive it, you
can play this game.”
There is help in this book for all golfers, from Tour players to beginners, in
learning to score better. I sincerely hope it is easy for you to use, that you’ll refer
to it over and over again and get full benefit from it. After you read, feel free to
call us or communicate with us (see Resources in the back of this book) with
your questions or comments.
I seriously invite you to write, e-mail, or call because I love feedback. I’m
going to be teaching lots of people, and the next book in my scoring game series
(Dave Pelz’s Putting Bible) is well on its way. Your results, comments, or
experiences may help me get my points across better in the years to come and
allow us all to enjoy this great game more. So get after it and enjoy.
Chapter 1
Score Counts in Golf
Who Cares About Score?
1.1 Defining the Scoring Game

In golf, how you play inside of 100 yards is the prime determinant of how you
score. I don’t say this play completely determines your golf score, just that it is
the most significant factor when it comes to writing numbers on your scorecard.
I base this statement on more than 23 years of studying golfers and compiling
data, which show that 60% to 65% of all golf shots occur inside 100 yards of the
hole. More important, about 80% of the shots golfers lose to par occur inside 100
yards. These results led me to focus on what happens inside 100 yards, what I
call the “scoring game,” to concentrate my teaching there, and to found the Dave
Pelz Scoring Game Schools.
Every golfer’s scoring game is a combination of many shots and many
decisions. In teaching players how to score, I simplify things this way: I define
the game played from 100 yards in to the edge of the greens as the “short game”;
the game played on the greens is obviously the “putting game”; and the
judgments and decisions made on game management and shot selection
constitute the “management game.” As you can see in Figure 1.1.1, I’ve broken
the game of golf into five categories, what I call “the five games of golf,” which
also include the “mental game” (fear, anxiety, confidence) and the “power
game” from outside 100 yards.
 Figure 1.1.1: The five games of golf

Learn to play all five of these games well and you will become a good
golfer. And the more you improve your performance in these games, the more
you will enjoy your golf.

1.2 Why Is This Book Necessary?

My Short Game Bible focuses completely on play from 100 yards in to the edge
of the green. To a true golfer, scoring is what the game is all about, and your
short game plays a vital role in determining scoring ability. We don’t all have
the same natural talent, we can’t all hit 350-yard drives like Tiger Woods, and
we will never all look the same when we swing a golf club. But if you are in
reasonably good health, if you can walk the meadows and see the clouds, smell
the grass and hear the birds, if you can feel the breezes and make contact with
the little white ball, you can learn to score better. And this book will help you do
it.
This is not a book about generating more clubhead speed with your driver
or hitting the golf ball farther. Rather, my Short Game Bible details what I have
learned and how I teach the short game, including the distance wedges, pitches,
chips, sand shots, lobs, and bump-and-run shots. I hope it will help you learn
something about them.
Now, the first point I want to make is about putting. Sound a little strange?
Stick with me.

1.3 The “Golden Eight”

What do you think is the most important distance in golf? The 250 yards of the
tee shot? The 150 yards of the perfect approach? The 20 yards of most chips? Or
putts from inside three feet? Actually, it’s none of these. Golf’s most important
distance is the “Golden Eight,” the eight feet that separate a 2-foot putt from a
10-foot putt.
More simply put, the Golden Eight is the distance difference between
making and missing most of your putts. I’ve studied thousands of golfers, at all
skill levels, and found that nearly everybody makes almost every putt from
inside two feet. Go a little farther away, to three feet, and golfers begin to miss
(even Tour pros make only 85% to 95% of their three-footers). Step back to five
feet and pros hole about 65%, while amateurs, if they’re lucky, are making about
50%. And at six feet, the best in the world, the PGA Tour professionals, sink
about 50%, plus or minus 5%. From 10 feet, no one consistently holes better
than 25%. And from over 15 feet? One in 10, best case, even for the pros.
So your best chance of making a putt is if it’s inside 10 feet. And how do
you get it there? Answer: the wedges, pitches, chips, and bunker shots of your
short game.

Why the Short Game?

1.4 Giving Your Short Game Its Due
There are more than 15,000 golf professionals in this country, most of whom
teach the game. There are another 7,000-plus assistant pros who teach (and
another 5,000-plus who want to teach), and 25 or so successful golf schools.
What most of these teachers and schools have in common is that they emphasize
the full swing, what I call the power swing. That is what golfers expect to be
taught, and that’s what they get. As a result—and I’m not being critical, but it’s a
fact—the short game takes a backseat in the teaching of golf.
I am publishing this book because your short game deserves more
attention than that. Your short game is not like any of golf’s other games; it
attention than that. Your short game is not like any of golf’s other games; it
should not be played as if it’s a throttled-down version of the power game, as
some pros teach. Golfers who use muscle control and deceleration to turn their
power swings into short shots are doomed to frustration. The short game needs
to be taught separately because—and here comes the good part—it is the most
important skill you can improve to lower your scores.
As mentioned above, the short game controls the “Golden Eight” feet. If
statistics prove that you’ll probably miss a 10-footer but you’re almost 100%
from two feet away, then you’d rather be putting from two feet than 10, right?
How do you get there? For most of us, most of the time, the length of our first
putt is a function of our short game.
My research also shows that the short game is the single greatest influence
on the success or failure of players on the PGA Tour. I’ll explain the data in
detail later, but right now, suffice it to say, I believe—and can prove—that it is
the short game that wins the big money, wins the big tournaments, and keeps the
pros on Tour year after year.
(Don’t get too hung up on the pros. My data, which I’ll refer to over and
over in this book, has been collected from players of all skill levels, not just Tour
players but also middle-and high-handicappers, even beginners.)
And here’s another piece of information that may surprise you, especially
if you’re an average or new golfer: The higher your scores, the more you need a
good short game. Beginners and high-handicappers hit fewer greens than better
players, which means they face more short-game shots per round. The more you
need your short game, the better it has to be if you’re going to become a good
player (i.e., a low scorer). So while the short game is the bread-and-butter skill to
the Tour players, it’s of even greater consequence to “normal” golfers.

1.5 Learn How to Learn

The purpose of my Short Game Bible is not simply to tell you how great short-
game players look or swing. It’s to help you learn how to be a better wedge
player, a better sand player, and a better chipper and pitcher of the golf ball
when you get close to the greens. But before you can achieve a better short game
for yourself, you must first learn both what you need to know and how to learn
it.
In one after another of my schools around the country, I see golfers
struggling to master their short games when they have no real understanding of
what it is they’re trying to accomplish. In these cases, it doesn’t matter how hard
they try, how much they practice, how diligent they are, or how much they care.
When they don’t know the skills and techniques required to execute good shots,
or how to practice to learn them, they will not be successful in learning them.
The truth is, very few golfers, even at the Tour-player level, understand the
details and realities of their short games.
Therefore, what I want you to learn from this book is:

1. What you need to learn

2. How to learn it
3. Methods for ingraining your learning so your results will serve you
on the golf course

By reading this book you will not only learn how to become a better short-
game player, but you will actually become one. If that happens, I’ve done my job
and you will enjoy the game all the more. We’ll both be satisfied, because not
only will you shoot lower scores but also you’ll know how you developed that
ability. You’ll be able to fine-tune and touch up your short game later, perhaps
many years later, after some bad habits may have snuck into your game.
My ultimate goal is to help you to become your own best teacher, and to
help you use that skill to improve your short game for as long as you continue to
play.

1.6 The Pelz Overview of Scoring

My Short Game Bible can best help your short game if you both understand
what’s being said and follow the recommended drills. It also will help if you
understand where this information fits into the overall development of your
ability to score. Figure 1.6.1 shows how I view your learning process, and how
this book can fit in to help you improve your scoring game.
 Figure 1.6.1: Pyramid of Learning: where Pelz teaching fits into
your learning program

Don’t be intimidated or discouraged by the number of different shots and

areas of practice that are comprised by the scoring game. At every skill level, the
putting and short-game skills are easier to learn and groove than the skills of the
putting and short-game skills are easier to learn and groove than the skills of the
power game. (The management game is the easiest to learn, but only once you
have repeatable skills in the power, short, and putting games.) None of the
concepts or motions in the short game are difficult if you take the time to
understand them and then properly practice them. It’s all a matter of knowing
what to do, how to do it, then doing it often enough.
All of the learning aids, books, and video-and audiotapes referenced in
Figure 1.6.1 may not be available when you are first reading this book, but they
are all works in progress. If you are interested, contact the numbers or addresses
listed in the Resources (page 437).

Where I Come From

1.7 How I Got Here

I’ve been playing golf almost my entire life. I played in my first tournament
when I was seven. I remember because I got my picture in the newspaper for
playing a match against a man aged 77. We had a heck of a match, both shooting
about 150. I don’t remember who won, but I do remember that picture. As a
now-famous seven-year-old, I was hooked on golf for life.
At 12, I lost in the finals of the Youngstown, Ohio, Pee-Wee tournament,
and I was convinced that the lucky bounce Tony Joy got to beat me was just the
experience I needed to survive, to be a winner from then on. Later, at Boardman
and Willoughby High Schools in Ohio, I played first positions on the golf teams.
I played just well enough to get a few college coaches interested, although my
sister could beat me until I was 16. They didn’t allow her to play on our team,
however, because it embarrassed the boys when she beat them.
I attended Indiana University on a four-year golf scholarship. Even though
my main reason for going to college had been to get prepared to play the PGA
Tour, I majored in physics, a grounding that has served me very well. By the end
of my Indiana years, I finally realized I was more likely to succeed in a
laboratory than on the PGA Tour. Although I thought I could play pretty well, I
kept being beaten by other Big Ten golfers, like John Konsic of Purdue, Jack
Rule of Iowa, and especially a big kid from Ohio State named Nicklaus. I could
read the writing on the wall.
I registered and briefly attended graduate school at the University of
Maryland, but dropped out when I got a job in space research at NASA’s
Goddard Space Flight Center outside Washington, D.C. I gave up golf for a few
years, as I couldn’t afford to belong to a private club. Instead, I took up auto
racing. I put aside my clubs in favor of a Jaguar, a Sports Car Club of America
competition license, and a helmet. After two years of racing and my third crash,
I realized that if you have a bad day on the golf course you get disgusted and
angry, but at least you live to compete another day. Have a bad day on the race
course and they bury you.
I loved my job at NASA, but once a golf nut … So I started playing again.
When I wasn’t working, I played in tournaments; at night I put my research
skills to work on my game. I was just good enough to compete on a national
level, qualifying for the 1974 U.S. Amateur at Ridgewood Country Club in New
Jersey. I lost in the second round, not only because I ran into a better player, but
also because the putter I was using, a club of my own design, was disallowed by
the United States Golf Association.

1.8 A Businessman? No!

Shortly thereafter, I was approached by a group of local businessmen who knew

I’d designed a putter that had had a dramatic effect on my game. They agreed to
set me up in business if I would leave NASA. They said we’d all make a fortune,
but it didn’t quite work out that way.
While my wife and three children were somewhat apprehensive about my
new career, and my parents were aghast, I assured them everything would be
fine. Then I promptly lost everything I had ever made. In the first year, I lost the
$75,000 the investors put up. In year two, I mortgaged my home, both cars, and
emptied my NASA retirement fund, a total of $40,000, and lost that. By the third
year, I’d been befriended by a number of PGA Tour players, six of whom
invested in me because they thought my research was helping their games. I lost
their $25,000. In the fourth year, I thought I was a success because I was losing
less than the year before, but my accountant told me I’d been bankrupt for two
years. I thought I was doing fine and reasoned that if I kept at it, I’d get there
soon.
Soon came very slowly, as shown in Figure 1.8.1. I didn’t make a
significant profit until almost 18 years later. But I’m still in golf, and still loving
it. I eat it, sleep it, dream it. Just ask my wife, my family, and my friends among
the club and Tour pros. The reason golf still excites me is that as a student of the
game, I continue to learn new things on a regular basis.
Let me admit right now that this isn’t the first time I thought I was a
 Let me admit right now that this isn’t the first time I thought I was a
“student of the game.” I thought the same thing in college. Back then, I kept
statistics on the number of fairways I hit, my greens in regulation, three-putts-
you name it, I quantified it. I thought I understood golf. I was wrong. Dead
wrong.

Figure 1.8.1: Pelz profit history

How All This Happened

1.9 The Day That Changed My Life

Since starting in the golf business, I’ve totally changed my view of golf. That
change began one day during the Kemper Open, which used to be played at
Congressional Country Club outside Washington, D.C. I was trying to decide if I
wanted to stay in the golf business or not. I’d been losing quite a bit of money (it
was only the beginning of my losses, but I didn’t know that then) and wasn’t
feeling very secure, when I found myself watching a Tour professional named
Gay Brewer warming up on the practice tee.
Let me tell you a little about Gay Brewer. He won the 1967 Masters. He
had another dozen or so victories on the Tour. He is still playing on the Senior
PGA Tour today. He has always been a consistent money winner. He is a player.
PGA Tour today. He has always been a consistent money winner. He is a player.
But a swinger? No sir. He had perhaps the worst-looking golf swing I’d
seen on someone who can really play. Instead of a one-piece takeaway, his first
move was to put the clubhead low to the ground and behind him. Then he
brought the club straight up in the air so at the top of his backswing it pointed
out in front toward his caddie. Then he waggled it three or four times to make
sure anybody who might be watching was unsure just what was happening.
From there, he made a reasonably solid move down and through the ball, hitting
powerful, low hook shots. It was not an impressive sight. (It still isn’t, but it’s
still the swing he uses today.)
I stood there watching Brewer hit hook after hook, and I thought, “This
man won the Masters. This man is a player. He’s among the top 10 money
winners on the PGA Tour. In many events he beats Jack Nicklaus and Tom
Weiskopf, both of whom own reasonably good-looking golf swings. How does
he do it with that swing?”
As if that weren’t enough, standing next to Brewer on the range was a
young fellow who had the most beautiful swing I’d ever seen. His backswing,
downswing, and follow-through were all as Ben Hogan had prescribed: on the
proverbial plane of glass. His shots traveled on long, high, penetrating
trajectories; his drives consistently flew 20, 40, sometimes 50 yards past
Brewer’s; and he looked better with every club in the bag. He looked like an
awesome player, but I didn’t recognize him. I checked the name on his bag and
still didn’t recognize him, so I looked him up in the press guide. There I found
out that this fellow had been on Tour for four years and had never finished in the
top 100 on the money list. He was not a great player.
Watching Brewer and this young fellow, a question formed in my mind:
“How can this beautiful golf swing not outperform Gay Brewer’s incredible
move?” At that time, I assumed the reason had to be putting.
Just then, they left the driving range together, walked to the practice green,
and started to putt. I followed and watched in amazement as the young man
executed one of the best-looking, most rhythmic putting strokes I’d ever seen.
He made putt after putt, pouring them into the cup. Then I turned to watch
Brewer, who had, in fact, a worse-looking putting stroke than he had a golf
swing. He brought the putter inside on the takeaway, lifted it up, and shoved it
straight out away from his body to a position three to four inches outside the
target line. Then he turned the putterface down and made a forward stroke that
looked as if he were trying to kill a bug sitting on the outside-back quadrant of
the ball, which squirted off his putter as the club smashed into the green. There
was no follow-through, nothing that even resembled a stroke as we know it
was no follow-through, nothing that even resembled a stroke as we know it
today. It was amazing.
Again I thought, “Masters champ? Top 10 money winner? Great player?”
It was at that moment, as I watched Gay Brewer practice missing four-foot putts,
that it occurred to me that maybe I didn’t understand this game.

1.10 I Followed, Watched, and Wondered

It so happened that Brewer and the young man were paired together that day. I
knew I had to watch them for a full round and find out if Brewer truly was a
better player. (To this day, I don’t reveal the young man’s name because he
never made it on the Tour. He tried for another year or two, lost his Tour card,
and I don’t think he ever tried again.)
So out I went, walking and watching every shot the two of them hit for 18
holes. Then came the moment that changed my life.
They finished the round and left the 18th green. I’d been very impressed
with the young man’s play. He had hit the ball well, struck a number of good-
looking shots, and putted well. “The kid played well today,” I said to myself.
“He may not have made much money so far, but he must be improving. He’ll be
a real fine player someday.”
As for Brewer, I didn’t remember one good thing about his round. I didn’t
notice his game, because nothing he did was impressive.
I was preparing to go out and watch some more players and see if I could
learn anything important about the game, when my life changed. While I was
standing next to the scoreboard, the scores from the morning rounds were
posted: Brewer had shot a 69, the young man a 73.
Gay Brewer, whom I hadn’t noticed or been impressed with at all, had
taken four fewer strokes than the young man who had hit the ball so beautifully.
At that instant, I concluded that I truly did not understand the game of golf. I
said, “Pelz, you’re going to get killed in this business, because you don’t get it.
You must not understand how the game is played if you think that kid is a better
player than Gay Brewer.”

1.11 The Scoring Game Taught Here

Forget going out to watch any more players that day. I went home and sat by
myself in my study. I tried to think and think and think. Why, after all the
tournament golf I’d played, after all the practice rounds and balls I had hit in my
life, why did I not know enough to tell a great player from someone who
life, why did I not know enough to tell a great player from someone who
couldn’t make it on the Tour?
The answers didn’t come overnight. But they have come. They have come
to me over the years. The more I study the game, the more I study people, the
more I measure the ways golfers play and swing, the better I understand how
they can improve their ability to score. My goal has become to understand the
game well enough to make it simple for golfers to score better and enjoy the
game more.
If you are ready to find out what I’ve learned about the short game, read
on. I’ll explain the realities of golf in Chapter 2, and why a good short game is
vital to your ability to score in Chapter 3. Then, in Chapters 4 to 13, I’ll teach
you how to develop and own a good short game for yourself.
Chapter 2
Understanding the Game and its
Realities
What Is Important in Golf?
2.1 What Is a Good Swing?

Once upon a time—before I watched Gay Brewer that fateful day—I thought I
knew something about the game of golf. I had been able to look at a golf swing
and evaluate how well the clubhead stayed on one plane. I judged the quality of
every golfer I looked at or played with by the “in-plane-ness” of his swing.
I also gave credit in my judgments of a swing to its smoothness and
rhythm. For example, when I’d look at a Tom Weiskopf, Gene Littler, Al
Geiberger, or Tom Purtzer, I thought they had great swings (and, indeed, they
did). They were beautiful, smooth, in balance, and conformed to my notions of
perfection. And when a swing looked great to me, I assumed it was great, and
that the player who made it was great. I had spent my practice and game-
development time trying to make my swing look like those, assuming that by
doing so I would myself become a great player.
When I’d run into great players whose swings were herky-jerky, out of
plane, or unorthodox in some way—players like Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino,
Chi Chi Rodriguez, Moe Norman, and Gay Brewer—I would think, “Ugh.” I
don’t know how they do it, but I’m very glad I don’t swing like that.
Until the day I followed Gay Brewer, I had always let my “Ugh”
evaluation lie there. I’d never tried to understand why or how those “Ugh”
swings could win major tournaments, how “Ugh” swings could belong to truly
great players. But I hadn’t studied physics for four years without learning a little
about the scientific method of understanding and solving problems. I knew the
results—these players’ records—weren’t matching my theories of good swings
and greatness. I knew something was wrong with my understanding of the game.
I had to be missing something.
After four hours of watching Gay Brewer, I wondered if his success could
be chalked up to the size of his heart. I realized there had to be some other way
to evaluate a golf game, because it obviously wasn’t just the beauty, plane, or
rhythm of his swing that determined his results.
It took me several months, and a great deal more observation, before a new
evaluation system began taking shape in my mind. It occurred to me that a valid
way to scientifically judge the quality of a golf swing was by measuring its
effectiveness, its success, the accuracy of its performance. A player could make
the worst-looking swing in the world, I decided, but if the ball went into the
hole, then the shot was perfect, assuming he had been aiming at the hole. And if
this “Ugh” player could hole 1,000 shots in a row, then he would be the best at
that swing, no matter how bad he looked doing it. I realized that we can judge
the quality of golf swings by their results, just as we judge the quality of golfers
not by how they play a hole but rather by how many strokes they take. After all,
it’s not how, it’s how many. It’s the score that counts.
With this realization, my concept of game analysis changed from looking
at swing mechanics, rhythm, and anything else physical to measuring the error in
its result. In the simplest terms, how close the swing put the ball to the target
became the measure of its quality. How close was all that mattered. This
evaluation carried no bias or qualitative assumptions. It was not an impression or
opinion, but a measurable fact. And if this measurement of swing quality proved
more closely related to the quality of a golfer’s performance, scoring, or number
of career wins, then perhaps I had found a new and better way to evaluate both
the game and the golfer.

2.2 A Little Slack, Please

Before moving on, please realize that I’m not saying bad-looking swings are
always better than good-looking swings. It’s only true when the bad-looking
swing produces better results, consistently knocking the ball closer to the pin.
And the emphasis is on consistently.
I am not saying that swing mechanics are not important. Of course they
are. The world’s best teachers do a great job of improving swings by teaching
simpler, more efficient techniques. David Leadbetter, Peter Kostis, Hank Haney,
Gary Smith, Jim McLean, Jim Flick, Rick Smith, Robert Baker, Gary Wiren,
Butch and Dick Harmon, Michael Hebron, Gary McCord, Dean Reinmuth, and
the other top teachers all do a great job. I count them among my friends and
the other top teachers all do a great job. I count them among my friends and
among golf’s “improvement specialists.” But I am saying that swing mechanics
are not everything in golf, as some golfers believe. What matters is performance,
and there is a cold, hard, analytical way to measure any golfer’s performance,
with whatever club is in his hand: Measure where the ball goes.

2.3 Shot Performance Evaluation

The best measure of the quality of a swing is the golfer’s accuracy in moving a
ball from point A to point B.
For example, say a golfer is 100 yards from the hole, as illustrated in
Figure 2.3.1: From point A (where the ball is) to point B (where the hole is) is
100 yards. This is the original distance of the desired shot, assuming the hole is
the desired target. If he hits a pitching wedge and the ball finishes 21 feet from
the hole (point C), his miss distance or error is the distance from B to C—from
the target to the ball’s final resting spot. If you divide the shot-error distance (B
– C), by the original shot distance (A – B), your result is the percentage error in
this shot. In this case it is 7 yards/100 yards = 7% error.

Figure 2.3.1: A shot from 100 yards aimed at B comes to rest at C

So how good a swing was it? It got the ball 93% of the way to the hole, so
I called it a 7%-error swing, because it produced an error of 7%. In my analysis,
if he had made a perfect swing, with 0% error, the ball would have gone into the
hole. When a golfer holes a bunch of shots, no matter how bad or good his swing
looks, I say he is making a bunch of “perfect” (0% error) swings. A simple
evaluation system: The smaller the error, the better the swing.
Once I gather enough percentage-error measurements with a particular
club in a players’ bag, at least 100 shots, I call the average of this data the
percentage error index, or PEI, for that player with that club. The PEI is an
assessment of his ability to perform with that club. When I compute an average
assessment of his ability to perform with that club. When I compute an average
from more than 1,000 shots, I consider the PEI an absolute indication of the
player’s skill with that club.
Performance is now one of the key ways I evaluate a golf swing. Back
then, when it was new, I tried it out by following Tour players to see how they
performed with every club in their bag. Maybe Gay Brewer of the amazing
swing was beating other players because he was making better-performing (i.e.,
better PEI) swings. I’d know if he was doing something right because that
something would be based on performance. Would he be a 15%-error wedge
player, a 25%-error putter, or a 5%-error driver? I could find out. I had a way to
learn how players play the game.

An Analytical Look at the Game

2.4 Data, Data, and More Data

The first thing I learned after recording enough data was that the average PGA
Tour player has an average PEI for all his full swings (drives, 4-irons, 9-irons,
etc.) of 7, meaning an average of 7% error. I also learned that if he had a PEI of
7 for his shots from 100 yards to the green, sticking the ball about 20 feet from
the pin, he would think that wasn’t too bad. From a full wedge swing, a 20-foot
putt for birdie was okay. Most pros seemed satisfied with that.
What he wasn’t happy with was having a 200-yard shot, hitting his 3-iron,
and plugging the ball into the bunker. From the plugged lie he couldn’t blast out
close to the pin, meaning he had to get real aggressive to save his par. So he
rolled his first par-saving putt four feet past, missed the putt coming back, and
took a double bogey.
After his round he said, “My 3-iron killed me! I’m a terrible long-iron
player. I hit my 3-iron 40 feet left of the hole and it cost me a double bogey. It
ruined my round. My long-iron play was my downfall again.” He trudged off to
the practice range and beat on that 3-iron for the rest of the day.
The funny thing is, I measured the error on the 200-yard 3-iron shot and it
was 14 yards—42 feet. That’s a 7% error. He hit the same “quality” shot with a
3-iron that he hit with a full wedge. He was tickled pink with the wedge; he was
red with rage over the 3-iron. But he was convinced he didn’t know how to
swing a 3-iron.
I say his swing with the 3-iron had the same quality of motion as his swing
with the wedge. The numbers prove it.
with the wedge. The numbers prove it.
When you’re talking about the performance quality of a swing, the
determining factor is the position of the clubface through the precise moments of
impact. That motion determines where the ball is going. By measuring the result
of the shot, you are measuring athletic performance—how well the player
positioned the club through impact. So how good was he?
In the example cited earlier, he was just as good from both places. But the
farther you get from the green, any given percentage error through impact will
produce greater miss distances, and sometimes more serious repercussions.
That’s an important concept that most golfers don’t understand.

2.5 The Man in the Raincoat

The concept of measuring swing performance (PEI) drives the concepts in this
book and much of my subsequent research. Over the past 23-plus years, I’ve
taken data on players from the PGA and LPGA Tours to measure their PEIs,
their strengths and weaknesses. I have walked and measured the courses,
learning and charting the yardage between virtually every tee and every pin,
bunker, and tree. I have taken all my data during tournament rounds, because
when I first came upon the concept I tried it during practice rounds, which were
less costly to get into (this was when I had no money and I needed to conserve
dollars). However, I found that the pros don’t perform during practice rounds:
They don’t complete their rounds, they don’t hit all their shots, they don’t putt
out, and they don’t care about performance. They just hit balls, sometimes trying
bizarre shots to determine distances or the effects of the wind. Often they pick
up and walk, worrying more about distances than firing at the flag.
(This is an interesting sidelight to the Tour players. They really don’t work
on their games during practice rounds. They study the golf course. They hit shots
to see what kinds of reactions they’ll get from the greens, the fairways, and the
bunkers, and they learn how to fit their games to the different courses they play.
It’s fascinating. Watch the pros during a practice round; unless there’s some
money on the line—which there sometimes is—they aren’t playing. They’re
learning.)
So to compile PEI data, I had to measure shot results during tournament
rounds. There I was, Thursday morning at 7:30, with the first group on the first
tee. Who were they? A bunch of no-name rookies—Jim Simons, Andy North,
and Tom Kite—made up the first group I ever followed. And, as you might
expect, it was pouring rain.
I started walking with them, and I was a sight. I was carrying a great big
 I started walking with them, and I was a sight. I was carrying a great big
lab notebook (Fig. 2.5.1), and I was wearing a raincoat and holding an umbrella
(not easy with a notebook in one hand while trying to write in it with the other). I
was 6 feet 5, weighed 285 pounds, and I was the gallery. No one else was out
there. Not many had yet heard of these three guys, but I was with them for every
shot. All the way, in the rain.

Figure 2.5.1: DP with notebook, in

the data-acquisition mode

They teed off. I’d watch each one hit the ball, scanning the sky for it, then
run down outside the ropes to measure where the shot finished. I tried to
determine where they were aimed—at the center or the side of the fairway—so I
could later figure the percentage error for the drive. I did this for all three guys.
Then they hit their second shots, and I ran to the green, went to one side to see a
ball in the bunker, scribbled in my notebook, moved around to see where the
second ball was on the green, wrote something else, ran around again to see the
third ball, and opened my notebook again. Man, I was moving around.
Later I learned that by the third hole they were saying to each other,
“Watch this big fat guy. What in the world do you think he’s doing?”
On the sixth hole of the very first round I ever charted, the group decided
to send Jim Simons over. He introduced himself and said, “Sir, what are you
to send Jim Simons over. He introduced himself and said, “Sir, what are you
doing?” This was my introduction to Jim, who has since become a good friend; a
three-time winner of the PGA Tour, he is now a stockbroker. He has always
been a fine gentleman.
However, on this day, he surprised me. I was caught off guard in the rain,
didn’t quite know what to say, so I stammered out that I was studying his game,
trying to determine where his strengths and weaknesses were. He was taken
aback and said, “Oh, you’re evaluating my game? How?”
I said, “I’m measuring the percentage error of your shots, measuring the
distance you miss your target on each shot…” and I quickly drew a sketch
(similar to Fig. 2.3.1) to explain the concept of PEIs to him.
He got into it. “That’s interesting,” he said, and then he asked me what I’d
learned.
“Well, in six holes you haven’t hit seven of the clubs in your bag yet, so I
really don’t know. But when I get some solid statistics, I’m sure I’ll find out
something.”
“That impresses me,” he said, and he pulled out his business card—”Jim
Simons, PGA Tour Professional”—and he added, “Mr. Pelz, when you find out
the weaknesses in my game, call me at home anytime. You just let me know.”
Jim then introduced me to Andy and Tom, and after that, I followed those
three every chance I could.
I met a number of players that way. After I’d been out on Tour almost
every weekend for a month, I met Lanny Wadkins. I was following the group he
was in, watching them hit, running down the fairway, taking data in my
notebook. The group watched me lumbering along the outskirts of the course,
doing my thing. Then Lanny came over to see me: “Hey, what are you doing?”
This time, I was ready. I’d spoken to a lot of players in a few weeks,
become friendly with a few, and by now I knew how to explain my ideas to
them. So I started telling Lanny about measuring his shots, how far they finished
from his intended target, percentage errors … and I look up and he’s running
away from me like I just lit a match under his tail. He didn’t want to hear any
facts, no scientific data, thank you very much; he didn’t want to hear anything
about it.
Jim Simons and Lanny Wadkins are very different individuals. Simons is
analytical, fact-oriented, a numbers sort of guy. Lanny is a total “instinct” player.
Don’t confuse him with facts. Analysis? Forget it. Lanny does his thing (very
well, I should add) and isn’t interested in what anybody else thinks about it.
This was how I initially formed relationships with the Tour players. Guys
 This was how I initially formed relationships with the Tour players. Guys
like Kite, North, Simons, Tom Jenkins, Joe Inman—players who could look at
my notes and figures and say, “You know, that means something. I can learn
something from that.” Those were the players who would come work with me.
I’m not saying that you have to be a scientific type to get something out of
this book. Not at all. You don’t have to study the numbers or think about
percentages to improve your short game. What you do need, however, is to
understand what these numbers have taught me about the short game and how I
can help you. Because I can now accurately detect your problems and tell you
what to work on. Stay with me and you’ll learn what your weaknesses are and
how to fix them, and you never have to think about any numbers, I promise.

2.6 The Reason to Caddie

It makes sense now, and the players believe me now, but back then even the
interested ones needed to be convinced. As soon as I had enough data to talk to
the guys, they didn’t believe the results. I was showing them cold, hard facts,
honest data, no opinion on my part, and they didn’t believe it. I learned then that
people see their lives through a filter, they see what they want to see. They don’t
like to face their weaknesses, while they love to talk about their strengths. (They
also don’t like to practice their weaknesses, while they overpractice their
strengths, but more on that later.)
They’d say to me, “Look, Pelz, I know I hit a couple of bad shots with that
club, but I’m not that bad. I had a couple of bad lies, and you were outside the
ropes so you don’t know.”
To get through to some of these guys, I had to caddie for them. Then I
could walk inside the ropes, I could see the lie, and they couldn’t give me a hard
time afterward about it being in a divot or the crosswind up at the green. They
also could tell me before hitting the shot exactly where they were aiming, and so
on.
About this time I switched from my big logbook to a handheld tape
recorder. I’d whisper into it where the player was aiming, how far the shot was,
where the target was, how far he missed it by, and at the end of the round I
entered the data into a computer and did the calculations. It was a lot of work,
but I got it done, and it was accurate.

Who Does What, How Well?

2.7 How Good Are the Tour Players?

This was my life for a couple of years. First walking outside the ropes watching
players, then caddying for those I got to know well. I got to know, by game if
not personally, many players with every club, driver to putter.
In one round walking with one group I’d get three complete rounds of golf
—about 210 shots from three guys. If I caddied for someone in the morning, I’d
follow three more guys in the afternoon, and I’d measure and record the
performance error from every club in their bags on every shot they hit in every
round I followed.
As I compiled more data and looked at the percentages, I began seeing
patterns. At the start, I learned that for the first 10 rounds I didn’t know a player
at all. After 10 rounds, I had begun to learn something. By 20, I had him down
pretty well, and by 40 rounds there were no more secrets. I knew his strengths
and weaknesses, the quality of his game in every area.
At first I expected every club or shot category to be unique. Then the
greater similarities took hold. For example, the woods really weren’t that
different from one another: If a guy was pretty good with his driver, he usually
was pretty good with his 3-wood, too. (This is true of Tour players; later, when I
began working more extensively with amateurs, it proved to not always be the
case.) Likewise, all his long irons—l-, 2-, and 3-irons—were similar. The
medium irons—4, 5, and 6—had much the same PEIs. Same for the short irons.
I started seeing consistent patterns within categories, and as I gathered
more numbers and improved my computer analysis, I realized something that
was startling at the time: The drivers and fairway woods weren’t all that
different from the long, medium, and short irons. There was a PET for each
player, and all those clubs were within about 1% (plus or minus) of it.
Here’s an example of what I mean. After 40 rounds, I had Jim Simons’s
numbers for all his clubs. They were something like 8.1, 7.9, 7.6, 7.7, 8.0, 7.4,
7.8, 7.5, and so on from driver through 9-iron. It was essentially the same
number for every club. What it told me was that the full swing didn’t change
very much. Yes, even the pros hit their drives a little farther off-line than their
shots with other clubs; but in terms of percentage error, their drivers weren’t
much worse (or better) than their 9-irons.
Simons was a just—under—8% player for his full shots, on average, after
hundreds and hundreds of shots. Andy North was a little better, about 7.3. Tom
Kite was 7.5. Nothing too different about any one of them. I looked at player
after player, and over a period of three years I gathered a lot of numbers, more
after player, and over a period of three years I gathered a lot of numbers, more
than enough data on more than 100 of the 150 or so who were out there winning
money.
On average, the Tour players had—and still have—about 7% error in their
full swings: 5% was the very best, 10% shots were poor. A 1%- or 2%-error shot
was truly rare, while a 15% to 20% error was awful, and also very rare.

2.8 No Two Were the Same

So here I was, with about three years’ worth of research and a lot of good friends
on the Tour. I told them what my numbers told me, where they were good and
not so good, what the data were saying they should work on. It was about this
time, too, that a few of them gave me some money to continue working, to
continue showing up on the Tour and helping them with their games. I still
hadn’t made my breakthrough, but I was getting close.
What was missing? The full swing is only one part of the game. As I
mentioned in Chapter 1, golf is five games, and the full-swing power game is
only one of them. Remember, the others are the putting game, the short game,
the management game, and the mental game. The numbers couldn’t tell me
anything about the mental game, but they were saying all kinds of things about
the short game and putting.
Every player—every one, bar none—had a very different PEI for his full
swing than for his wedges, which was usually at least twice and, for some
players, three times as high. Simons was 8% with his full swing but about 17%
with his wedges, which is more than twice as bad. North was 7.3% with his full
swing and 16% with his wedges, while Kite was 7.5% and 13%, respectively.
And these three were among the better wedge results.
Every player’s numbers changed for his wedges, and that surprised me. A
list of five PGA Tour players’ PEI data is shown in Figure 2.8.1, with the same
data in graph form in Figure 2.8.2.
 Figure 2.8.1: Percent Error Index (PEI) for five PGA Tour pros

Figure 2.8.2: Percent Error Index (PEI) for five PGA Tour pros

There was something there I didn’t understand. If a player’s PEI for a 6-

iron was the same as that for a 3-iron, which was the same as the player’s driver
and 9-iron PEI (all within about 1%), that meant that the distance from the pin or
target was not a factor in determining PEI value. But why were the wedge PEIs
so different? And so much worse for every player? Especially since wedge
swings look simpler to execute than a full-bore driver swing, why can’t the pros
seem to execute them as well?
As if that wasn’t bad enough, my initial putting PEIs were even worse.
The three guys had putting PEIs of 40, 31, and 26. Forty percent error! Why
were they so inept with their putters? It took me a while to work out that one, but
there was a very simple answer: I was measuring putting error incorrectly. This
there was a very simple answer: I was measuring putting error incorrectly. This
was when I realized that PEIs fell into three ranges, and followed the same basic
patterns for all the players. The range for full-swing PEIs went from 5% to 9%
from the best to the worst ball-strikers on the PGA Tour. The wedge data varied
more from player to player, from 13% to just above 26%. Putting PEIs varied
from just above 5% up to 10%. Nobody had low PEIs in all three categories, and
the good ball-strikers (low full-swing PEIs) tended to have poor (high) putting
PEIs. That’s when I first realized I wasn’t dealing with one game of golf. I was
dealing with at least three, and three different skill sets, in what I had always
assumed was the single game of golf.

Putting PEIs Must Be Measured Differently

When I first calculated putting percentage errors, I used

the same formula I was using for full swings. If you face a
three-foot putt and you miss just over the lip, the ball runs
maybe two feet by, and that’s a 67% error. By taking the
error left after the shot and dividing it by the distance
before the shot, you come up with some very big errors in
putting. This was before I learned that the optimum roll
speed for a putt (to optimize its chance of both hitting and
staying in the hole) was one that would roll the ball 17
inches past the hole if it missed. When I refigured the
putting PEls based on that fact, they came down into the
range of 5% to 10%.

2.9 Are PEIs Important?

The next step was to see which game mattered the most. I listed the players in
order, starting with the player who had the lowest full-swing PEI at the top,
down to the highest. Who had the best full-swing PEI? Lee Trevino, with a
5.02% error for all his swings. Also very good was Tom Weiskopf, but he
wasn’t second best. That was Miller.
No, not Johnny Miller. Allen Miller. He was the second-purest ball-striker
I ever charted, but you probably never heard of him because he didn’t stay out
on Tour. A wonderful amateur player, Allen is now a teaching pro in Buffalo,
New York. His full-swing PEI back then was 5.06%, and to this day that is the
second-best male PEI I’ve ever measured. (Not only can he teach the full swing
but he can demonstrate it, too.)
Then I listed the players by official money-winnings and correlated the
 Then I listed the players by official money-winnings and correlated the
two lists. The number-one ball-striker I measured was 15th in money over a
three-year period. The number-two ball-striker was 200th. Number three was
85th; four was 35th; five was 129th. And the 65th-best ball-striker was number
one on the money list. There was no significant correlation between how well
the pros struck the ball and how much money they made. The analysis said that
how well you hit the golf ball didn’t matter in determining the scores you shot or
how much you won on the PGA Tour. I couldn’t believe it!
To use a phrase that was popular when I was doing this analysis, it blew
my mind. I’d just spent almost 20 years of my life trying to improve my swing
so I could hit the ball better and be good enough to play the Tour, plus another
three years chasing the pros across the country and taking data, and I felt exactly
the way I had when Gay Brewer’s score went up at the Kemper—that I knew
nothing about golf. But because I’m stubborn, I didn’t quit. I hung around and
thought about it until I figured out what was wrong. I knew the PEI data was
accurate, as was the PGA Tour money list, so it had to be something in my
interpretation of the data.
It was. My data wasn’t saying that scores don’t depend on how well you
strike the ball. It was telling me that if you hit the ball with between 5% and 9%
accuracy money won. It said that a drive that finishes in the center of the fairway
is not measurably better for your score than a drive at the left or right edge of the
fairway. It also said that players who hit iron shots to within 5% to 6% of the pin
don’t make much more money than those who hit them to within 7% to 8% of
the pin.
After getting over that shock, I felt it was time to look for another
correlation. At the time, I was trying to make a living by designing putters, so I
decided to check the correlation of putting PEIs to money winning. I ran the
same statistical correlation: best putting PEI at the top, down to the worst at the
bottom. Next to that I put money winnings. And? I saw a weak correlation in the
data, so weak it wasn’t obvious at first glance. Again, the best putters were not
the highest money winners. In fact, the best putters were not even bunched near
the top of the money list. What the putting PEI data showed was that the better a
player putts, the more money he wins—all other things being equal. In other
words, while putting doesn’t determine the money rankings, it helps to putt
better.
All that was left was the short game, the shots hit with partial-effort swings
(most often wedges) from within 100 yards of the green. I plotted the short-game
PEIs the same way as before, alongside the money-winnings, and bingo! There
was the strong correlation. I learned that the best short-game PEI belonged to
Hale Irwin, who was right at the top in money won over the three-year data
period. Tom Kite was 15th on the short-game PEI list and 18th on the money
list. And Allen Miller? He was at almost the same spot well down the short-
game PEI list as he was on the money list. Up and down, all along the money
list, there was a strong and meaningful correlation between how well players hit
their short-game shots and how much money they won on Tour. Any player who
was good with his wedges was also good at cashing checks.

Understanding Helps
2.10 Why Is the Short Game So Important?

I had made a very important discovery: that short-game performance is more

important than either putting or the power game in determining the score a
player shoots and how much money he makes on the PGA Tour. Later, I would
learn that the same is true for amateurs (with respect to scoring ability, of course,
without the money earnings). But I had yet to figure out why. It was time to go
back to my original data, to the thousands of shots I’d charted, to understand the
importance of the short game. For each of those shots I had measured with each
player, I knew not only the percentage error, but also the distance the ball flew
and where it finished. I began making new charts.
In the center of a piece of paper I drew an X. That was the target. Then I
plotted how close to the target, and exactly where, each shot finished. I did it for
all clubs, grouping long, medium, and short irons, and then plotted frequency
contours like those you see on a topographic map, which indicated where the
shots missed their targets most often.
When I plotted all the players’ 1-, 2-, and 3-irons, I saw that, as a group,
Tour players tended to miss the target primarily either left or right with these
irons, not long or short. Their distances were surprisingly accurate: The average
distance error was only a couple of yards, just 1% or 2%. The directional error,
however—the error left or right—was almost 7% on average, which for a long
iron of 180 to 200 yards meant they were missing left or right of the target by 12
to 14 yards (about 35 to 40 feet). There was no question: The problem with the
long irons was direction, not distance, as seen in Figure 2.10.1.
 Figure 2.10.1: Shot scatter for long irons (1-, 2-, and 3-irons)

I wondered why a player could hit the ball within three yards of the correct
distance but only within 13 yards of the right direction. I didn’t get it.
I did the same thing for the medium irons, the 4-, 5-, and 6-irons, and
found virtually the same pattern, as shown in Figure 2.10.2. The distance error
was still very small, plus or minus two yards, while the directional error was plus
or minus 11 yards. Although these shots were a little closer to the pin than the
long irons (and still the same percentage error), the misses again were primarily
in direction, from side to side.
 Figure 2.10.2: Shot scatter for medium irons (4-, 5-, and 6-irons)

With the short irons, the 7-, 8-, and 9-irons, the pattern held true (Fig.
2.10.3). Distance error was down to plus or minus one or two yards, but
direction was off by eight yards left or right. Again, the overall error was about
7%, the same as that for the long and medium irons, and still significantly
greater in directional error than distance error.
 Figure 2.10.3: Shot scatter for short irons (7-, 8-, and 9-irons)

As I said, the shots within each category of irons fell primarily into two
groups, one on each side of the target. As I plotted the frequency contours, a
picture began to emerge. (Now remember, I was spending hours poring over the
data and computer printouts, all by myself.) Suddenly the patterns looked to me
like women’s brassieres. The left side was always a little higher on the chart than
the right, because shots to the left (draws and hooks) go a little farther than shots
to the right (fades and slices), but they all looked like brassieres.
Because of the consistent shape of the shot patterns, I call this
phenomenon of shots grouping left and right of the target the “bra effect.” Until I
saw this data, I had always assumed most players miss their shots in a random
(circular) pattern around their target. Not so. While some players miss
predominantly left, others tend to miss right. But very few power-swing shots
miss absolutely on-line.

2.11 The Data Speaks

On all the full-swing shots, I saw the same pattern: Players were very good at
controlling distance but very poor at controlling direction in terms of total error.
While shots often would be within a few feet of the hole in distance, they would
usually still be far off in direction. Why was that? How could someone not hit
usually still be far off in direction. Why was that? How could someone not hit
the ball straight while hitting it the right distance? How could they be so
accurate, 1 to 2% error in distance with their full swings, when they couldn’t hit
it to better than a 7% or 8% error in direction?
After thinking about it, the answer became obvious. It’s not that golfers don’t
practice direction—they practice it all the time; they’re almost always hitting at a
directional target and seeing the miss direction as the shot falls left or right of
target. However, the direction of a shot is controlled by the rotation of the
clubface through impact, and the timing of the swing. It is a result of the player’s
athleticism, coordination, swing mechanics, rhythm, timing, and the quality of
his physical performance through impact.
If the best players in the world, who practice for hours almost every day of
their lives for 10, 15, 20 years or more, only manage to hit the ball straight to
within 5% to 9%, then direction must be very difficult to control. And you know
what? It is. The clubface travels along a fairly flat swing plane, rotating 180
degrees (from 90 degrees right to 90 degrees left of target) through the region of
impact, on all full-swing power shots. To get the face of the club at the perfect
angle at the moment of impact is one of the greatest challenges in all of sport.
But why were they so good at distance? Again, it’s obvious: Distance is
not as much a function of a golfer’s swing as of his club selection.
Tour players don’t normally select 7-irons for 200-yard shots; they take a
3-iron. They don’t use 3-irons for 150-yard shots, they use 7-or 8-irons. So while
direction is critically controlled by a player’s face angle at impact, distance is
primarily controlled by his club selection, caddie, and the yardage book—each
of which is very accurate. All the player has to do is make reasonably solid
contact.
The same is true for amateurs. If you know you’re 150 yards away, you
don’t try to hit a sand wedge. You take your 150-yard club, your 6-or 7-iron.
And when you use the right club, as long as you make a reasonably good swing,
the ball flies about the right distance. But it doesn’t go dead straight unless you
put a very good swing on it—that is, a well-timed swing with exactly the correct
face angle at impact.
What all this means is that when you’re making a full swing, golf is
primarily a game of direction. Most golfers don’t realize that. They worry more
about which club they choose than how straight they’re going to hit it. But
having the right club doesn’t matter nearly as much as your directional accuracy
with it.
2.12 Now We’re Getting Somewhere

If you understand the data above, and everything I just said, now consider its
exact opposite. Because that’s what happens in the short game.
After I plotted the Tour pros’ contour lines for the full swing, I did it for
shots between 40 and 60 yards. These are partial swings (I call them “finesse
swings”) with the wedges, shots that don’t go the normal distance you associate
with the club’s full-swing potential. Their plotting showed exactly the same
pattern of shot dispersion as the power-swing shot patterns—the bra effect—
except the bra was rotated 90 degrees (see Fig. 2.12.1).

Figure 2.12.1: Short-game shot scatter (from 40 to 60 yards)

In the short game, the nature of the pattern is reversed. All of a sudden pros
hit their short-game shots straight to better than 2% error, which is plus or minus
two yards left or right. However, they didn’t hit these shots the right distance
within six to 12 yards (13%–26%). They were well long or short by a significant
amount a high percentage of the time. Suddenly the problem in golf changed
from direction to distance.
While this initially astounded me, again, the more I thought about it, the
more it made sense.
Think again about how a player determines the distance for a full-swing
 Think again about how a player determines the distance for a full-swing
shot. He grabs the correct club for that distance and makes a normal swing. But
how does he determine the distance for a short-game shot? In his head. For a 50-
yard shot, he doesn’t have a 50-yard club in his bag. He can’t take out a 50-yard
club and make a full swing. So he does the best he can, grabbing a 90-yard club
and throttling down.
The shortest club in the bag of every Tour player I was working with at the
time was a sand wedge, which, with a full swing, hit the ball about 90 yards.
Stand any one of the players at 40 yards and tell him to hit his 90-yard club and
what does he do? He misses it by an average of at least six to eight yards,
because he doesn’t have what is required in his head to make his 90-yard club go
40 yards.

You Make It or You Don’t

2.13 The Conversion Curve

Is distance control really important in the short game? Go back to putting: Can
you make as many putts from 10 feet as you can from two feet? Look at the
putting conversion curve in Figure 2.13.1.
Your ability to score is significantly influenced by your ability to minimize
your number of putts per round. If you leave yourself lots of one-foot putts,
you’ll make them 100% of the time. Lots of 10-foot putts? You’re down to a
20% conversion rate. Putts longer than 20 feet? You’re looking at two- (and
three-) putts most of the time.
 Figure 2.13.1: Putting conversion
curve

The key distance for leaving short-game shots from the hole is about six
feet; that’s where the pros’ conversion rate is 50%. My data shows that the pros
were hitting wedge shots to within six feet of the hole in direction, but not
distance. Their full-swing shots were pretty close to six feet away in distance,
but they were far more than six feet away in direction. So whether they were
hitting long irons, short irons, or wedges into the green, they weren’t one-putting
very often.
How to deal with all this? The answer is simple. To score better, hit your
long irons straighter and your short-game wedges closer to the right distance.
How do you hit your long shots straighter? I don’t know. But the golf world has
convinced most golfers to spend most of their practice time trying to learn. I
think that’s a bad decision. To make significant improvement in the power game
takes good instruction, athletic ability, timing, rhythm, talent, and a lot of
practice. But once you’ve improved your ball-striking, it doesn’t improve your
scoring ability much, because you’re still not going to one-putt greens from
scoring ability much, because you’re still not going to one-putt greens from
where even good long-iron shots leave you.
Based on my research, I made the decision years ago to forget the power
swing. Rather, I decided to teach people to hit their short-game shots the right
distance, because it isn’t that difficult to do. And once you learn how, you will
shoot lower scores.
(Many golfers have a poor short game because they’ve never had a way or
place to practice it. Most practice areas don’t have a target green for hitting these
shots, letting you see whether your ball lands long or short of where you were
aiming. Even when there is a target green, golfers don’t know how far away they
are; they make a swing but don’t receive the proper feedback. I’m also sorry to
say that most golfers don’t understand how to practice or what to work on in
their short-game swings, so any practice they do get in doesn’t accomplish
much. I’ll cover all that later on in this book.)

2.14 If It’s Straight, It’s Good

For most golfers, in practice and in play, as long as their shots go straight, they
think they’ve hit a good wedge. While I was caddying on Tour, I witnessed
something that put this problem into perspective.
I was carrying for Tom Jenkins (T.J.). He was 51 yards to the pin, lying
two on a par 5. His playing companion was right in front of him, same lie, same
everything, but 50½ yards away.
T.J. hit first. He got over the ball, made a nice little waggle and a beautiful
swing, and hit the ball right at the pin. As it was coming down, T.J. was holding
his finish and saying, “Oh baby, be the right distance. Be perfect.” The ball flew
right over the pin (it almost hit the top of the flagstick), landed, and stopped
immediately, six yards past the pin. It covered the flagstick all the way, finishing
just a little long. T.J. walked to the bag, handed me his wedge, and said, “I hit it
perfect. I thought it was in the hole. It’s a little long, but it felt so good. That was
a perfect swing.” He was pleased.
As we stood there, our playing companion got over his shot, made a nice
little waggle, and executed his 50-yard wedge swing. Immediately after the
moment of impact, he turned his back on the shot, twisted his face and body in
anguish, slammed his club into the ground, and said a few things not to be
repeated here. He was sick: I thought he was going to slit his wrists or throw up
in his golf bag. He had pulled his 50-yard wedge shot six yards to the left of the
hole, which to a Tour player looks and feels like a terrible shot. To hit it that far
off-line was disgusting. He had contempt for his own ability, he was mad, he
off-line was disgusting. He had contempt for his own ability, he was mad, he
was upset, he hated himself, and although he had hit the ball solidly—exactly 50
yards—he had missed six yards left.
I listened to the two players talking as they walked to the green. T.J.,
facing an 18-foot birdie putt, was happy because he had just made a good swing.
His companion was ready to quit the game forever because he had pulled his
wedge shot, made a terrible swing, and was facing an 18-foot birdie putt from a
different direction.
As the physicist caddie, with equal PEIs running around in my head, I just
chuckled. The balls didn’t know the difference, the putters didn’t know the
difference, the golf course didn’t know the difference, and, of course, both
players scored the same—a par 5—both missing their 18-foot putts. Yet one
player thought he hit a great wedge approach shot, whereas the other thought he
hit a terrible shot. So go the perceptions of golfers.

2.15 The Scoring Game

In Chapter 1, I mentioned that the scoring game was made up of the short game
and the putting game. Early in this chapter, I showed you how to evaluate the
true performance of golf swings and how the game falls into different categories
of skills and results. A few pages back, I tried to convince you that in the full-
swing game, direction is what you should worry about since your choice of club
is what primarily controls your distance. (Please be aware of your directional
control. It is really important. Most sand traps sit left and right of target areas
because course architects are no dummies.)
Then I showed you how just the opposite is true for the short game.
Because the club is more lofted, the swing plane more vertical (causing less
clubface rotation through impact), and the shots shorter, direction takes care of
itself. When you’re holding a wedge, it’s distance that should concern you,
because if you don’t hit the ball the right distance, you can forget about having a
high probability of holing those birdie putts.
Finally, let me repeat the main point of this chapter: If you want to score,
the most important “game” to improve is your short game. Second most
important is your putting game. And the least important game is your power-
swing, ball-striking game, the game you’ve been practicing all these years.
Chapter 3
The Five Games of Golf
Something’s Wrong Here
3.1 “The Golf Swing” Is a Myth

Do you believe golf’s “Golden Rule,” that “he who rules the short game collects
the gold”? And do you believe me when I say golf is really five different games?
And I mean really different, as distinct from each other as tennis is from
bowling. If you don’t believe me yet, you should by the end of this chapter.
The next few pages are vital to your long-term capability to become a
better golfer. Why? Because most people have trouble learning something when
they don’t understand or believe the underlying foundations of those lessons. So
read carefully until you truly understand and believe what the words are saying.
When I was learning the game, every lesson featured the professional
explaining that there was really only one swing in golf. No matter who it was,
the pro would say something like this: “The 5-iron swing is a miniature version
of a drive swing, the chip shot is a miniature 5-iron swing, and the putt is a
miniature chipping swing. Since there is only one move and one grip in golf,” he
would continue, “if you get your swing started properly and groove it, you can
use that swing for almost every shot in golf.” The pros referred to this as the
“unified swing theory,” which many professionals have been teaching for the
last 50 years.
It sounds good, it certainly sounds reasonable, and it makes the game
sound simple. But there’s one problem: It’s wrong.
Nobody ever measured or proved it. Like so many other accepted truths in
golf, it has no basis in fact. A good player probably said it during a press
conference, it was quoted in the newspapers, and it became a law of the game.
Nobody said anything different.
But I will, because I don’t believe it anymore. And if you want to learn to
score better, start by not believing it either.
3.2 The Great Ones

To get this incorrect notion out of your head, let’s look back at some of the great
players the game has produced. There are many players who have been
exceptional at one part of the game while being relatively ordinary at another
part. Look first at the great power-swingers. My personal list of the best full-
swingers to play the game includes Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino, Mac O’Grady,
Tom Purtzer, Tom Weiskopf, and two Canadians, Moe Norman and the late
George Knudson. They all struck the ball extremely well from tee to green, they
all had consistent shot patterns and repeating results, and their shots consistently
landed close to where they planned.
And they were all relatively poor putters. When I say “relatively poor” I
realize that they were good enough to play on Tour, so they weren’t what you
could call “bad” putters. But compared with their full-swing ability, their putting
was at best unremarkable.
At the other end of the talent spectrum are the world’s great putters. That
group includes George Archer, Bob Charles, Ben Crenshaw, Dave Stockton,
Don Pooley, Loren Roberts, and Brad Faxon. All are terrifically talented at
rolling the ball into the cup, but are relatively poor ball-strikers. This isn’t to say
they don’t hit excellent golf shots; however, their tee-to-green shots often are
poor, their ball-striking is inconsistent, and they don’t make solid contact on a
regular basis.
All of which proves my point that if golf were only one swing and you
were really good at it, it would seem logical that you would (or at least could) be
good at all aspects of the game. However, this has never happened! All the great
ball-strikers and all the great putters—who have such obvious talent in one part
of the game—have a just as obvious lack of superior performance in another
part. They validate my belief that the different games are different
fundamentally, and that there is no one swing for all of golf.

Three Physical Games

3.3 There Are Three Swings and Five Games
By studying the PEI data discussed in the previous chapter, you will see strong
variations in performance among the power, short, and putting games of every
player. I have yet to see a player who performed at the same accuracy level
(same PEI value) in any two games, let alone all three. There is no question that
(same PEI value) in any two games, let alone all three. There is no question that
something different is going on in the way golfers learn and play these games.
These three swings even look different if you know what to look for, and by
categorizing them individually they become easier to teach and learn.
If you accept the possibility that each game is unique—and, therefore, that
different swings must be learned—I can detail those differences. But this is what
I meant at the beginning of this chapter when I said you have to understand
before you can learn. Think about this again: There isn’t one swing, there are
three. And there isn’t one “game,” there are five. That’s a big leap, I know. It
might be easier if I wait to explain the unique features of the short game relative
to power and putting, and I first touch on the two “mind” games.
The fourth and fifth games—the mental and management games—are as
different from each other as they are from the power game. I won’t go into great
detail here, but you will understand what they involve when I mention what they
relate to:
Mental game: fear, confidence, anxiety, aggression, determination,
focus, concentration, emotional control, etc.
Management game: shot selection, skill evaluation, strategy,
statistical analysis, risk-vs.-reward balance, competitive situation,
etc.

Very different, yet very similar. Both games involve what goes on inside
your brain while it controls your body. Both are related to your physical motions
by your mind’s control over them. And like those muscle-controlled actions,
both games can be learned, taught, practiced, and improved or degraded.
Okay, back to the three physical games. If golf derived from a single
swing and you were a coordinated, gifted athlete who was good at that swing,
then it would seem that you would be good at all parts of the game. But I
challenge you to name one golfer who has been great at all three.
Certain players are better in one game than another because, while the
fundamentals of the three physical games are different, the teaching of all three
(and more important, the learning) has been the same. For way too long, the
same principles have been used in the instruction of all three games. But I’m
contending—and proving—that what’s good for the full-swing ball-striker is bad
for his putting, if he learns and uses the same theories. The principles of the
three games are so different that even the words and concepts used to describe
them are dissimilar. Let me show you.
 Jack Nicklaus

Even the greatest player in history, Jack Nicklaus, had

relative weaknesses in his game. Where Nicklaus was
truly remarkable was not in his full swing, although it
wasn’t bad (I measured his power PEI at 42nd, which
means 41 players who played at the same time hit shots
more accurately from point A to point B). Jack was in the
top 25 PEIs in putting, and his short game was mid-30s—
except for his sand play, the only true weakness in his
game (128th by my data). His excellent lag putting
covered for his poor sand play ability, because it allowed
him to play away from bunkers, which he “managed” to
do. So he wasn’t the greatest in any of the three physical
games, but he was very good in them all. Without
question, his greatest strength was a mastery of the mental
and management games. There has never been anyone to
compare with his course management, composure, and use
of strategy to make the most of his physical attributes. In
perhaps the greatest use anyone has ever made of the
management game, Jack “managed” to let more players
lose to him than anyone I ever studied.

3.4 The Power Swing

I am not too interested in, nor do I ever teach, the full swing. But I’ll mention
some of its mechanics here so you can notice and feel the differences between it
and the other two swings.
The modern power swing starts with a one-piece takeaway: The clubhead,
shaft, hands, arms, elbows, shoulders, chest, and hips all start turning (rotating)
away from the ball together. They move at the same angular rate, and continue to
move until the lower body and hips become restricted and can no longer turn.
When the hips stop moving, the upper body—the arms, shoulders, and chest,
plus the shaft and clubhead—continue to move, coiling against the lower body.
This coil creates tension and stores energy to be released later, on the down-and-
through swing.
During most of the backswing, the hands and arms remain in front of the
chest, and another event occurs: the cocking of the wrists. As the backswing
continues, the upper body meets so much resistance from the lower body that it
can coil no further. In the final backswing motion, the arms, elbows, and hands
then actually stretch or turn against the chest as the clubhead reaches the
then actually stretch or turn against the chest as the clubhead reaches the
absolute top.
The swing down and through should be initiated by the returning of the
lower body. This lower-body turn leads everything else toward and through the
impact zone: The lower body pulls the upper, the upper body pulls the arms, the
arms pull the hands, the hands pull the shaft, and the shaft pulls the clubhead.
This chain of events means you create centrifugal force and maximum energy
for release, as each component of the swing adds its own energy through impact.
In Figure 3.4.1 you see vocabulary I use to describe some concepts and
fundamentals of the power-game swing. These fundamentals are so different
from those of the scoring game that I won’t coach any of my players on their full
swings. I recommend that they find a good full-swing teacher, and also
important, change their mind-set when switching from one game to the other.

Figure 3.4.1: Power-game vocabulary

3.5 The Putting Game

The fundamental mechanics of the putting stroke are the opposite of those of the
power swing. The putting stroke has no lower-body turn, no coil of the upper
body against the lower, and no cocking of the wrists. The head and trunk remain
still while the arms swing with a slight rotation of the shoulders. There should be
no forearm rotation, a key element of every other swing: Forearm rotation is a
killer of good putting, making it difficult to achieve consistent directional
results. But because the forearms rotate in every other swing, most golfers let
them rotate through their putting strokes without realizing it, to their great
detriment. Figure 3.5.1 shows some typical putting-game vocabulary, which, as
you can see, differs drastically from that of the power game.

Figure 3.5.1: Putting-game vocabulary

The great ball-strikers tend to be poor putters, because their power-swing

fundamentals sneak into their putting-stroke motions. If Moe Norman or Mac
O’Grady had been anywhere among the top half of putters and short-game
players, they might have dominated the game for years. The same is true for
George Knudson, even Ben Hogan. (Some will argue that Hogan did dominate,
in the late 1940s and early 1950s, but he probably could have done better, and
in the late 1940s and early 1950s, but he probably could have done better, and
was well known for putting problems. I never took data on Knudson and Hogan,
but I have observed their putting strokes in person and on video, and both
contained seriously flawed fundamentals.) What about Lee Trevino? Like
Hogan, Lee has a wonderful record filled with major championships and many
other victories. And as mentioned earlier, his full-swing PEI was the best I ever
measured, consistently around 5% all the years I watched him. But despite
holing some important putts in his career, Trevino was not a good putter: His
putting PEI is only average, and I classify his putting as merely adequate. He
won as much as he did despite his putting, not because of it. If you get a chance,
ask him; I’m sure he knows this about himself. By my book, if Lee had putted
like Ben Crenshaw, you might never have heard of the man named Nicklaus.

3.6 The Short Game

Now to the swing of the short game, the finesse swing, which is neither fish nor
fowl. It differs from the full swing, because the upper body should not be
“connected” to the lower (though they should be turning at the same rate and
through the same angles, so they look as if they could be connected). The
takeaway of the finesse swing looks identical to the takeaway in the power
swing, but when the hips stop turning, the upper body-shoulders, arms, hands,
and club-stop turning, too (no coil), so there is no energy stored between the
upper and lower body as there is in the power swing. On the downswing, then,
everything comes through impact together: The lower body doesn’t drive or
lead, so it produces very little power. Everything goes back together, then comes
down and through together, producing what I call a “synchronized” turn. As a
result, every finesse swing, regardless of length, appears to have the same effort
and rhythm.
The finesse swing differs from the putting stroke because the forearms
rotate, the weight transfers, the knees move, and the hips rotate both back and
through the shot. You see none of this when putting (that is, you should see none
of this when putting). Figure 3.6.1 lists some descriptive words we use on the
finesse swing, a list almost completely different from the power-and putting-
games’ vocabularies.
 Figure 3.6.1: Short-game vocabulary

3.7 The Differences

Analysis of PEI data was the first thing that ever suggested to me the idea that
there might be different games and different swings in golf. Then, when I
examined the swings of the three games, I found measurable differences and
knew I was onto something. After making a comparison of the games’ swing
fundamentals, and the vocabularies of the games, I was sure it was an absolute
lock that the games were independent of one another. I finally figured out that
even the basic intents, purposes, and goals of the three games are different, too.
But it took me time to understand all that, just as it may be taking you some time
right now.
Look again at the three “vocabularies” shown in the last few pages, the
lists of words we commonly use to describe each of the three games. Notice that
the only true similarity is in the area of rhythm: All three games need to be
played with good rhythm to be accomplished successfully.
played with good rhythm to be accomplished successfully.
Can you imagine a great putter making a big coil in his backstroke? Or
releasing his forearms through impact? Or staying connected and turning his
body through his putting stroke? There is no way! The three games are, by their
very natures, different. Which means that if you want to be good in them all, you
must learn the different fundamentals that allow you to be good in each of them.
For more proof of these differences, look at the last word of each list: The great
ball-strikers “hit” their drives; the great finesse players “swing” through their
pitches and chips; and the world’s best putters “stroke” their putts.
It also helps to realize that the goal of each game is different. Think about
your intent when you play shots in each of the games:

1. The goal of your power swing is to hit the ball as far as you can,
within the constraints of reasonable accuracy. From 9-irons to drives, which you
want to hit as far as you can, you allow yourself to be somewhat inaccurate in
direction so you can get the distance you need. You want maximum power with
reasonable accuracy.
2. The goal of your putting stroke is to give up all sources of power,
achieve the simplest motion you can master, and provide maximum precision to
strike the ball down a given line at an appropriate speed. This is almost the
complete opposite of your full-swing intent. Accuracy is at a premium;
maximum power is useless.
3. The goal of your finesse swing in the short game is a compromise
between the above two. You want to hit the ball as accurately as possible, but
you still need adequate power in your swing. You want the accuracy of the
shot’s trajectory, behavior, and landing zone to be maximized. You must give up
some accuracy control because you need some power, but you try to do so with a
rhythmic swing, not a hit, for the best compromise.

Three games, with three swings and three sets of fundamentals to learn.
Each is simple, easy, and learnable. But nobody has conquered all three yet,
because they have not realized that they should be separated to be learned best.

The Short Game Dominates

3.8 The Golden Rule
In Chapter 2, I explained how I compared ball-striking ability with money
In Chapter 2, I explained how I compared ball-striking ability with money
earnings and learned that how well a Tour pro strikes the ball with a full swing
does not correlate in any statistically significant way with how much money he
earns. When I first saw this result, I was quite surprised.
Why? Because for many years I planned and tried to play the game
professionally. I figured to do that I would have to hit the ball better, which
would lead to better scoring, which would lead to my being able to play for a
living. By the time I was conducting my correlation studies, I’d given up any
dreams of a pro career. But I was still amazed that my data contradicted my
long-held assumptions about ball-striking. I didn’t understand how hitting the
ball better could do anything except win more money. After examining this data
in detail, I realized that what it showed wasn’t that ball-striking is unimportant,
but rather that if your full-swing PEI is between 5% and 9% (the extremes of all
players on the PGA Tour), then how well you strike the ball within that range
doesn’t affect how much money you will make.
The reason for this is the “conversion curve.” The conversion curve,
shown on page 30, is the most important illustration in this book, and may be
one of the most important concepts in the game of golf. Very simply, it tells you
the chances of converting a putt, on average, from any given distance.
Needless to say, from all the rounds I’ve charted and all the data I’ve
obtained, I have recorded thousands upon thousands of putts. I know exactly
how well PGA Tour pros putt from every distance. If you examine this curve
carefully, you’ll find that no one makes a high percentage of putts from outside
of 10 feet, and almost everyone playing at the professional level makes most of
their putts inside two feet (if not, they won’t be playing on the Tour for long). So
the most drastic differences in putting conversion rates occur between two and
10 feet-as mentioned earlier, the “Golden Eight” feet.
Let’s bring this back to the real world. When Lee Trevino (a 5% ball-
striker) hits a 5-iron from 180 yards to 5% accuracy, he still faces a 27-foot
(nine-yard) putt. That’s a fine 5-iron, better than the average Tour player by
several feet. But most Tour players will two-putt from 40 feet, 30 feet, 20 feet,
even 10 feet; so the fact that Trevino generally hits it closer to the pin doesn’t
give him a very meaningful advantage for one-putting more often. It does give
him this small advantage every time he hits a power-swing shot onto a green in
regulation, which occurs around 10 times a round. So statistically, on average,
for being the best ball-striker Lee receives a small advantage in putting
conversion probability over the entire rest of the field about 10 times a round, if
his putting skill is equal to theirs.
his putting skill is equal to theirs.
On the other hand, when Tom Kite (who improved from a 13% to a 5%
short-game PEI) hits a wedge from 40 yards to six feet, and Trevino, who is a
15% wedge player from 40 yards, puts the ball three times as far from the hole,
18 feet, then Kite statistically gains almost half a shot (again assuming equal
putting skills). It is an absolute cinch that Kite will hole more putts from six feet
than Trevino will hole from 18 feet.
The advantages gained from hitting good short-game shots occur seven to
10 times a round (Tour players miss, on average, about five greens in regulation,
and hit short-game shots to a high percentage of the four par-5 holes each
round); that can add up to a difference of several shots. You can see why the
short-game performance of all Tour players has a strong correlation with their
money earnings. It is entirely reasonable—and proper—that the people who
execute the finesse game the best tend to win the most money, have the lowest
scoring averages, and are the most consistent winners on the Tour.
I also have taken data on the LPGA Tour, and the results are identical for
the ladies.
So now you understand my “Golden Rule” of golf. Because of the
conversion curve, and the fact that 60% to 65% of all shots in golf occur within
100 yards of the green, it is clear that “he who rules the short game collects the
gold.”

3.9 Pros I’ve Worked With

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with many pros, both men and
women, from the U.S., European, Canadian, and Asian tours, as well as
amateurs from around the world. I’ve instructed the national teams from
Germany and Italy, and made presentations for the PGA of America to club pros
throughout the United States. Thirteen years ago, I began opening my Scoring
Game School facilities, where I’ve taught Tour pros-from the PGA and LPGA
Tours (Fig. 3.9.1 lists them)—plus some 15,000 amateurs, all of whom have
paid to attend. Most of these amateurs are not low-handicappers, but they are
serious golfers, and all of them, including the professionals, want to score better.
Every one of these golfers has the same problem. While some are poor
chippers, others can’t get out of the sand, and many can’t pitch accurately in the
15-to 30-yard range, they all have the problem of the conversion curve. No one
has ever complained to me about getting the ball consistently too close to the pin
with their short-game shots, and most golfers are certainly two-putting, or worse,
most of the time. And their scores aren’t as low as they want them to be.
most of the time. And their scores aren’t as low as they want them to be.

PGA/Senior Tours Joe Ozaki LPGA Tour

Michael Allen Tom Pernice Kristy Albers
Billy Andrade Mark Pfeil Missie Bertiotti
Paul Azinger Dan Pohl Jill Briles-Hinton
Hugh Baiocchi Don Reese Kim Catherein
Chip Beck Tom Sieckmann Noelle Daghe
Bill Britton Jim Simons Beth Daniel
John Brodie Tim Simpson Heather Drew
Mark Brooks Vijay Singh Michelle Estill
Olin Browne Mike Standly Allison Finney
Jim Carter Payne Stewart Marlene Floyd
Brandel Chamblee Mike Sullivan Jane Geddes
Michael Christie Peter Townsend Suzy Greene
Keith Clearwater Howard Twitty Caroline Hill
Lennie Clements Grant Waite Becky Iverson
Jay Delsing Dewitt Weaver Cathy Johnston-Forbes
Bob Dickson D. A. Weibring Caroline Keggi
Bob Duval Bob Wolcott Emilee Klein
Danny Edwards Hiromi Kobayashi
Steve Elkington International Tours DeeDee Lasker
Robin Freeman Ralph Berhorst Sally Little
Lan Gooch T. C. Chen Melissa McNamara
Gary Hallberg Scott Dunlap Barbra Mizrahi
Mark Hayes Peter Fowler Liselotte Neumann
Ryan Howison Torsten Giedeon Sandra Palmer
Joe Inman Thomas Gogele Cindy Rarick
Peter Jacobsen Paul Hoad Susie Redman
Lee Janzen Robert Karlsson Patti Rizzo
Tom Jenkins Colin Montgomerie Annika Sorenstam
Steve Jurgensen Bryan Norton Muffin Spencer-Devlin
Tom Kite Jesper Parnevik Sherri Steinhauer
Steve Lowery Cliff Potts Jan Stephenson
David Lundstrom Terry Price Kris Tschetter
Rocco Mediate Costantino Rocca Deborah Vidal
Allen Miller Luigi Scarfiotti Colleen Walker
Walter Morgan Peter Smith Karen Weiss
Bob Murphy Heinz-Peter Thul Maggie Will
Andy North Ian Woosnam
David Ogrin

Figure 3.9.1: Professionals who have worked with Dave Pelz/Dave

Pelz Scoring Game Schools

Every one of my schools starts with testing to identify players’ weaknesses

so we can maximize their improvement. Through my research, I’ve learned that
80% of a player’s handicap is determined by his play within 100 yards of the
green. But when I ask students how they spend their practice time, almost all say
green. But when I ask students how they spend their practice time, almost all say
they spend 80% of their time practicing the full swing. Most students report
spending less than 10% to 15% of their time on their putting, and almost no time
practicing their short game.
In this light, it’s interesting to note that the students with the greatest
improvement are the ones who come back to work with us the most often over a
long time period—like Tom Kite, who, after 18 years, still occasionally comes
back to school. The returning alumni also are the ones who practice the most and
improve the most. Please take this as proof of the importance of the short game
to lowering scores, because you just can’t get too good at the short game.
The better you play it, the lower you will score.
Chapter 4
Mechanics of the Short Game
Before Your Swing
Before I begin teaching you how to make the best possible short-game swing, I
must explain a number of concepts. It’s likely that some of these will be totally
new to you, at least in relation to your golf game—things like the effects of
adrenaline, the need for stability, and the importance of feedback. But just to be
sure you know you’re still reading a golf book, I’ll also deal with a number of
“golf-friendly” concepts such as grip, ball position, alignment, and swing plane.
As you read this chapter, remember what I said earlier: You can’t learn to play
golf optimally without first understanding what it is you are trying to learn. All
of these notions must be understood if you are going to learn to make a
consistently reliable finesse swing. They are vital to its execution and success,
and once you internalize their meaning and importance, you can begin to
improve with dramatic efficiency.

4.1 Muscles and Adrenaline

I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard a golfer, pro or amateur, say, “I’m
hitting it great on the practice tee, but I can’t take it to the course” He blames
himself for not being a good pressure player, or thinks he hasn’t practiced
enough, or simply feels incompetent. The irony is that a player who can do it all
on the range probably is practicing a swing that cannot possibly be taken to the
course by anyone with any kind of talent. He is grooving a move that wouldn’t
stand up for the greatest Tour professional with the greatest nerves in the world.
But he doesn’t realize that, so he keeps practicing, hoping a little more sweat
will make the difference.
It won’t, owing to the way adrenaline affects his body and his muscles.
Adrenaline is released into the body when a person gets excited or scared;
there’s nothing we can do about it. Adrenaline makes our muscles get stronger,
sometimes very much so. This extra power can be helpful if we need to escape
sometimes very much so. This extra power can be helpful if we need to escape
from heavy rough or bad lies. It can be managed in the power swing if you know
it’s coming: Simply change your club selection. However, if you rely on muscle
control for your short game, adrenaline effects can be deadly.
Adrenaline will flow whenever the golfer feels pressure. If you face a hard
or important shot and you rely on muscle control to “hit” your short-game shots,
chances are good that any “touch” you may have had—even just a few minutes
before on the practice range—will be gone. There’s no flow of adrenaline when
you’re practicing, so any touch learned on the range vanishes when pressure
appears, even when you make what feels like a really good swing.

4.2 Dead Hands

The way to tame adrenaline, then, is obvious: Don’t use your muscles to power
your short game. Instead, let the power come from the energy provided by your
finesse-swing motion.
The muscles that kill touch in your short game are the incredibly strong yet
small muscles of your fingers, hands, wrists, and forearms. You must make a
conscious decision to keep those muscles out of your short shots and use what
we call in our schools “dead hands.” If you’re swinging with dead hands, those
small muscles have only two jobs: (1) to cock the wrists during the backswing;
and (2) to hold on to the club so it doesn’t fly out of your hands during the rest
of the swing. If you can do that, you can beat the adrenaline effect.
If you want to produce the same shots on the course that you practiced on
the range, especially under pressure, you must stop using your muscles during
practice and begin using the length and rhythm of the finesse swing to power
those shots. Through practice, you learn how long your swings have to be to
produce the shots you want. (In later chapters you’ll learn about different swing
lengths and how to create them.) You feel the centrifugal force and natural
motion of the swing powering the shots, rather than “hitting” shots with your
hand and arm muscles. And you hold your finish, retaining the feel of your
swing until each shot lands and you can see how far it flew.
While practice swinging, you should focus on finding a smooth, repeatable
rhythm that you can imagine producing the results you want. Once you can see,
feel, and judge the proper motion with a practice swing, you’ll be able to repeat
it in a real swing; from there it’s a small step to doing the same thing during a
match when your heart is pounding and your muscles are pumped full of
adrenaline. Take several practice swings until you make one that looks and feels
really good, that will produce the shot you want, the way it did on the practice
really good, that will produce the shot you want, the way it did on the practice
tee earlier that day, last week, and last month. This is called “making a preview
swing.” Once you see and feel that rhythm and make a perfect dead-hands
preview swing, it’s easy to step up to the ball, repeat it, and produce the result
you expect on the course.

4.3 Alignment Is Critical

In my golf vocabulary, the terms setup, alignment, aim, body alignment, and
address position are all related to the same thing. They relate to the target
direction of your upcoming golf swing and how your body is postured and
oriented to that straight line from ball to target (because of ground slope or wind,
your swing-line target may not always be the same as the pin direction). And one
more thing: No matter what you call it, the setup and alignment of your body is
one of the most important fundamentals of your short game.
In every game of golf, if you align your body improperly your instincts
will subconsciously make swing compensations intended to hit the shot in the
desired direction. Because your instincts are to control and execute these
compensations with your hands, and are totally target-oriented, correct
alignment is critical if your body is going to learn to make fundamentally correct
swings with dead hands. Aim correctly and it’s easier to make good swings,
because from a good position, good swings cause good results; aim poorly and a
good swing will hit a bad shot, so you’ll have to make compensations to produce
the desired results. And in the short game, a compensating swing is a bad swing.

4.4 Parallel Left

For most short-game shots, I recommend you use what is called “parallel-left”
alignment. (You won’t use parallel left for the cut-lob and uneven lies, but that
leaves more than 95% of the shots inside 100 yards.) Here’s how you get your
body in the proper parallel-left setup.
Every time you practice, take the club you are going to hit and carefully
lay it down in line with your intended target (Fig. 4.4.1). Squat down behind
your ball to see this line precisely. Next lay your 2-iron parallel to and one foot
inside your hitting club, leaving room to hit many shots between them. Your 2-
iron is now your “aim club,” as shown in Figure 4.4.2.
 Figure 4.4.1: Hitting club aimed directly Figure 4.4.2: Aim club parallel-left of
at your target perfectly aligned hitting club

Walk behind both clubs and look down the aim-club line. Your aim club
should be aimed slightly left (maybe a foot) of your exact target. This is true
“parallel-left” alignment, the perfect alignment for your body and swing to
swing along.
Pick up your hitting club and address your ball with your feet, knees, hips
and shoulders parallel to your aim club (Fig. 4.4.3). The toes of both shoes
should be the same distance from the aim club, when your feet are perpendicular
to the shaft. If you are aimed properly parallel left and use a dead-hands motion,
your dub will naturally swing parallel to your shoulders, traveling down your
target line through impact.
Without moving your body, and keeping your left heel in place, lift and
swing your left toe 30 to 45 degrees toward the target (Fig. 4.4.4). This creates a
slightly open stance, which will encourage your hips to turn through impact
without resistance from your lower body.
 Figure 4.4.3: Feet, knees, hips and Figure 4.4.4: Perfect parallel-left
shoulders setup square to parallel-left alignment: lead toe flared 45 degrees
aim club toward target

Using an aim club on the course is a violation of the rules (the USGA
thinks it makes the game too easy, which should prove to you it’s a good idea).
However, practicing this way will help you groove better short-game swings and
teach you to recognize and feel when your setup is correct on the course.

Major Concepts for the Short Game

4.5 Every Swing Has a Bottom
Picture a 30-yard wedge shot that you hit fat. Got it? Now stick that sick, fat
feeling in the back of your mind. I’ll come back to it later.
Near the bottom of every swing, at the point where centrifugal force
extends the hands, wrists, and clubhead away from the shoulders, the clubhead
travels on an almost perfectly circular path. And because the swing is inclined to
travels on an almost perfectly circular path. And because the swing is inclined to
the ground, it has a low point. Every golfer has a unique, precise bottom to every
swing.
Theoretically, if the club consistently swings with a rhythmic, coordinated
turn of the golfer’s body, then the low point will consistently occur at the same
point in the swing, and therefore the same point in the stance, every time.
You don’t have to be a genius to find the low point: Take a swing and see
where the divot begins and ends. Between those two points, at the bottom of the
divot, is the low point. If you make consistently good swings, like those of PGA
or LPGA Tour players, with no body slide and no significant collapsing of your
hands and wrists, the bottom of your swing will occur in the same place every
time, at a spot about two inches forward of the center of your stance (Fig. 4.5.1).

Figure 4.5.1: Low point (bottom of swing is where divot occur)

The fact that the perfect swing does not bottom out at the center of the
stance surprises many golfers. But if you think about it, the low point is forward
of center because the body transfers weight forward during the downswing,
moving your center of mass slightly forward through impact. So your divots
should not be dead center in your stance, but two to three inches ahead.
Why do I think the positions of your divots are important? Because I see
so many of my Scoring Game School students hit fat wedge shots. They position
the ball forward of where their natural swing divots start, and they hit that
dreaded fat shot I mentioned earlier.
While you may think you can control your divot location, you really
shouldn’t alter the physics of the rotation, centrifugal force, and weight transfer
in your swing. These are the forces that determine where the bottom of your
swing occurs, and they will—unless you use the small muscles in your hands
and wrists to alter their natural occurrence.
Of course, you can change the physics of your swing. Swing with only
your right arm and your divot will move back in your stance, almost back to
your right shoulder (Fig. 4.5.2). Swing with your left arm only, as shown in
Figure 4.5.3, and your divot will move forward in your stance. But use a
conventional two-hand, two-armed swing and normal body rotation back and
through, and your divots will be two to three inches forward of your stance
center (Fig. 4.5.4). Your divots will occur there every swing, more consistently
and more accurately than ever, as long as you don’t move them with your hand
and arm muscles (in which case you won’t play well under pressure).

RIGHT ARM ONLY LEFT ARM ONLY NORMAL SWING-2

HANDS
Figure 4.5.2: Right-arm-only swing Figure 4.5.3: Left-arm-only swing Figure 4.5.4: Perfect
creates divot inside back foot, behind creates divot inside front foot, well swing creates divot two to
stance center forward of stance center three inches forward of
stance center

Once you learn the dead-hands swing and where your divots occur relative
 Once you learn the dead-hands swing and where your divots occur relative
to the center of your stance, you can learn the exact ball position that will let you
swing your wedges without fear of hitting behind the ball, even on tight or
hardpan lies. This will allow the complete elimination of the fat shot from your
short-game repertoire.

Finding the Center of Your Stance

It’s important to understand where the center of your stance

really is. It’s not halfway between your toes, because your
feet are almost always angled in or out to some extent, and
golfers tend to balance their weight on the ground through
their ankles. I define the mid-point of your stance as the
centerline between your ankles. You can see and measure that
spot, which is important when you’re trying to place the ball
correctly, as explained below. Here’s how to find your stance
center.
Stand as shown on the left in Figure 4.5.5, with both
feet pointing exactly perpendicular to your target line and
your aim club, and your pants raised to reveal your ankles.
(Wearing shorts makes this easy.) Imagine two lines extended
out from the middle of your ankles, perpendicular to the target
line. Position your wedge shaft exactly between these lines,
where the ball is in the photo. That’s the middle of your
stance. Now turn your left toe toward your target by 30-45
degrees without moving your left heel (on the right in Figure
4.5.5). The ball is still in the center of your stance.
Why is this important? Look at the left sequence of
Figure 4.5.6, which shows a typical golf stance. My left foot
is turned out about 40 degrees toward the target, which is
good, while my right foot is essentially square to the target
line. Judging by my toes, the ball looks centered in my stance.
However, when accurate ankle lines are added in the right
sequence, you can see that the ball actually is well forward of
my stance center.
If you establish a procedure of first placing your ball
at your stance center when both feet are square to the line,
then rotating your lead-foot toe toward the target, you can
attain a perfectly centered ball position every time.
Figure 4.5.5: Ball positioned at stance center (between ankles) in both photos
 Figure 4.5.6: Golfer attempts to place ball at stance center (left), leaves ball
forward of center (right)

4.6 Ball Position Is Fundamental

How important is ball position? Try this experiment in your backyard or at the
practice range. Address a ball as you normally would for a 20-yard pitch shot, in
the middle of your stance. Without moving, have a friend pick up the ball and
move it 12 inches toward your target so it’s out in front of you. Still without
moving your feet, try to hit the ball to your target. Now set up normally again
(ball centered in the stance) and have your friend move the ball a foot back in
your stance. Again, try to hit it to your target. Can you make contact with both
balls? Can you feel how you have to use your hands and wrists? Can you feel
how different this is compared to your normal, dead-hands swing?
Of course, 12 inches is an exaggeration. But golfers often move the ball
forward and back a few inches in their stance, up and down along the target line,
without thinking. Nothing much looks different (Fig. 4.6.1) and they assume
they can hit the ball solidly and cleanly-controlling the bottom of the swing arc
—no matter where the ball is in their stance. In fact, this is virtually impossible
to do without using the muscles of the hands and wrists. My point is that if the
to do without using the muscles of the hands and wrists. My point is that if the
ball is anywhere in your stance except in the exact position to be hit with your
dead-hands swing, you’ll have to use your hand muscles, exposing yourself to
the effects of adrenaline.

Figure 4.6.1: Ball position variations can easily go undetected

Yet many golfers have been taught to hit higher, softer shots by moving
the ball forward in their stance. For lower shots, they’re taught to move it back.
You can get away with moving it back a hit, because by making a good dead-
hands swing, you still hit the shot solidly-just a little lower than normal. But I
can’t tell you how wrong it is to move a ball forward in your stance for short
shots. You’re asking for fat shots. If you want to hit the ball higher, use a more
lofted wedge and make solid contact from the center of your stance.
In my schools, I’ve measured thousands of mishits. I’ve learned that most
fat shots—when the club hits the ground behind the ball before hitting the ball
itself—are caused not by swing problems but by ball-position problems, often as
little as an eighth of an inch too far forward. Yes, ball position is that important.
And there is no margin for error in the forward direction.
Although I know you know that the little (golf) ball should be hit before
the big (earth) ball, I want you to look at Payne Stewart making perfect contact
on a wedge shot. Figure 4.6.2 shows this sequence, courtesy of a high-speed
camera.
 Figure 4.6.2: Perfect swings produce perfect shots when club-ball contact is perfect

4.7 Don’t Go to Fat City

After hitting a fat shot, most golfers say they got too anxious and “looked up” to
see where the ball was going. Not only do they say that, they believe it. But
when I measure their swings and ball positions, I usually find that the ball is too
far forward and that they are making swing compensations with their hands in an
attempt to hit the ball cleanly from that incorrect spot.
Quite honestly, these same golfers perform okay after a few shots on the
practice tee, after they have a chance to get their compensations and timing
correct and produce good shots. However, look at the post-impact positions of a
few of these bad-ball-position swings (Fig. 4.7.1). Can you see the knee dips and
wrist flips required to hit the ball before hitting the ground? Can you see the bad
swing habits developing in the subconscious? Every one of these golfers placed
the ball two to three inches forward of where it should have been; they also all
had the same problem—poor wedge-shot results under pressure.
 Figure 4.7.1: Bad ball position forces golfers to make
compensating swings

Be sure you understand the physics of ball position:

 1. A good finesse swing will produce good shots only if the ball is
positioned correctly in your stance.
2. Play the ball too far forward and you’ll either hit it fat or be forced to
learn “hand-powered” swing compensations that will make you generally
less consistent and specifically worse under pressure.
3. Play the ball too far back and you have about a two-inch margin of
error, from which you can still hit playable shots with dead-hands swings,
although they will fly a little lower than you desire.

You can never learn a dead-hands finesse swing without first learning the
proper ball position, because only the correct position allows a dead-hands swing
to produce solid contact and good shots.
I’ll come back to ball position in later chapters when discussing specific
shots. Until then, these are my rules for where the ball should be (Fig. 4.7.2):

1. For chip shots, position the ball back in your stance, off the back
ankle. You want to hit the ball with a descending blow, trapping a minimal
amount of grass between the clubhead and the ball, and creating a low, running
trajectory.
2. For all distance wedge and pitch shot swings from normal lies, when
you expect a normal trajectory, position the ball in the exact center of your
stance (between your ankles, not your toes). Your front foot should be turned
toward the target by about 30 to 45 degrees.
3. In a bunker, you want to contact the sand behind the ball, scoot the
club under and past the ball, and use the sand to blow the ball out. To hit behind
a ball from a good bunker lie, first aim to the left, then position the ball inside
the heel line of your left foot (details in Chapter 9). Placing the ball in the center
or behind the center of your stance forces you to move your natural swing
bottom (divot) backward, which can be accomplished only by collapsing your
wrists or leaning backward and creating a reverse weight shift (neither of which
will work consistently).
 Figure 4.7.2: Perfect ball position moves from back ankle (chip), to stance
center (pitch), to inside left heel (sand)

Most golfers start with the ball too far forward on their finesse shots,
particularly chips and pitches, and too far back in the sand. Nearly 80% of our
students, even some Tour pros, begin our schools with the ball ahead of the
swing’s natural low point on 30-yard pitches and chip shots. That’s why so many
of these shots are hit fat. The results worsen when the shot is important: Under
pressure, hand and wrist muscles get stronger and tighter, inhibiting the player’s
ability to control where his divot occurs.
Remember, ball position is crucial. Physics proves it.

How to “See” Ball Position Accurately

When ball position is incorrect, the body subconsciously tries

to make compensating corrections to achieve solid contact with
the little ball (the golf ball) before contacting the big ball (the
earth). This leads to a variety of inconsistencies and mistakes in
the short game.
When the ball is too far forward in the stance (Fig.
4.7.3), the golfer will slide his hips forward, toward the target,
at the start of the downswing, in an effort to reach the ball and
not hit behind it. The more the hips slide, the harder it is for
them to rotate. This can be especially problematic for tall
 golfers, who tend to bend their knees and then find it virtually
impossible to make a proper hip turn through the shot.
Balls positioned too far back create a different problem
(Fig. 4.7.4). The golfer instinctively feels the need to reverse
weight shift to get the ball higher into the air, because “good-
contact” shots come out too low. This type of swing leans back,
frequently producing sculled low-liners.
The best way to get your ball positioned correctly,
centered between your ankles, is to address the ball with your
feet together and perpendicular to the target line as shown in
Figure 4.7.5, then carefully spread them an equal distance from
your stance center (Fig. 4.7.6). Then, without moving your
heel, turn your lead toe out to achieve the perfect stance with
perfect ball position (Fig. 4.7.7).

Figure 4.7.3: Only a forward slide (note golfer’s left knee line) can prevent this shot
from being hit fat
 Figure 4.7.4: For ball too far back in stance, golfer moves weight back on through
swing to compensate

Figures 4.7.5–7: Perfect ball position step #1: feet together, ball in exact center of stance. Perfect ball
position step #2: spread feet equally on both sides of ball, keep feet square to swing-line. Perfect ball
position step #3: turn left toe 45 degrees toward target

4.8 A Concept of Stability

Why is stability being discussed in a book on how to score in golf? Three
reasons: Because good short-game players swing their short-game clubs in a
reasons: Because good short-game players swing their short-game clubs in a
stable motion; most golfers don’t understand what that means or why it’s good
to do it; and it’s a key reason most golfers don’t get away with mistakes while
good players do.
You need to understand stability, so read on.
Look at a swing sequence of a new student in one of my Scoring Game
Schools hitting a 30-yard wedge shot (Fig. 4.8.1); we videotape all our students
making this swing so we can learn about them and learn from them. Look at this
phenomenon, which we call “long-to-short” swinging (long backswing, short
follow-through); it is very common in the short game and very wrong. Use this
image only to learn what not to do. Unfortunately, not everything bad about
long-to-short swinging can be seen in still photographs, so I’ll explain how it
causes deceleration and unstable club positions through the impact zone. Even if
you couldn’t keep awake during your high-school physics class, I’m sure you
can follow this.

Figure 4.8.1: Long backswings and short follow-throughs create unstable wedges
through impact

When many golfers start their swings for a 30-yard shot, they take the club
back the same way they do on full-swing shots. But as they swing down from the
top of the backswing, the clubhead (because the backswing was too long) begins
moving too quickly for the required length of shot. About two feet before
impact, each golfer subconsciously senses he is generating too much speed, so
his brain fires the message “Ohmygod” to slow the hands, slow the clubhead,
and keep his 30-yard shot from traveling 50, 60, or even more yards.
Once the Ohmygod has struck, the hands stop pulling the club and,
instead, the club begins pushing the hands and shaft. What was once an
instead, the club begins pushing the hands and shaft. What was once an
accelerating swing becomes an unstable, decelerating motion.
The Ohmygod itself isn’t so bad, for without it the ball would sail past the
target. The problem is the physical reaction of the club to the slowing of the
hands and shaft. Once the clubhead begins pushing, the motion becomes
unstable, and unstable clubheads produce bad shots.
We see Ohmygods in many of our students’ wedge shots. So we remove
the clubs from their hands, take them inside, and give them a little lesson in
physics.

4.9 Pull Carts and Clubs Are Stable

I have a simple example to demonstrate stability. Think about the pull cart
(called a “trolley” in Britain), which used to be very popular on public courses
but has lost favor to the electric cart. Figure 4.9.1 shows a pull cart loaded with
clubs, ready to be pulled around a course. Figure 4.9.2 illustrates an overhead
view of the same pull cart, but it’s being pushed. The direction that the golfer is
pushing is shown by the arrow; the cart’s anticipated reaction to that push is
indicated by the dashed arrow.

Figure 4.9.1: The pull cart (trolley) can be stable if pulled,

unstable if pushed
 Figure 4.9.2: Top View —
Pushing from behind usually
causes a ”pull cart” to rotate

If the pushing force were directed exactly through the cart’s center of mass
(where the weight of the clubs is centered), the cart would roll exactly in the
direction of the force. However, when the pushing force is directed to one side of
the center of mass, the cart will rotate around its center of mass, as shown.
The explanation is physics: If a force pushes from behind a mass and is not
directed exactly through the center of mass, then the mass must rotate. Figure
4.9.3 illustrates this at an extreme, with the force trying to push the cart straight
down the fairway, making one pushing correction after another, first left, back to
the right, to the left, and so on.
Now look at Figure 4.9.4, which shows the same cart and same force but
different physics. Now the force is pulling the cart: The force is being applied
from in front of the mass, pulling it, and the laws of physics are simple but
completely opposite. When a mass is pulled from in front, the mass must align
with and follow the force. The mass cannot rotate, but must follow the direction
of the force. When pulled, the cart is stable, will follow you wherever you go,
and needs no directional guidance.
 Figure 4.9.3: Pushing the cart causes Figure 4.9.4: Pulling the cart creates a
unstable motion down the fairway stable motion

How is a pull cart like a wedge swing? The mass of the clubhead is very
heavy like the mass of a pull cart, the shaft is like the cart’s handle, and a force
can be applied from either ahead or behind (pulling or pushing).
From the top of the backswing, the golfer pulls the mass down toward the
ball, creating an initially stable swing. The heavy clubhead follows the
lightweight shaft in the direction of the golfer’s hands, as the laws of physics
dictate. If the golfer continues to accelerate and consistently pulls the clubhead
through impact, the club will continue to travel on a stable, repeatable path. Of
course, at some point every clubhead and every swing must slow to a stop, so at
some point every swing becomes unstable. But you must not let your clubhead
become unstable until after it has hit the ball. An Ohmygod will immediately
make your motion unstable by slowing your hands and changing the physics so
the clubhead begins to push the shaft.
A very important part of your job in the short game is to swing your
wedges with motions that are stable through impact. A stable swing provides
better, more consistent results than an unstable one.
Let’s talk about results. If the ball is hit squarely on the sweet spot, both
stable and unstable clubheads traveling at the same speed react essentially the
stable and unstable clubheads traveling at the same speed react essentially the
same way: the clubhead slows down, the ball speeds up, and the clubhead does
not twist at impact. However, golfers don’t always make perfect contact on the
sweet spot of a wedge, as shown by our sweet-spot detector tape (Fig. 4.9.5).
Most short-game shots (like most drives, 5-irons, even putts) are mishit to some
degree, missing the sweet spot sometimes by as much as a half or three-fourths
of an inch. Even on the new oversized clubs, that’s a significant miss.

Figure 4.9.5: Sweet-spot tape measures impact location on wedge face

The swing’s stability through impact has a dramatic effect on the result of
a mishit. If it’s unstable, the clubhead is free to rotate as the force dictates,
turning with a severity directly related to contact distance from the sweet spot.
For example, say contact is toward the toe: The heel will kick forward—more
the farther contact is from the sweet spot—robbing energy that should be
transferred to impact.
But with a stable swing, when the clubhead is being pulled through impact,
its motion will be better. The accelerating clubhead won’t rotate as much from a
mishit, because it’s trying to follow the pulling shaft, and less energy is lost. The
resulting shot will be better, sometimes dramatically so.
I have measured mishits off both stable and unstable swings and found
significant differences. For example, on two 30-yard wedge swings, when both
clubheads missed the sweet spot by three-fourths of an inch, the unstable swing
clubheads missed the sweet spot by three-fourths of an inch, the unstable swing
flew the ball 22 yards while the stable swing shot carried 28 yards. Even though
it was mechanically the same mistake—missing the sweet spot by the same
amount—the shot hit with a stable swing would leave a reasonable putt to save
par, while the unstable swing would drop the ball into a bunker, water, or other
trouble well short of the desired landing spot.

Finesse Swing Strategy

4.10 “Short-to-Long” Has It

By now I hope you understand why it’s better to make a stable (pulling) wedge
swing than an unstable (pushing) swing through impact. In short, you want the
clubhead to be accelerating when it meets the ball. But even with physics
squarely on my side, I don’t teach acceleration through impact. I’ve tried that
and it doesn’t work. Rather than making a good pulling swing, men equate
acceleration with hand and muscle power, so when consciously trying to
accelerate, they use their hand muscles, which puts us back where this chapter
began, suffering from the effects of adrenaline and likely to fail under pressure.
There’s a better way to be sure to make an accelerating swing: Make a
short backswing and a longer follow-through. This assures acceleration without
muscles, and stability in the dead-hands finesse swing.
Look carefully at the two swing sequences (Figs. 4.10.1 and 4.10.2) and
try to imagine them in action. Imagine them smooth, rhythmic, and effortless,
because that is the way both Payne Stewart and Lee Janzen swing. With
absolutely no effort from their hand and wrist muscles, they make stable wedge
swings every time. Their hands don’t begin to slow (causing instability) until
their shots are in the air. Their swings minimize whatever impact errors they
make, so they rarely hit bad finesse shots.
 Figure 4.10.1: Payne Stewart demonstrates a stable 15-yard wedge shot

Figure 4.10.2: Lee Janzen makes a 30-yard swing (looking downline)

4.11 Intellectualizing Comes Up Short

Every golfer understands that if you make a long backswing, you cannot
accelerate the club faster and faster as you approach impact and still hit a short
shot. Rapidly moving clubheads tend to hit long shots, not short ones. It is also
easy to grasp that if you take a short backswing and accelerate to a point
approximately two to three feet past impact (as shown in Fig. 4.11.1), you will
be rewarded with minimal adverse effects from swing errors and mishits because
the swing is stable when it meets the ball. But golf balls don’t care how smart
the swing is stable when it meets the ball. But golf balls don’t care how smart
you are or how much you understand. My research has shown that golfers get
the idea of “short backswing, long follow-through,” yet they still find it
incredibly difficult to do on the course.

Figure 4.11.1: Maximum velocity two feet past impact assures a stable clubhead
through impact

There is something about most golfers’ mental outlooks that causes them
to be insecure at the top of a short backswing. My experience leads me to think
that the golfer gets to the end of a short backswing and thinks,” I can’t get it
there from this position; I’m going to leave it short.” This thought pattern occurs
even when I have measured and pointed out to this golfer that he has hit his last
20 shots too far past the target. He still wants to hit those shots with his muscles;
it’s instinct, and it is very difficult to overcome.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t attain stability right away. It’s perfectly
normal to have an insecurity about the short backswing. It takes time to convince
yourself that short backswings and long follow-throughs are the components of a
superior wedge swing. (We teach this concept at my Scoring Game Schools, and
it often takes many swings to create this new habit.)
But if you learn nothing else, learn this: A sure killer of a good finesse
game is the overlong backswing. The moment you take the club back too far,
your chances of making contact with an accelerating, stable motion are ruined.

Finesse-Swing Mechanics
4.12 The Synchronized Turn

As I mentioned in Chapter 2, the short game has its own swing, which is
distinctly different from the power game’s hit (in which the hand muscles are
distinctly different from the power game’s hit (in which the hand muscles are
active) and the putting game’s stroke (where there is no body rotation and no
wrist cock). I call it the finesse swing.
But I don’t want you to begin learning the swing until you are comfortable
with everything I’ve said up to this point. Do you understand how dead hands
eliminate adrenaline problems? How setting up parallel left prevents hand-
compensation? Where ball position should be relative to the bottom of your
swing arc and divot? And how to make a short-to-long stable swing? If so, you
are ready to learn the synchronized turn and true finesse swing.
Simply turn your upper body at the same speed that you turn your lower
body from start to finish. Synchronize your upper and lower bodies to turn and
rotate together on the swing back and forward. This doesn’t mean they are
connected. Rather, they are turning together in a synchronized motion.
The easiest way to feel this synchronization is to assume your address
position for a 30-yard wedge shot, drop your club, and put both hands on your
hips, thumbs toward the front. Squeeze your elbows together behind your back.
This will lock your upper and lower body together. Now turn back, as in your
backswing, and through to a full finish, as if you were hitting that 30-yard shot
(Fig. 4.12.1). Do this as many times as it takes you to “feel” the synchronized
motion.

Figure 4.12.1: Perfectly synchronized, the upper body (shoulders and chest) and
lower body (hips) turn together in the finesse swing

Do not allow one part of your body to coil against another part, as you do
in a power swing. Your shoulders never coil against your hips (Fig. 4.12.2), your
arms don’t coil against your chest. By eliminating all coiling, you stop power
from being produced by your lower body. You don’t want the legs driving,
leading, or accelerating the rest of your body into impact.
leading, or accelerating the rest of your body into impact.

Figure 4.12.2: To avoid a coil, the

shoulders and hips must turn together
(never separately)

If there’s no coil, no lower-body drive, and you don’t add any hand, wrist,
or arm muscles (keep dead hands), you should be able to produce a low-power
swing. And low power is what the finesse swing and the short game are all
about.

4.13 Rhythm and Timing: The Power Source

I worked for NASA for 15 years before I turned my mind totally to golf. While
there, I learned something that has helped many Tour professionals improve
their short games. The lesson I learned and passed on is: “Big Muscles for
Power, Small Muscles for Touch and Refinement.”
At NASA, when we were beginning to launch payloads to the moon, we
found we couldn’t simply aim, fire the main rocket engines, and expect a bull’s-
eye. We learned we could never harness or control the incredible power of those
monstrous rockets accurately enough to be successful. What we did find those
big engines could do, however, was lift the spacecraft up from earth and throw it
into some reasonable earth orbit. Then, after we measured what orbit it was in,
into some reasonable earth orbit. Then, after we measured what orbit it was in,
with very small engines controlled and timed very precisely, we could kick the
capsule out of earth orbit toward the moon. After it left earth orbit, we’d
determine exactly how long and in what direction we would have to fire the even
smaller “fine-tune” thrusters to adjust the final trajectory into a perfect lunar
orbit to allow the lunar lander to descend to the surface.
The thrusters that refined the motion to perfection were approximately the
size of a human hand. They were small and had very little power, but they were
sufficient to finesse the final orbit so the astronauts could set up a perfect
landing.
This space-age example translates directly to your short game. Imagine
your synchronized body turn as the main rocket engines, supplying the main
power to get the ball in the general vicinity of your target, while your dead hands
are the small thrusters that fine-tune your shots to the hole.
But haven’t I been saying don’t use your hands? Yes, and I meant it. You
cannot consciously use your hands to add power to finesse shots and have them
supply fine-tuning as well. If the muscles of your hands and wrists kick in to
help power a shot, they are no longer available for subconscious fine-tuning. To
get power from a muscle it has to be firm and strong, contracting and tight.
Muscles in that condition can’t supply small increments of touch refinement at
the same time.
For the power to hit 10-, 30-, and 50-yard finesse shots, use the rhythm of
a synchronized body turn. Let your subconscious deal with your dead hands,
using them to fine-tune and feel your touch.
One way to make all this work is to keep the hands relaxed, the arms
relaxed and extended. This way they can move naturally as a result of the forces
generated by the swing. Don’t make them work, but let the momentum of your
finesse swing get them moving.
Here’s the recipe: Combine a dead-hands swing with the synchronized
turn. You’ll cook up a minimum-power finesse swing that provides the
opportunity to develop maximum touch.

4.14 The World-Class Finish

I divide all finesse swings into two types, those for shots that carry over 30 yards
and those for shots that carry less than 30 yards. The distinction is based on how
each swing should finish.
For the longer finesse shots—those between 30 yards and just short of
your power-swing distance with the same club-make a full, complete finish,
your power-swing distance with the same club-make a full, complete finish,
transferring all your weight onto your forward foot (Fig. 4.14.1). Having kept
your hands from supplying power to the swing, there is no reason to bring them
back to stop the finish short. Stability demands that the clubhead is accelerating
at impact; by continuing to a full finish, you increase the likelihood that you’ll
be accelerating when club meets ball.

Figure 4.14.1: A world-class finish

for shots longer than 30 yards: weight
on left foot, right toe touching for
balance only

I’ve also found that asking a student to concentrate on making a full finish
removes his instinct to “hit” shots. I always show each student a video of what
he looks like making a perfect finesse swing, finishing in a perfectly balanced
position. We call this position the world-class finish, because it looks as good as
the best players in the world.
One final note about the world-class finish. Do not allow your body to
slide forward or your left knee to flex laterally toward the target during the
down-and through-swing (Fig. 4.14.2). As you make a synchronized turn
through impact your left knee should be almost straight-but not rigid. This
encourages turning completely onto your left foot in the follow-through and
finishing with most of your weight there. A straight left knee also allows your
finishing with most of your weight there. A straight left knee also allows your
back foot to be pulled around and forward so only the toe is touching the ground
(someone standing behind you should see every cleat on the bottom of your right
shoe).

Figure 4.14.2: Allowing the left knee to slide forward prevents a good
turn (or full weight transfer onto the left foot)

For shots under 30 yards, you can’t use a full finish because you’ll carry
the shot too far. So between 10 and 30 yards, shorten both your back-and
through-swing lengths, using shorter swings for shorter shots. For stability’s
sake, make sure your follow-through is always at least 50% longer than your
backswing. A good reference is the 15-yard pitch swing, which usually requires
a backswing length that takes the shaft to horizontal and a follow-through finish
with the shaft about vertical, as shown in Figure 4.14.3.
 Figure 4.14.3: A smooth swing from shaft horizontal to vertical produces a 15-yard
carry

On these shorter swings, make sure you keep your hands out of the action
of the shot. I see too many students whipping their hands and club behind them
in what I call a “styler finish” (Fig. 4.14.4). I’ll tell you again: If you use your
hands to “style,” or supply power, or determine where your divot occurs, or for
anything, you won’t be very good under pressure.

Figure 4.14.4: The “styler” finish

(hands low and behind body at finish)
demands hand and arm muscle
control
4.15 Cocking the Wrists

Probably the most misunderstood element of the golf swing is the wrist cock.
Hold your right hand straight out in front of you, your thumb pointing toward the
sky. In this position, the hand can move two ways: side to side (left to right), and
up and down. Many golfers think wrist cock is the side-to-side motion—
absolutely not. That is wrist hinge or collapse, a motion usually unwanted in a
golf swing and used only rarely in the short game, when extraordinary
circumstances demand it (more on this later).
To get a feel for the proper wrist cock, set up in your wedge address
position with a club gripped properly in your hands. Without moving anything
other than your wrists, lift the club straight up as if you want to hit yourself in
the nose with the clubhead (don’t cheat and lift your forearms). This up
movement is the cocking of the wrists; they are fully cocked when you can’t
move them any farther (Fig. 4.15.1). The cocking of the wrists should occur
gradually throughout the backswing, starting just after the initiation of the one-
piece takeaway (again, exceptions later). It should be completed just before
reaching the top of the backswing, no matter how short or long the backswing is
for the shot.

Figure 4.15.1: Wrists should cock up, not hinge back or through

Many golfers ask: Doesn’t cocking my wrists make my swing wristy? My

 Many golfers ask: Doesn’t cocking my wrists make my swing wristy? My
pro told me to simplify my swing by keeping my wrists stiff. Do you agree?
An absolute no to both questions.
Wristy swings are the result of hinging, or collapsing, wrists (no
difference; golfers use both these terms for the same thing), bad moves if you do
them in either direction. A proper wrist cock aids the finesse swing by providing
a reliable source of consistent power that doesn’t involve the muscles. The
centrifugal force generated by the body’s rotation will always uncock the wrists
for you through impact. And nothing could be more repeatable than that.
Although there are a few instances in the short game when you don’t want
a wrist cock, the “no wrist cock” swing is a special condition used in chipping
and to produce the ultimate soft shot with the slowest possible head speed. I’ll
cover these in Chapter 7.

4.16 The Finesse Grip

Most teaching professionals feel the grip is the most important fundamental in
golf. I disagree, at least in regard to the short game. There the grip falls
somewhere down the line behind alignment, ball position, and stability. My
evidence for this priority ranking includes a number of good short-game players
with strange grips (Paul Azinger comes to mind). Having said that, I think there
is a preferred short-game grip, and using it will make this game easier.
One way to take the hands and arms out of a power-producing mode is
with a new grip, different from what you use to swing your woods and irons, the
full-swing clubs. Setting up for a full swing, most golfers take a strong grip—the
hands turned slightly away from the target, and the Vs formed by each thumb
and forefinger pointing between the chin and right shoulder for right-handers
(Fig. 4.16.1).
 Figure 4.16.1: The power-swing grip

From this starting position, the hands and forearms should release through
impact, returning to the square position (defined as the back of the left hand
perpendicular to the target line) through the impact zone and turning the clubface
over to produce a draw, a little extra power, and extra yardage.
But that is exactly what we don’t want in a good finesse game. We don’t
want the power, we don’t want the draw spin, and we don’t want the small
muscles of the hands and forearms providing power. We want them just for
touch and accuracy.
The grip I recommend for all finesse shots-chips, pitches, distance wedges,
and sand starts with the hands in the square position (Fig. 4.16.2) and keeps
them there through impact. The quieter they are, the better, so the clubface
reaches impact in the same position every time. Most people call this a fairly
weak grip: The Vs formed by thumbs and forefingers should point to the center
or left (nearer the target) side of your chin (Fig. 4.16.3), with the palms parallel
to each other and perpendicular to the target line.
 Figure 4.16.2: The finesse-
swing grip

(A technical note: Many golfers and golf professionals talk about the Vs
formed between the thumb and forefinger. What they really are referring to is the
position of the hand, indicated by the forefinger line as shown in Figure 4.16.3.
Don’t be fooled by a player who has the same hand position as that shown in this
photo but places his thumb alongside the shaft rather than on top of the shaft,
producing what looks like a V point to his right shoulder [Fig. 4.16.4].
Remember, you care about the hand position in the grip and where the forefinger
line points, not where the thumb or V points.)
 Figure 4.16.3: Finesse grip, Figure 4.16.4: Finesse grip,
thumb on top of shaft thumb on side of shaft

To optimize your performance, I believe you actually could use three grips
—one each for the power game, finesse game, and putting game. As explained in
Chapter 2, each game is unique and could use its own grip. If
you’ve been playing for a long time, you might have trouble getting comfortable
with three distinct grips; if you don’t have a lot of time to practice and get
comfortable with a new finesse grip, don’t change. But if you do decide to make
a change, be prepared to put in many long hours of practice and play many shots
under pressure before you feel confident with it.

Strong Is Wrong

I think the too-strong grip is a major reason many great

full-swing ball-strikers have trouble with the finesse game.
They tend to have strong full-swing grips that provide
extra power in the long game but unwanted power in the
short game.
4.17 The Finesse Swing Plane

Another fundamental of the finesse swing is posture, the position of your body
before and during your swing motion. If you don’t think posture is important, lie
flat on your back and try to hit a golf ball. The angle between your upper body
and lower body has a strong influence on your body’s ability to rotate and swing
a club. The angle between your spine and the ground determines what level, or
swing-plane angle, you must swing on. Thus, your swing plane and body angles
can change with the length of each club and with the slope of the ground beneath
your feet on each successive shot.
But this is golf, and we love the challenge. The question is how can you
determine how much you should angle your spine (bend over at the waist) for
your best finesse-swing posture? Before you try to work out the answer, you
must understand the conflicting influences that make every golfer’s posture a
compromise. The conflicting factors are:

1. Standing more vertical makes it easier to turn your body around your
spine. Try it. Stand tall and you’ll have no problem turning everything together,
back and through (Fig. 4.17.1), perfectly synchronized. But you can’t hit a golf
ball from that position.

Figure 4.17.1: Standing vertically, baseball swings keep shoulders and hips
synchronized together instinctively
 2. The more you bend over, increasing the angle between your spine
and hips, the more difficult it is to rotate your hips. Try this: Bend completely
over, as in Figure 4.17.2, and try to rotate your hips. It’s almost impossible to
make a full lower-body turn in synchronization with your shoulders from this
position.

Figure 4.17.2: Bending over too far prevents hips from rotating, makes
synchronization almost impossible

3. The closer you get your spine angle to perpendicular to the line from
shoulders to ball, the easier it is to use centrifugal force to make a swing
repeatable.

So we compromise, trying to find the “just right” bent-over position that

also allows for a smooth, synchronized turn back and through your finesse shots.
Bend over too much (creating too flat a spine angle) and you can feel your body
rotation being inhibited. Stand too tall (making the spine angle too vertical) and
you’ll have trouble hitting solid shots, because your natural swing plane won’t
pass through the ball.
If you’ve never heard the term “finesse-swing plane; it’s the imaginary
surface-often represented by a thick pane of glass-that passes through your
shoulders and the ball when you are at address (Fig. 4.17.3). The clubhead
should stay in that plane throughout the swing (Fig. 4.17.4). While the concept
of swing plane is complex in the power game, in the short game it is very simple.
After you have determined your posture and committed to a dead-hands,
synchronized finesse swing, the finesse-swing plane is the very steep angle that
includes the ball and both of your shoulders. And you definitely want to keep
includes the ball and both of your shoulders. And you definitely want to keep
your clubhead in the plane throughout your finesse swing.

Figure 4.17.3: The finesse-swing plane Figure 4.17.4: The finesse-swing

as it appears if your eyes (camera lens) plane as it appears when you stand on
are “in” the plane (with your eyes above) the “ball-
target” line
 Only Certain Camera Positions Can Measure Swing Plane

If you’re thinking of using video or photographs to check your

clubhead and swing plane, be sure the video camcorder or still
camera lens is placed precisely somewhere in the plane. A
camera cannot “see” if a clubhead is in, or just above or below,
the plane unless its lens is itself in the plane. This means the
camera cannot be along the ball-target line unless its lens is on
the ground at ball level.
Viewed from an off-axis position behind (Fig. 4.17.5),
the swing plane passes from the ball through the center of the
player’s shoulder sockets.
My favorite camera position is about 24 inches inside the
target-ball line and about 36 inches above the ground. From this
position you can see the target and the ball flight on camera most
of the time, while still measuring the swing plane. The drawback
is having to bend over or squat down to see through the camera
during setup and action viewing.

Figure 4.17.5: To record with camcorder lens in swing plane (to see if club is in-
plane), tripod must be positioned inside ball-target line

A good finesse swing is similar to swinging a rock on the end of a string.

As you rotate your shoulders around your spine, the rock (clubhead) swings out
and straightens the string through impact. If you use a dead-hands swing, get
and straightens the string through impact. If you use a dead-hands swing, get
your clubhead in the correct position at the top of your backswing (no matter
how short the backswing may be), and begin with perfect posture, a
synchronized turn through impact will make perfect contact every time. Nothing,
and certainly no human muscles, will ever be more repeatable than centrifugal
force through impact. Good alignment and posture, an in-plane swing, and a
good turn through impact are all you need.

Fundamentals of Learning
4.18 Hold, Watch, and Feel: Learning from Feedback

Another benefit of a full finish to your finesse swings (when the shot is long
enough to allow it), is ending the swing with your head up, following the shot in
the air to its completion. It’s very important to hold your body finish position
until the ball lands and you can see the results. The correlation between how you
swung and how the ball flew will never be fresher in your mind. That is just the
feedback you need to prepare your subconscious to play your best in the future.
As you hold your finish, feel the swing you just made and watch how the
ball flies and where it stops. To become a great player, you’ve got to notice
flight trajectories, carry distances, and how your shots react on the greens, and
file those impressions away with your kinesthetic sensations of the swing-length,
rhythm, and so on-so your brain can correlate the information for future benefit.
You don’t have to think about all of this, but you do have to see these results:
Feel your swings, watch your shots, and let your subconscious do the rest.
That is what learning is all about: assembling and assimilating information
in your brain so it learns what your swing needs to look and feel like and how
the ball will react when you do it that way. And the best part is that you don’t
have to think about it: It happens automatically if you pay attention. As you see
more and more shots and store them with your kinesthetic awareness, your brain
refines and builds better memories to draw on in the future.
However, none of this happens if you don’t watch and receive the required
information in your brain. You must do it in real time, as it happens.
Biofeedback studies have shown that a human’s short-term-feel memory is very
short: Every eight seconds, you lose about 30% of the sensations or feelings you
have generated—if no new ones have come along. If you do add new sensations,
they immediately cover up the old.
If you can make a habit of holding your finish and retaining the feelings of
 If you can make a habit of holding your finish and retaining the feelings of
each shot while watching its flight, then what you see and feel within that first
eight seconds will be correlated in your mind and you will have optimized your
process of learning touch for distance.
Golfers who hit shots and turn away in disgust, or drop their shoulders,
hunch over, or move in any way, lose the feelings of their swings. Then they
can’t correlate what they did with the results. You can practice that way forever
and never improve. But if you get to the end of your follow-through, hold it, and
watch your shot land (usually four to six seconds after you strike it), you’ll
probably hold on to 80% of the feeling generated during the swing. It’s still in
your mind and body, and your brain will deal with it.
You can’t remember the feeling of a swing made a few minutes ago if
you’ve made several new ones since. But if within eight seconds you see the ball
land five yards past your target, which was at 43 yards, your mind will file away
an input of that vision correlated with a strong set of feelings and sensations in a
memory of what produced that 48-yard shot.
Watch the great players. Both when they practice and when they play they
hold their finish on shots until they see the results of their swing motion. In
putting you should hold and feel your arm swing at the finish. In the short game
it’s your finesse turn, your body’s motion, that determines where your shot is
going, and therefore that is what you must hold in your finish position. You can
lower your arms after wedge shots, because they didn’t control the shot, but you
must hold and feel your final body position, letting your brain correlate the
sensations with the result.

4.19 Good and Bad Finesse Swings

Before going on to Chapter 5 and the details of controlling distance, let’s review
the finesse swing as you should now perceive it.
Your perfect finesse swing begins from a perfectly postured setup, aligned
parallel left of your target, the ball centered between your ankles. Your weak
finesse grip has the back of your left hand facing the target, the forefinger lines
pointing at your nose. Beginning with a one-piece takeaway, everything moves
away together and stops together at a short backswing position. There is no
upper-body coil, no excess storing of energy, and your fully cocked wrists have
the clubhead in the perfect swing plane, which extends high above and slightly
behind your shoulders.
On the downswing, everything moves together, perfectly “synchronized”
and accelerating with dead hands through and past impact. The clubhead is
and accelerating with dead hands through and past impact. The clubhead is
stable, achieving its maximum velocity two to three feet after contact with the
ball. The through-swing continues to a full, high finish, your right hand almost
touching your left ear. At the finish, nearly all your weight is on your left (front)
foot, with the right toe touching the ground for balance. You made a smooth
body turn, with no hint of a forward slide and no lateral motion of your left knee
toward the target. Your left leg was almost straight as you held your finish,
standing on your left side, feeling the swing and watching the shot’s result.
You became an ever-so-slightly-better player as a result of that swing. You
are ready to move on-slowly, incrementally, inexorably continuing to improve
your short game.
Chapter 5
How to Score
Distance Control Is the Problem
5.1 Research on What Works

One of the things I am most proud of is that since the beginning, I have kept all
of my teaching techniques, my Scoring Game School programs, and the training
of my staff based in fact, research, and experimental data, all of which relate to
the realities of the game. We don’t teach old wives’ tales, or pass along good-
sounding homilies expressed by great players. We teach what our research
shows us works for real golfers who practice and improve. The same is true for
my Short Game Bible.
I mention this so you know how my “3 × 4 System” for controlling wedge
distances was discovered, and how it will help you learn to score better. I also
want you to realize that this is not something I created by myself, sitting in a
darkened room theorizing how golf might be played better. I discovered this
system while working with PGA and LPGA Tour players who helped me to see
as much as I helped them improve. I didn’t create it, I just recognized it and
named it, and have been teaching it to golfers ever since, helping them learn to
score better. When you understand how 3 × 4 works, you will have more fun
mastering the system—and watching your scores start to fall. You don’t have to
worry “Will it work?”‘ or “Should I try another system?” This system works,
every time, for those who learn it. But first you need to understand it.

5.2 Do You Think Distance?

At the end of the last chapter, where I listed the ingredients of the perfect finesse
swing, I gave an example that included wanting to hit a wedge shot 43 yards.
Have you ever thought that precisely, or, rather than think yardage at all, do you
simply say to yourself, “It’s a sand wedge,” and fire away? It makes a big
difference. The ability to hit your short-game shots specific distances—say, 21
difference. The ability to hit your short-game shots specific distances—say, 21
yards when the pin is 24 yards away, or 12 yards when you need to land the ball
at that spot so it can roll to the pin—is what my scoring-game system is all
about. Scoring is not about hitting every shot perfectly. Scoring is about getting
away with your misses, avoiding penalties, taking advantage (by saving a stroke)
of the good shots you hit, and getting up and down when you miss the green.
Scoring is about optimizing your talents by playing to your strengths and away
from your weaknesses, and lowering the numbers you write on the scorecard.
Once you begin mastering the finesse grip, perfect ball position, clubhead
stability through impact, short-to-long swings, and the synchronization of your
finesse swings, this development and honing of your skills allows you to bring
more precision into your short-game shot distances. How exact do you need to
be? You need to stick the ball in the “Golden Eight” range, consistently leaving
yourself putts inside 10 feet. As the putt conversion curve shows, once outside of
10 feet, it doesn’t much matter where you are: The odds of making putts
decrease so rapidly, your score doesn’t change much whether you’re putting
from 20, 30, or 40 feet. You’ll probably two-putt all of them.
I find it ironic that many modern courses indicate yardages to the center of
greens from about 300 to 100 yards. But they don’t mark any sprinklers inside
100 yards, where knowing yardage is most important. I don’t mind knowing that
the yardage is 165 yards, but whether it’s accurate to a yard or two one way or
the other doesn’t matter. None of us can hit the ball straight enough from that far
away to make the next putt anyway. It’s from 30 yards—or 60, or 47—where we
can control the shot’s accuracy to within one or two yards, that we need to know
the exact distance, because we can almost always leave our shots in the “Golden
Eight” from there.

5.3 In the Early Years

My method of learning the feel for hitting short-game shots definitive distances
began to evolve from my work with the Tour pros, whose shots I had measured
and charted. After several years of racing around to record their shots, I was able
to call back Jim Simons, Tom Kite, Tom Jenkins, Jan Stephenson, and several
other interested players, and tell them what I’d learned about where their games
were strong and where they were weak. I sat down with them and my mountain
of data, and talked about the thousands of their shots I’d recorded, and how I had
assigned each of their clubs a Performance Error Index. I also explained how the
strongest correlation to scoring averages and money winning was found with the
short-game PEI, and how I thought they could score better and win more by
short-game PEI, and how I thought they could score better and win more by
improving in this area. So that was where we concentrated our efforts.
About the same time, as I was trying to convince some of the world’s best
golfers that they should listen to me, I read a book on learning theory. It said that
the secret of efficient learning is feedback—immediate, accurate, reliable
feedback that correlates the feelings of actions with the subsequent results:
accurate and reliable to provide consistent learning patterns without confusion;
immediate to allow the actions to be associated with feelings, which fade from
memory by 30% every eight seconds.
Humans can’t learn much about their actions without receiving feedback
on the results of those actions. For example, it takes only one experience to learn
not to place your hand on a hot stove: We feel the heat, the burn, the pain. The
pain is feedback, immediate, reliable, and very accurate. We know that if we put
our hand on a hot burner again, we will get burned again.
That’s not what happens at the driving range. If we go to a range and hit
wedges, often we’re hitting at a distant target or the nearest flag, usually 100 or
150 yards away. Hit the wedge straight and we assume it’s a good shot, but
we’ve learned nothing about how far it flew or how quickly it would have
stopped on a green. That is what most golfers think of as practicing their wedges.
I told these pros that we had to improve their short games, but not simply
by spending more time on the range. The PEI data had proven how important it
was for players to improve the precision of their wedge play if they wanted to
win more money; more specifically, my plotting of their shots proved that they
had to work on distance, not direction. I explained that they had to learn to feel
the swings for exact distances, so they would be able to produce these distances
when needed. They had to practice their wedge games by receiving feedback on
how far they hit every practice shot. So when they had time off the Tour, they
came to work with me and we would practice their pitching-and sand-wedge
games for distance control inside 100 yards.

Learning from Feedback

5.4 Fast Eddie
The only way I could think to teach Tour pros precision distance control was to
take them out to a practice area, give them visible targets at known distances,
and reward them with immediate, accurate, reliable feedback on each swing until
they learned to do it right.
they learned to do it right.
In those days we alternated among three ranges: Columbia Country Club
in Chevy Chase, Maryland; the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland; and the
Old Gunpowder Golf Club in Laurel, Maryland. We would place eight plastic
laundry baskets 10 yards apart from 20 to 90 yards; between every pair of
baskets we placed nine golf balls, one at every yard. I drafted my son Eddie, at
the time an avid 10-year-old baseball player, and had him be the precise target,
standing at the desired target distance somewhere along the line of baskets.
During each practice session, the Tour pros would hit their shots from a
designated starting line so measurements were accurate to within one yard. I
would sit close to them, face on, holding a walkie-talkie so they could hear
distance results coming back from Eddie, who would be standing downrange at a
specified distance, with his baseball glove on one hand and the other walkie-
talkie in the other. I had trained Eddie to catch each shot not straight overhead,
but by turning sideways and grabbing it close to the ground, so that if he didn’t
move, the glove would point almost to the exact spot that the ball would have
landed. Eddie became extremely proficient at catching the ball, pointing to the
spot where it would have landed, looking to determine the exact yardage of that
spot, then calling it in on the walkie-talkie. A crude but immediate, accurate, and
reliable feedback system.
Using this system, the player could hit a shot, watch it fly, and almost
immediately upon its landing hear Eddie call in the yardage. This is how we
began. This is how they learned, standing with bodies motionless to retain
maximum feel until the yardage feedback for each swing was received.

5.5 Learning Through Repetition

Aiming at the 50-yard basket, Jim Simons would swing his wedge; a few
seconds later, he would hear the yardage—”58.” He’d hit another one—”57.”
And another—”60.” Another—”59.” After a few of these, Jim would get
disgusted, give himself a pep talk on doing better, make an adjustment in his
swing, and hit again. The yardages would then come back—”42,” “41,” “56,”
“44,” “55,” “45,” “53,” “48.” After a while, usually 10 to 20 balls later, we’d
hear the magic number—”50.”
After staying at that yardage for a few shots—giving Simons a chance to
become accustomed to carrying it exactly 50 yards (which he would do
surprisingly well once he had the feel for the proper swing)—I’d ask Eddie to go
to a new yardage—say, 70—and we’d repeat the process. After another 20 to 30
shots, we’d move Eddie again—say, to 30 yards, then 90, then 60, 25, 40, and all
shots, we’d move Eddie again—say, to 30 yards, then 90, then 60, 25, 40, and all
around. Simons, Kite, Stephenson, and Jenkins each hit thousands of wedge
shots and received immediate, accurate feedback at the conclusion of each shot
and, very important, while still holding their follow-throughs.
We believed at the time that if the player did this long enough, sooner or
later or she would learn how to produce a shot of approximately the right
yardage on first try. It worked, although not immediately. We found that no
matter how a player became during a practice session, he (or she) would have
regressed the time we started a new session the next day. However, with almost
every session, he would get better more quickly than in previous sessions. So we
kept on practicing with feedback, and the improvement began to be measurable
on the course and in tournament play. More finesse shots began to finish close to
the boles, more up-and-downs were being converted, and their bank-account
balances began to grow.

5.6 Here Comes Rhythm

The players and I continued these distance-wedge practice sessions whenever

they could take a few days off from the Tour. As time passed, I noticed that
several characteristics of their wedge swings were changing.
The first thing I noticed was that after a few wedge sessions, the swings of
the players began to look different: They had become more rhythmic. Each
player seemed to be swinging with less effort, and somehow the wedge swings
were smoother than they had been in the beginning. What I later realized was
happening was that their subconscious minds were learning to correlate the
“feel” of their swings with the distance their shots would fly. The smoother the
swing, the easier it can be felt, recognized, and repeated. Herky-jerky swings are
hard to “feel” and remember; smooth swings are easy. They were
subconsciously developing synchronized finesse swings long before I knew what
a synchronized finesse swing was.
As I studied these swing changes, I realized (1) they were no longer
coiling in their backswings, and (2) the rhythm of their moves was becoming
consistent with their personalities. Tom Jenkins was swinging with a
consistently faster rhythm than was Kite, and Kite was swinging faster than
Simons. I realized that the sequence of speed was similar to the way they walked
and their personalities. Jenkins is a quick-moving, fast-talking, fast-walking
person; Kite is more average speed in every way; and Simons is slower than both
in all the above ways. Their wedge rhythms were becoming reflections of their
beings. It sounded reasonable, so I didn’t think much more about those
beings. It sounded reasonable, so I didn’t think much more about those
observations until I saw the next change.
After watching thousands of shots, I saw that the “hit” was being removed
from their swings. As I watched their upper and lower bodies moving together
back and through, creating a smooth, rhythmic, effortless motion, I could see
they were removing their hand and forearm muscles from supplying the power
for the shots. After grinding, sweating, concentrating, and competing against one
another, always with almost instantaneous feedback, the players stopped hitting
shots with their muscles and converted to using purely rhythmic swings. I should
point out that this happened instinctively, through their subconscious control
systems, not as a result of following my theories. They found that their shots
were more accurate, more reliable, and more easily reproduced when they took
their hands and the “hit” out of their swings.

5.7 The Players Knew at impact

Then something else happened. About six months after starting these distance-
wedge feedback sessions, I got a late-night phone call from Simons, who was
out on Tour. He said, “Pelzy, guess what I did today? I had my caddie on the
range, I was hitting shots to him, he was calling back my distances, and I found
that I knew what my shot distance was going to be before he called it back. I
could make my swing, hold my finish, say the yardage, and it would be within
one yard of being right. Every time.
“I’ve learned the right and wrong feels of the distances I want to hit,” Jim
said. “Even if I’m trying to hit it 60 yards and I hit it 64, I know as soon as I’ve
done it.”
I was tremendously excited. So I called Jenkins and told him what Simons
had done.
T.J. said, “Big deal. I’ve been doing that for weeks. Whenever I make my
swing, as soon as I’ve reached my finish I know exactly how far it’s going to
go.”
Time passed, our distance-wedge sessions continued, the players were
feeling good about our work, and their scores were continuing to improve. Then
another phenomenon. One day I was sitting in my chair, watching Jenkins
swing, listening to Eddie call in the yardages. By this time, T.J. seemed to enjoy
quietly calling out his estimate of the distance numbers before Eddie could radio
them in. Suddenly I realized that I knew the yardages even before Tom
verbalized them. Simply by watching T.J. swing, from a position facing him, I
could tell how far he was going to hit the ball almost before he hit it. I didn’t
could tell how far he was going to hit the ball almost before he hit it. I didn’t
understand how this was possible—I wasn’t even sure I believed what had
happened. I didn’t say anything, but just continued to watch, look, and listen,
thinking the precise distances to myself.

5.8 I Knew at Impact

Finally, I could no longer resist, and as Jenkins was hitting balls, I called out a
number just after impact. Lo and behold, it was right on the money, which
amazed him as much as it did me. He stopped and asked how I did that. I said I
didn’t know for sure, but that I was convinced I could tell how far he was going
to hit the ball before he made contact.
I told him I didn’t have to see the follow-through because it was always
the same, extending to a full finish whether he was hitting the ball 40 yards or
80. I simply needed to see his backswing and know what club he was swinging. I
would bet him that by watching his swing, without ever looking at the ball flight,
I could tell him how far he had hit it.
I remember we stopped and discussed this for quite a while, because
neither of us understood how I could know how far he was hitting his shots,
especially since I never looked away from him, never watched the trajectory of
the ball. I was doing it simply by watching his swing.
It’s important to remember that by this time his swings had become very
rhythmic and very repeatable, and I had seen thousands of them. But we still
didn’t know how I was judging his distance so accurately.
Over time, the same thing happened with the other players, and before
long I figured it out. I was subconsciously watching and gauging the length of
their backswings. Something very positive had happened to all these players:
First, they removed muscle control and the “hit” from their wedge swings, then
each fell into the rhythm of his own swing. Then, after they’d made that rhythm
a constant from day to day, week to week, even month to month, they found they
could control the distance of their finesse shots by varying the length of their
backswings.
It’s vital for you to realize that this system of controlling the length of your
shots with the length of your backswing works only if you always swing at the
same rhythm (your rhythm) and always follow through to a full, complete finish.
If you do, the velocity of the clubhead at impact is simply a function of the
length of the backswing: The farther back you take it, the faster the clubhead is
travelling when it reaches the ball. And the faster the clubhead is moving, the
longer the shot. It is a simple, physical relationship that I learned by watching
my friends hit thousands and thousands of shots. Short backswings for short
shots, long backswings for long shots. It’s such a simple concept, and it works so
well.
As I developed my ability to predict shot yardages from swing visions, I
began to name the different swings I saw. There was the full swing. Then there
was the ¾ swing, when the ball flew three-quarters (75%) of the full-swing
distance. And there was the ½ swing, when it flew half (50%) of the distance of
the full swing.

How Timing Provides Answers

5.9 Timing the Wedge Swings
As I got to know more and more players, and watched more and more swings, I
realized not only that there was a characteristic shot three-quarters of the length
of their full-swing distance for each player, but that it was always the result of
the same-length backswing—just about when the left arm was parallel to the
ground and the left hand was as high as the left shoulder (they were all right-
handed players). You can see Tom Jenkins’s ¾ backswing position, which
created a shot of three-quarters of his full-swing distance with that club, in
Figure 5.9.1.
There was also a ½-shot distance swing, with another repeatable
backswing position that proved surprisingly consistent for the players: the left
hand stopped at a position just below the hips (as shown in Fig. 5.9.2).
 Figure 5.9.1: Tom Jenkins, at Figure 5.9.2: Tom Jenkins at his
his ¾ backswing position ½ backswing position

As I continued working with various Tour players, we needed to refer to

swings between the ½ and ¾ positions, but we had nothing to call them until one
day it dawned on me that from a frontal view (as seen in Fig. 5.9.3), the length
of every player’s backswing could be precisely correlated to the hour hand of a
clock.
 Figure 5.9.3: Tom Jenkins at his full (10:30) finesse backswing position. The
player’s left arm can be imagined to be the hour hand of a clock

Imagine that his left shoulder is the center of the clock, and his left arm is
the hour hand (forget the club). In these terms, the full swing, for the full-length
wedge shot, is the result of making a synchronized turn to the maximum “zero-
coil” position, where the left arm is at 10:30 on a clock face. So we called that
his 10:30 swing. The same system described the previous ¾-length shot as a
9:00 o’clock swing, because the left arm is horizontal at the top of that
backswing (as shown in Fig. 5.9.1). The third repeatable and often recurring
swing, the ½-length swing, also could be accurately described as a 7:30 swing
(again, as in Fig. 5.9.2).
By using time descriptions of the three different backswing lengths, we
created and named the three most commonly used finesse swings (and shots) as
7:30, 9:00 o’clock, and 10:30. These three are the basic finesse swings, which
every good player should “own” because they are easy to execute and they
produce three known, repeatable, and controllable distances. It is the same as
having three different clubs in the bag that produce those same distances. By
“timing” the wedge swings, we also created an infinite array of swings and shot
distances in between the three reference swings.
By practicing and grooving these three swing lengths, my players
multiplied their easily reproducible distance shots with each wedge in their bag.
multiplied their easily reproducible distance shots with each wedge in their bag.
They had the full-finesse-swing yardage (about 90 to 95 yards for their sand
wedges), which they achieved by making a synchronized backswing that went
back to the 10:30 position. (Note: The 10:30 finesse swing usually flies the ball
about 10 yards shorter than a full coil-and-hit power swing for the same club.)
They also had a shot at around 68 to 73 yards, the result of swinging back to the
9:00 o’clock position (75% of 90 yards); and a 45-yard shot (50% of 90 yards),
which came from swinging back to 7:30.
While the exact yardages differed from player to player, the 50%, 75%,
and 100% ratios remained almost constant. Having named the backswing lengths
by the hour hand of a clock, the players now possessed the ability to produce a
complete range of distances simply by thinking about the “time” of their
backswing. If they wanted to hit the ball slightly farther than their 9:00 o’clock
distance, they took their backswing to 9:15 or 9:30. A slightly shorter shot
became an 8:30 swing. To set this concept in your mind, look carefully at Figure
5.9.4, and imagine these three swings all in the same rhythm. It’s that simple.
With constant-rhythm finesse swings, distance is controlled by backswing length
or time.
 Figure 5.9.4: Backswing time determines shot distance at constant swing rhythm

5.10 9:00 O’clock Is Best

About this time in the discovery and development of our distance-wedge control
system, my players were very excited. They were feeling better about being able
to produce known, repeatable carry distances on the course, hitting shots closer
to the pins on par 5s, making more birdies, and saving more “up-and-down”
strokes around the greens. They also were making more cuts, shooting lower
scores, and, as a result, making more money. Tom Jenkins quadrupled his
official money winnings in his next year on the Tour. Jim Simons won his first
PGA Tour event. Tom Kite not only more than doubled his official money, he
won both the number-one spot on the PGA Tour money list and the Vardon
Trophy for lowest scoring average the next year.
The system didn’t work only for men. After working on their distance-
wedge control, both Jan Stephenson and Kite won their Tours’ “Most Improved
Player” titles the next year. And Jan was voted “best short game” on the LPGA
Tour by her peers. And she deserved it. She was driving them crazy with her
precision inside 100 yards.
As more players adopted and adapted to the system, we made more and
more discoveries about its usefulness. It turned out that most of the players were
experiencing a similar phenomenon: While their overall wedge games were
improving, they realized they were developing both “favorite” and “unfavorite”
yardages. There were distances they came to love, as well as those they’d try to
avoid (although less comfortable with some distances, they were still much
better hitting those shots than ever before).
Jim Simons became so good at 45 and 71 yards that whenever he had shots
of those lengths, he felt he might hole them out. Tom Kite felt the same way at
75 yards, as did Tom Jenkins. What I found interesting was that every player
reported that their favorite distances were shots produced with their 9:00 o’clock
swings. Since working with this initial group of players, a fair number of Tour
professionals have come to my Scoring Game Schools and learned the system.
Almost every one has come to the same conclusion: The 9:00 o’clock swing is
the most reliable, most easily reproduced, and most consistent distance producer
in the game.
I mention this as a positive event to look forward to in your finesse-game
development, when one distance swing becomes your favorite. When you can
development, when one distance swing becomes your favorite. When you can
make a smooth, rhythmic, 9:00 o’clock finesse swing (or whatever swing you
prefer), you’ll have the most reliable, repeatable swing you’ve ever had,
particularly under pressure. When these feelings happen, you’ll find yourself
truly enjoying standing over the ball and knowing, before you swing, exactly
how far the next shot is going to go.
One more little bonus I should mention. Once you begin to get the feel for
your three principal distances, you will find that those distances just short of and
just beyond each of them are also not difficult to produce: They are just a little
more or less time on your finesse swing clock. It becomes as easy to swing to
9:15 as it is to visualize 9:15, and that really is pretty easy.

5.11 Working with a System

There are a few practical recommendations I can make for learning to time your
distance wedges.
You should realize by now that the finesse swing will work with all the
wedges in your bag, regardless of brand name, loft angle, or shaft length
(assuming you have an acceptable lie in the grass). For most people, however, all
your wedges means just a pitching wedge and a sand wedge.
Don’t be afraid to hit your sand wedge from the fairway. It should have
about four to five degrees more loft, and be about one-half inch shorter, than
your pitching wedge (if not, you need to get one that is; see Chapter 10).
Because of these differences, the same 10:30 finesse swing with both clubs will
produce shots about 15 yards different. For example, if your pitching-wedge
distances are 90 yards (10:30 swing), 67 yards (9:00), and 45 yards (7:30), then
your sand wedge with the same three swings should fly roughly 75 (10:30), 56
(9:00), and 37 (7:30) yards. These won’t be your exact yardages, but you get the
idea.
Before worrying about having to run out and buy more clubs, first groove
your 9:00 o’clock and 7:30 swings. You already can make a full swing with your
wedge, so you know how to make a 10:30 finesse swing. Just take the coil and
“hit” out of your old wedge power swing, and keep your upper and lower bodies
synchronized. Remember, your 10:30 finesse swing is as full as it gets (no coil
allowed), and in this swing your shaft should never get back to horizontal.
Because of the shorter shaft, more upright swing plane, and the requirements of
dead hands and synchronization, you should never take any club back past 10:30
in a short-game shot.
It’s also vital, as you work on your three reference finesse swings, which
 It’s also vital, as you work on your three reference finesse swings, which
will all have the same rhythm, that you get immediate and reliable feedback after
every shot. From shot to shot, day to day, week to week, even from year to year,
you will constantly be correlating swing lengths with shot carry distances. Your
swing rhythms should always be constant and look like you, just the way your
walking stride looks like you. If you maintain your rhythm and use dead hands,
your finesse swings will perform under pressure like you’ve never seen before.
Begin each swing with a “slow-ish” one-piece takeaway to the top of the
backswing (slow by your standards, not in comparison to anyone else). Come
down and through the impact zone aggressively (not hard, but positive: Imagine
“saaawish-swish” is your backswing-to-through-swing rhythm), and make a full,
high, well-balanced finish. You should be able to hold your pose with your
weight fully on your left side and only the right toe touching the ground. You
can own these three swings if you include all the principles for the finesse swing
outlined in Chapter 4 and spend enough time to train your subconscious mind to
repeat them.
One more time: The rhythm of all the swings must be the same, and the
backswing lengths for each of the three reference swings must be repeatable. If
they’re not, they won’t produce repeatable distances in practice or on the course.
You can practice your 9:00 o’clock backswing at home in front of a full-length
mirror (you won’t believe what 10 or 20 swings every night for a few months
will do for your ability to repeat these moves). Or get a learning aid to help you
learn the look and feel of the 7:30 and 9:00 o’clock backswings (see
“SwingStop” in Chapter 12).
One last piece of advice. Cock your wrists continuously, gradually as you
make your backswing (exceptions are discussed in Chapter 6), and have them
fully cocked before you get to the right backswing “time.” If you wait to cock
your wrists until you’ve reached the right time, the swing will carry on as you
cock and get too long for the distance you want. Also, keep your left arm
extended throughout the swing, until it folds at the finish. Not only will this keep
your swing radius constant, but it’s the easy way to judge backswing time and
length.

Shorter Swings Are More Difficult

Like the pros, you’ll probably find the 9:00 o’clock swings the
easiest to make and the 7:30 much more difficult. I’ve seen this
over and over again, with thousands of students. Though I’m
not exactly sure why, I’m absolutely sure it’s true.
I’ve also noticed that men seem to have a more difficult
 I’ve also noticed that men seem to have a more difficult
time with short backswings than do women. Men seem very
insecure when trying to make short backswings such as in the
7:30 swing, when their hands barely get above their thighs.
This insecurity seems to come because men fear not being able
to hit the ball far enough with a short backswing, even though
they consistently hit their shots too far with their normal
swings. Maybe it’s a male ego thing. When men first take up
the game, they control their clubs and “hit” with their hands,
trying to avoid whiffing. This seems to become a habit that is
difficult to break.
Another problem with the 7:30 swing is that there is not
much time to get your body parts synchronized. It’s the same
feeling you may have over very short putts: You jab with the
hands because you feel there’s not enough time to get into the
flow and rhythm of the stroke. With a wedge, it may seem
easier to “hit” the ball than to wait for the smooth, 7:30 finesse
swing to come through it. But I never promised to teach this
game the most instinctive way. Just the best, simplest, and most
effective way.
So it is important when making the 7:30 swing to think
rhythm back and through with both your hips and upper body
synchronized. In our schools we often mention thinking about
the swing as going “saaawish-swish”: That’s “saaawish” on the
backswing, “swish” on the downswing (the backswing takes a
little longer because it starts from a standstill).

5.12 Turn Away and Turn Through

To understand and learn to achieve the different swings, it helps to have a simple
way to identify them. Lay your club on the ground in an “aim-club” position
pointing at the target (see Chapter 4 for more on using an aim club), and assume
your parallel-left address position for a 30-yard wedge shot. Then place both
hands on your hips—thumbs forward—and tuck your elbows as far behind your
body as you can, so your shoulders and hips are locked together (as shown in
Fig. 5.12.1).
 Figure 5.12.1: Setup with both lower
and upper body positioned parallel
left of aim club

From the address position, imagine you are going to make a finesse
backswing, and turn your hips and shoulders together as far back as you can,
keeping your head still and your shoulders in synch with your hips. When you
reach your limit with no stretch or pressure (as far as you can turn comfortably),
you have turned to what we call your #4 backswing-turn position (Fig. 5.12.2).
We divided the finesse turn for each golfer into four positions: The maximum
turn without coil is #4. Position #1 is one-quarter of that turn, #2 is half, and #3
is three-quarters of the full turn, as shown. Every golfer will have his own
unique four backswing-turn positions based on his flexibility.

Figure 5.12.2: Body positions for finesse- (synchronized-) backswing turns #1, #2,
 #3, and #4

Now look at Figure 5.12.3, where the same four backswing body-turn
positions are combined with the upper-body and arm positions of the 10:30, 9:00
o’clock, and 7:30 reference distance-wedge backswings, and the 15-yard pitch
backswing. I like to show these separate “body-only” photographs so you can
make a mental note: Although I’m talking a lot about arm positions when I
discuss timing wedge swings, I’m always referring to synchronized wedge
swings. Don’t forget, your body must turn, too! This finesse-swing system
doesn’t work if you use only your hands and arms to hit wedge shots.

Figure 5.12.3: Arm positions for 15-yard pitch, 7:30, 9:00 o’clock, and 10:30
backswing turn positions

Now return to your address position, and with your hands still on your hips
and shoulders pinched behind you, make sure your left toe is flared toward your
target direction at least 30 degrees. Turn forward to a full-finish position—99%
of your weight on your left foot, and your right foot up resting on its big toe.
This is your “turn through” to your #5 finesse-turn position (Fig. 5.12.4). Stand
in front of a mirror and turn back and forth slowly through this full range of
motion, keeping your shoulders and hips synchronized: You can feel and see
five finesse-turn positions on your follow-through, which in later chapters will
be correlated with finish positions in other finesse swings and shots. I emphasize
the body positions (not arm positions) here again because so many golfers don’t
turn their lower body properly, or completely through, during their wedge
swings.

Figure 5.12.4: Finesse through-swing positions #1 through #5

I said before that the 7:30 swing is difficult for many students to master.
Identifying and being aware of your turn positions can help. Now that you know
them, start at address, hands on hips and shoulders pinched behind, and make a
slow turn away to your #2 back-turn position. Then turn through to your #5
through position, and you have completed the heart of a 7:30 finesse swing. You
didn’t use a club, didn’t use your natural rhythm, and didn’t see a ball fly, but
the finesse turn is the heart of your finesse swing. If you can’t turn your body
properly, you have no chance of involving a club and ball, and making a good
finesse shot. However, if you stand in front of a full-length mirror, making these
moves and occasionally stopping to see what they look and feel like, you’ll get it
in no time.
Make the 7:30 finesse turn a few times until it is mechanically perfect (no
coil, no pressure, in balance). Then begin to work it into a “saaawish-swish”
rhythm that feels natural. In fewer than 10 or 20 swings, and less than five
minutes, you will be feeling good about this turn motion and be ready to try it
with a golf club. But no ball! Not yet. Stay in front of your mirror for some good
feedback.
Imagine holding a wedge in your finesse grip and make the same #2 turn
back with your body, swinging your arms to the 7:30 backswing position with
wrists cocked, as shown in Figure 5.12.5. Hold them there for a few seconds:
Look at them, feel them, internalize them. Then turn through to your #5 full-
Look at them, feel them, internalize them. Then turn through to your #5 full-
finish position, your wrists recocking, your weight moving forward onto your
left (lead) foot, everything still synchronized as in Figure 5.12.6. Again, see and
feel this position, trying to internalize all the sensations. Once you’re
comfortable, add the motion, slowly at first, then a little faster with a little more
rhythm, until you reach your natural speed and natural “saaawish-swish” rhythm.
That’s a perfect 7:30 finesse-swing motion. Practice it enough in front of your
mirror, without a ball, until it looks really good to you, and it will be a lot easier
later on the course.

Figure 5.12.5: The 7:30 backswing

position, wrists cocked
 Figure 5.12.6: The 7:30 finesse-swing motion

Now that you know the backswing body-turn positions (listed in Table
5.12.1), understand the timing of backswing lengths, and are aware that upper-
and lower-body synchronization are essential in a finesse swing, let me show
you how it works for me. In the following swing sequences, you can see that my
7:30, 9:00 o’clock, and 10:30 distance-wedge swings are simple backswing-
length adjustments to the same basic finesse swing, which I always try to make
at the same rhythm, finishing in the same position (Figs. 5.12.7 to 5.12.9).

Through Swing
Back Swing Back Swing Turn
Turn Number to
Length Number
Finish
7:30 2 5
9:00 3 5
10:30 4 5

Table 5.12.1: Distance-wedge swing and body-turn positions

 Figure 5.12.7 (top): My 7:30 finesse swing
Figure 5.12.8 (middle): My 9:00 o’clock finesse swing
Figure 5.12.9 (bottom): My 10:30 finesse swing

How “3 × 4” Works
5.13 My “3 × 4 System”

With the 7:30, 9:00 o’clock, and 10:30 finesse swings grooved into your game,
you can add three more distances inside 100 yards to your repertoire simply by
adding another wedge, different from your other two, to your bag. Many
manufacturers make more lofted “L” or third wedges, with about five degrees
more loft than the standard sand wedge. Some even make the extra lofted “X
wedges,” with about 64 degrees of loft (four or five degrees more than an L
wedge).
A little reminder: No matter how many wedges you carry or what their
lofts, they are not as important at this point in your development as working on
your ability to make quality finesse swings. This means how well you control the
distances your short-game shots fly, and how well you deal with getting those
shots into the “Golden Eight” feet around the hole. No matter how many wedges
you have to choose from, if you can’t make the proper finesse motions to the
correct backswing times, then nothing else matters. So learn to make your
finesse swings first, and then you are ready for my 3 × 4 wedge system.
Actually, you already know the basics of the system. It consists of learning
to play three distinct shots with the three finesse swings of 7:30, 9:00 o’clock,
and 10:30 backswings, with each of four different wedges to produce 12 known
and reproducible carry distances inside 100 yards (see Fig. 5.13.1).
 Swing Time Wedge Distances

Figure 5.13.1: My 3 × 4 wedge system: 3 swing times with each of 4 wedges

produce 12 known, repeatable distances

The math is simple: 3 swings times 4 wedges equals 12 distances. But the
philosophy calls for something more: You want to own these 12 shots.

TO CONTROL YOUR SHOT DISTANCE ACCURATELY

ENOUGH
TO MAKE YOUR NEXT SHOT (PUTT) IMMINENTLY
HOLEABLE.

Consider that the “mission statement” of your short game. And consider
the implications. It would be like having 11 extra clubs in your bag when you’re
competing with someone of similar skill who has only one club and no idea how
to control the distance for any shot inside 100 yards. Who do you think will win?
And remember: You can be as talented with all 12 finesse shots as you are
with one, because the same swing works for them all. The only difference is the
length (time) of your backswing, which you vary to match the length of your
length (time) of your backswing, which you vary to match the length of your
shot.

5.14 Good News-Bad News

First the good news. My 3 × 4 System is simple, easy to understand, easy to

practice, and easy to execute. Every golfer I’ve ever seen use it has improved his
short game and ability to score.
Now the two pieces of bad news: (1) You have to give up one or two of
the eight irons (2 through 9) you’re used to playing with; and (2) You have to
keep track of 12 new shot options inside 100 yards, shots you’ve never had
before.
In the next few pages, I will explain why the good news of switching to the
3 × 4 System outweighs the bad. Read these pages carefully. Don’t think that
you’re now suddenly able to master every up-and-down situation. No matter
how many wedges you carry or how many finesse-swing lengths you learn, your
scores won’t go down until you get good enough with your short-game shots to
stop them within the “Golden Eight” and make the next putt.

5.15 Is This Mission Impossible?

If you saw a set of golf clubs for the first time and were told how far each club
carried the ball, it might be difficult to remember all those numbers. But having
played for a while, you have no trouble remembering that your 7-iron carries the
ball 140 yards. That knowledge is part of your game. I’ll now show you how you
can avoid having to remember any numbers while improving your game from
100 yards in.
Go to a practice range and hit between 10 and 20 solid shots (which may
require 25 to 30 swings) with your pitching wedge using your 9:00 o’clock
finesse swing. Walk off (or, even better, “shoot” with a laser range finder) the
carry distances of the solid shots, write down the yardages, then average the
numbers to determine your 9:00 o’clock pitching-wedge distance for that day.
Do this for a few days to find your best estimate for the average distance you can
expect when you hit a shot with that club and swing.
Do the same with your 10:30 and 7:30 swings while you’re there. This will
give you three numbers: the average yardages for your 7:30, 9:00 o’clock, and
10:30 swings with your pitching wedge. Write them on a little piece of paper or
adhesive dot (Fig. 5.15.1) and stick it to the shaft of the pitching wedge. Put
them upside down on the back of the shaft so you can read them when you are
them upside down on the back of the shaft so you can read them when you are
ready to hit without taking too much time. Cover the dot with a piece of clear
tape, long enough to wrap around your shaft and stick on itself. This will protect
the numbers from wear, tear, and weather. (If you’re worried, it’s perfectly legal
by USGA rules to do this.)

Figure 5.15.1: Your 7:30, 9:00 o’clock, and 10:30 distances for each wedge are
written and taped on the shaft

Do the same thing—hit 10 to 20 shots, average the distances, repeat over a

few days, arrive at three averages—for your other wedges. Tape those numbers
to the shafts. Now it will take you just a second or two to be confident of your
yardage and club for the swing you want to make. You don’t have to remember
distances on the course: They’ll be right at hand when you need them.
Whenever you have a shot inside 100 yards, guess which club has a shot
distance closest to the distance you need and pick it out of the bag. Quickly
check that you chose the right club, make a good, realistic practice swing to the
right time on the backswing, and-if you feel good-fire at the pin.

Your Subconscious Always Wins

5.16 Don’t Think

When you have the yardages and the swing images in your mind’s eye, short
shots become a joy to hit. There is no thinking required. You’ve already
shots become a joy to hit. There is no thinking required. You’ve already
practiced the distance swing after you measured your yardage and chose your
club, so just swing. You’ll soon think of the three distances for each wedge the
way you think of the yardages for the other clubs in your bag. By the time the
tape wears off, you probably won’t need to replace the numbers (until you get
new clubs and need to measure new distances for them).
Every golfer has an average distance he expects to hit his 7-iron. Say yours
is 140 yards. You don’t stand with your 7-iron in your hands and think, “140,
140, I have to make an exact 140-yard swing.” No. You think, “140 yards, that’s
a perfect 7-iron,” so that’s the swing you try to make, a perfect swing with the 7-
iron in your hands.
The same thing will happen with your wedge game after you commit to
the 3 × 4 System and practice enough. You’ll be looking at a shot of 72 yards
and think, “What will hit this 72 yards? Okay, that’s a 9:00 o’clock swing with
my sand wedge. Just make a smooth, rhythmic, perfect 9:00 o’clock swing.”
And that’s exactly what you’ll do … and 72 yards is how far the ball will fly!
After a few practice sessions and playing a few rounds with wedges that fit
you and your 3 × 4 System, with your yardages taped to the shafts, you’ll find
that you remember the distances without looking at them. But it’s comforting—
and perfectly legal—to leave them there. You can check before every shot
without taking any extra time. Just make sure your distance numbers are clear
and easily legible on your shafts. And if you’re suddenly unsure standing over
the shot, flip the club over, check that number, and be confident that you’ve
chosen the right club. It’s a very satisfying feeling to know you have the right
club and the right swing for the shot at hand. It makes the swing easier to
execute.

Your Wedges May Not Be Acceptable

As you become more proficient with the finesse system,

you’ll want your 12 shots to provide the most even coverage
over 100 yards. You might not find your standard pitching
and sand wedges up to the task. A big reason for this could be
the length of their shafts. The sand wedge should be half an
inch shorter than the pitching wedge; the L (lofted) wedge
should be half an inch shorter than the sand wedge. If you add
a fourth (X) wedge, as strongly recommend, that should be
half an inch shorter still. Furthermore, the heads of each
wedge should get progressively heavier as the clubs get
shorter and more lofted, and the lie should be slightly more
upright as you move closer and closer to the ball.
5.17 Preshot Routine

In my lifetime of studying the game of golf, I have made many observations that
I cannot prove, and I usually don’t talk much about them. I can prove most of
what I teach in this book, but I want to tell you two ideas for which I have no
data, test results, or research. That doesn’t mean they aren’t true. In fact, I
strongly believe they are true, or I wouldn’t pass them on. But the scientist in me
demands I begin with that warning.
While watching the great players, I’ve noticed two things you must come
to understand if you hope to come close to maximizing your true potential in
playing golf:

1. How you prepare, and what you do before swinging a club, affects
the way you swing it.
2. The more consistent, repeatable, and boring your preshot ritual
becomes during practice, the more efficiently your subconscious can take
control of your swing mechanics on the golf course.

Here is where I must define what I mean by “preshot routine,” while

sharing some thoughts on how to best prepare yourself to both practice and play.
A preshot routine is a repeatable sequence of things a golfer does prior to
hitting a shot. If he doesn’t do anything repeatably, he doesn’t have a routine. It
doesn’t have to be a single repeatable routine for all shots in golf: He can have
one preshot routine for his power swing, one for his finesse game, and a different
one for putting. However, the preshot routine must always stay the same for any
given shot, all the time.
Every good preshot routine has two distinct parts: preshot preparation and
preshot ritual. The preparation comes first, followed by the ritual; then the golfer
can hit his shot.
This does not mean a player always prepares to hit a shot by taking the
same number of practice swings. It does mean he always covers the same
preparation, in the same sequence, before hitting each shot. Even from here I can
see you’re confused, so let me offer a few examples.
5.18 Preshot Preparation

Before you decide what shot to hit and how, you must weigh several, and
sometimes many, variables. What follows are the common ones; on some shots,
you may have to consider others.
When you arrive at your ball, first look at your lie. Is it okay? If not, what
compensations will you have to make to hit the ball solidly? Grip down on the
club a little? Move the ball back in your stance a bit? Swing across the line to cut
the ball from left to right? Or for clean contact, how sharply descending must the
swing be?
What about the distance to the pin (or if you aren’t shooting at the green,
to your predetermined target)? How far do you want the shot to fly? How much
wind and which way is it blowing? What trajectory will work best? What club
do you need? What swing key do you want to be thinking about?
As you handle these considerations, your mind factors, calculates, and
evaluates how they influence club selection. Sometimes it’s easy, other times not
so easy.
Every shot requires a different line of thinking. But it’s as you mull over
these questions that you must make all your shot and swing decisions and—this
is most important—commit to them. You can’t have any doubts when you’re
standing over the ball ready to make your swing.
After making your first set of decisions—what shot to hit and with what
club—the next step is to focus on visualizing the shot in your mind until you can
see it clearly. Then imagine the swing that will make that shot happen. Make
several practice swings to internalize the look and feel of the perfect swing,
standing as close to the actual grass and slope as possible (but be careful not to
move the ball; that’s a penalty).
The goal of the preparation process is to see and feel the exact swing you
are going to make before you try to make it happen for real. One or two practice
swings may or may not be enough. Your last practice swing must feel exactly
right for the shot you want to hit. If it feels right, you’re ready to go; if not, make
another or two, or three, or four more, if necessary, until you are completely
comfortable. (This doesn’t have to drag out your pace of play: Start your
preparation before it’s your turn to hit.)
When your mind’s eye says, “Yes, that’s the swing I want, that’s my
‘preview swing,’ ” lock onto that image. With the look and feel of the perfect
swing fresh in your mind and muscles, you are ready to move into your preshot
ritual and hit the shot.

5.19 Preshot Ritual

Think back to when I was working with my original three Tour players and they
were beginning to develop rhythmic, repeatable swings. I noticed that as they
refined and improved their finesse games they all had developed consistent
preshot rituals.
I define the preshot ritual as the “always-exactly-repeatable set of rhythmic
motions a player executes in the last five seconds before the start of the swing.”
Not only did my original players develop consistent preshot rituals, but every
great player I have ever watched since then has one, too.
The reason for a preshot ritual is simple: The rhythm you have
immediately before a swing affects the rhythm of that swing. A good preshot
ritual tells you when to start the swing. It prepares you both mentally and
physically to repeat the swing motion and rhythm you have practiced so often,
preparing you to succeed in executing the shot you want to hit. It also gives your
subconscious a count-down, which lets every part of your body know exactly
when things are going to begin.
The preshot ritual is nothing more than a simple, rhythmic, repeatable set
of motions that you always use to get your swing going. These movements
should take the same amount of time, and move at the same rhythm, for every
shot within a game. (The power game has its own ritual, the putting game its
own, and so on. Their rhythms are different, but within each game the rhythm
remains consistent.) This repetition tells your subconscious when the real swing
is going to begin, and that it is going to be just like it was on the practice tee and
just like the preview swing. There should be no thought in executing the ritual,
only a clear focus on repeating the perfect preview swing. The preshot ritual is
doing nothing more than telling your subconscious control system, which you
have trained in practice, “One, two, three … go!”
My finesse-swing preshot ritual goes like this: It starts with two slight knee
flexes, during which I say to myself, “Okay,” which means I just saw and felt a
perfect preview swing and I’m starting my ritual to go. I waggle once as I look at
the target for the last time, waggle once again as I look down at the ball, then
forward press and start my backswing. The sequence and timing of my finesse
preshot ritual motions are always the same, and the same rhythm applies to the
finesse swing that follows.
My ritual is nothing special. It’s just the habit I’ve grooved after hitting
 My ritual is nothing special. It’s just the habit I’ve grooved after hitting
thousands of wedge shots. Tom Kite has a very different and much more
rhythmic ritual—which includes bouncing the clubhead—that helps set up his
rhythm and tempo. Then he tenses, relaxes, flexes, and goes. Every golfer is
different because every person’s body, metabolism, and tempo are different.
Don’t copy a ritual from a great player; instead, develop the ritual that is right
for you.

Checklists – Preshot Preparation

(time can be variable from shot to shot, but shouldn’t take

more than 25-30 seconds; Fig. 5.19.1)
1. Check lie, distance, wind, landing area
2. Consider risk of mishit, gambling percentages
3. Choose club, visualize the shot, commit to the shot
4. Imagine the swing, swing key, and commit to the
swing
5. Internalize look and feel with practice swing(s)
6. See and feel the perfect preview swing; when it feels
perfect, go to your ritual
 Figure 5.19.1: Your preshot routine
is preparation. Timing can vary,
number of practice swings can vary

Checklists – Preshot Ritual

(time must always be repeatable, consistent; Fig. 5.19.2)

1. Always move at the same rhythm, your rhythm, just like
in practice
2. Don’t think about the future, shot results, or
consequences; focus on doing your ritual
3. Let your ritual lead you into repeating your preview
swing
4. Watch and feel how good the swing and shot that follow
are
 Figure 5.19.2: Your preshot ritual,
the last 5 seconds. Timing is always
the same

You must have a good preshot ritual, but don’t think it’s the answer to
your problems. It won’t hit the shots for you. You’ll still have to practice to
develop your finesse-swing mechanics as well as your feel for distances and shot
behaviors. But it’s foolish to devote all that practice time without developing a
consistent preshot ritual. Nothing will do more to optimize your ability to
internalize and habitualize from your practice sessions, and help you transfer
those habits to the course when you need them.

5.20 Religion Helps

And still that’s not the end of it. Simply deciding on a preshot ritual is not
enough: You must perform it on every shot, including on the practice tee. You
don’t have to repeat the entire preparation process on the range, since the
situation won’t change too much (unless you’re working on special shots, in
which case it is a good idea to get used to analyzing every shot). But always,
before every full swing, wedge shot, or putt, religiously execute your preshot
ritual. That’s the only way to train your subconscious to accept it and make it a
habit.
By always practicing properly, always using your ritual, and never doing it
any other way, your subconscious will gain maximum trust in it. And this will
give you the best chance of performing under pressure. Never lie to yourself,
never do it quickly to get it over with, never drag out the time to make sure you
do it properly. Perform your preshot ritual on the course with the same rhythm
and tempo you had in practice. This allows your subconscious to take control of
your swing. After a few thousand times, you won’t even realize you used a ritual
or made a swing. And that’s when you know you’re succeeding.
The pros I work with have told me many times that they can’t remember
making a swing, especially an important one, under pressure. They remember
their thoughts during the preshot preparations, how good their preview swing
felt, and how they knew they would perform successfully. This feeling is
something referred to as being “in the zone.” I think it is simply you and your
subconscious being in perfect communication. You have trained your
subconscious properly, and it is trusting you completely to perform the ritual and
get out of the way: You do the preparation and the ritual, your subconscious will
execute the shot.
It’s not magic, it’s not mystical, it’s not something only the pros can do. It
does take time, repetition, commitment, and consistency. It’s a habit you can
develop if you use it religiously on every shot, every time, on the practice tee
and on the course. And it does work.
Chapter 6
Distance Wedges
Short-Game Shots
6.1 Which Shot?

One of the reasons I love the game of golf is that it never takes prisoners. It is
out there, the same for all of us, never claiming to be fair, or easy, or difficult. It
simply says, “Here I am. Let’s see what score you can shoot today.”
And every today is different. The tees are set differently, as are the pins.
The greens are always different, because of the weather and the height of the
mowers. Also changing daily are the length of the rough, the effects of wind and
rain, and the firmness of the turf.
All of which means you’re continually asking yourself, “Which shot
should I hit here?” For example, the pin is 53 yards from your ball, which is
sitting perfectly in the fairway. You decide to carry the ball 50 yards in the air,
just a little less than your 9:00 o’clock “L-wedge:” Say, 8:30. No problem.
“Saaawish-swish”—the preview swing feels perfect, so you are ready to
go. The air is clear and crisp, the breeze is light, your rhythm is good. You step
into perfect alignment, execute your ritual, and “saaawish-swish,” make the
perfect 8:30 finesse swing. Contact was perfect, ball flight looks perfect, it may
go in the hole. How perfect!
Then the ball lands six inches to the right of the pin, takes a big bounce to
the back of the green, dribbles over the back, scampers down the hill, and
tumbles into the creek. You’re in the water. Double-bogey city.
Isn’t this a great game?

6.2 There’s More to Scoring Than Hitting Shots

The short game is more than choosing the right shot: You also have to plan for
its reaction on the green. Sometimes it’s wise to allow a margin for human error,
as well as for nonhuman error. Re-examine that shot in detail. You thought the
as well as for nonhuman error. Re-examine that shot in detail. You thought the
pin was 53 yards away, but really it was 51, a minor miscalculation. You hit the
ball almost perfectly, except it carried 51 yards instead of 50, not bad. The green
was slightly firmer than you expected, so your first bounce was harder, and went
farther, than planned, four yards to the back of the green instead of three. And it
rolled forward instead of biting like you wanted. And you didn’t know the hill
behind the green had just been cut, allowing the ball to find the water.
Nothing more than a combination of small mistakes and misjudgments,
resulting in a double bogey instead of a birdie after a well-hit shot. It happens all
the time. That’s golf.
In the short game, unlike the power game, what happens after the ball hits
the ground is often as important to the final result as the way it was struck. Put
another way, selecting the right shot often is as important as how you hit it.
Your performance on every short-game shot will always be a result of not
only how well you choose which shot to hit, but also how well you execute your
physical swing. It is also the result of the ball’s behavior after it leaves your
club. (By performance I mean how close you come to achieving the desired
result, the same as the PEIs back in the second chapter.) It just isn’t enough to
make a good swing and clean contact: You also must have judged (or “read”) the
behavior requirements of the shot.
Magnifying the importance of shot behavior on the ground is the fact that
there is very little chance for forgiveness in the short game. If you hit a poor
drive or a bad long-iron shot, your short game usually can save you. Play badly
around the greens and your score almost always rises. The research proves it.

6.3 Four Basic Shots

From my years of studying this game, watching where Tour professionals and
amateurs save and lose strokes, I’ve divided short-game shots into four basic
categories. Of course, within those categories are an infinite number of
variations and modifications, depending on the conditions of play. Here are the
categories (and the chapters in which I will discuss them):

1. Distance wedges (from 30 to 100 yards off the green)—Chapter 6

2. Pitches around the green (from inside 30 yards)—Chapter 7
3. Chipping (from within a few steps of the green) and the bump-and-
run (from inside 100 yards)—Chapter 8
4. Sand shots (from inside 100 yards)—Chapter 9
 Every one of these shots is important because they are the ones we all,
amateurs and pros, face nearly every time we play. How often can be determined
in Chart 6.3.1. Look along the horizontal axis and find your total-game handicap.
Then move vertically up to the curve, and from where this intersects move
across to the vertical axis to see the average number of short-game shots hit to
the greens per round (which is slightly more than the number of greens you miss
in regulation). How you perform on these shots largely determines the final
score you post after every round you play.

Chart 6.3.1: Shortgame shots per round vs. handicap

Luckily, the “generic” shots (good lie, no special difficulty) in all four categories
can be handled with the same swing motion, the finesse swing I’ve been
describing in the last few chapters. In case you’ve forgotten, it’s a smooth,
synchronized, rhythmic turn with all parts of the body moving together. (If that
last sentence doesn’t make sense, go back and reread Chapters 3, 4, and 5,
because you can’t master the shortcgame shots without first mastering the
finesse swing.)
The Distance Wedge
6.4 From 30 Yards or More
When your ball is between 30 and 100 yards off the green (roughly 20 to 75
yards for women), in a reasonably good fairway or rough lie, a distance wedge is
usually the best choice, because it optimizes your chances of precise distance
control. The swing must go back to at least 7:30 length and through to a full
finish. It must have a synchronized turn (moving at your body’s natural rhythm)
and a full finish, or the 3 × 4 distance-control system won’t work. The distance
is controlled by club selection and the length of your backswing.
What about 10-or 15-yard shots? They fall into the pitch shot category
(discussed in Chapter 7), because they require a less-than-full finish.
What follows are the directions for hitting a distance-wedge shot.

6.5 Distance-Wedge Execution

Your stance should be 14 to 18 inches wide, just about shoulder-width. For a

longer shot (which calls for a longer backswing), you might stand a little wider
for balance; for a shorter shot, slightly narrower. Your entire body, including
both feet, knees, hips, and shoulders, should be aligned parallel left.
Stand tall, with your body in an athletic position—knees slightly flexed,
upper body bending forward slightly from the hips, weight centered on the balls
of your feet. Don’t crouch too much or spread your feet too far apart, as these
moves restrict lower-body motion and put control of the swing into your hands
and arms. Because you’re standing tall and holding a short club, you should be
fairly close to the ball. Your arms should hang loosely, almost straight down
from your shoulders, leaving four to six inches between your hands and legs
(Fig. 6.5.1). Don’t crouch, as this pushes your arms away from your body and
flattens your swing plane, or get your back too vertical, which inhibits the
synchronization of your swing motion, since your arms must be lifted and
dropped more from that position (Fig. 6.5.2).
 Figure 6.5.1: Good distance-wedge
posture

The ball should be centered exactly in the middle of your stance, which
places it two to three inches behind the bottom of your arc. Check this with both
feet square to the target line (Fig. 6.5.3). Once the ball is centered between your
ankles, keep your left heel in place and turn your left toe about 30 to 45 degrees
toward the target; while the ball will appear to be back-of-center relative to your
toes (Fig. 6.5.4), it remains perfectly centered.
Figure 6.5.2: Too bent-over and too vertical distance-wedge posture
 Figure 6.5.3: Perfectly centered distance- Figure 6.5.4: Perfectly centered
wedge ball position (feet square to swing distance-wedge ball position (left foot
line) flared toward target, ready to swing)

Use your finesse (neutral to weak) grip and reasonably light grip pressure
(Fig. 6.5.5). Your upper hand should be about a quarter-inch from the butt end of
the club. You should be able to feel the clubhead as you waggle and swing. If
you can’t feel the weight of the head going back and through, close your eyes
and concentrate on this feeling. If you still can’t feel the club, you’re probably
gripping too tightly and have too much muscle tension and control in your
hands. Lighten up!

Figure 6.5.5: A perfect finesse grip

holds and controls the club in the last
three fingers (not the palm) of each
hand

Your swing plane is determined by your size and posture. Envision this
plane as a line from the ball through your shoulders, as shown in Figure 6.5.6.
With short clubs such as your wedges, which position your body fairly close to
the ball, your swing plane should be quite steep. You will feel that your swing is
as much vertical (above your body) as horizontal (around your body), with the
shaft well above and behind your shoulders at the top of your backswing (Fig.
shaft well above and behind your shoulders at the top of your backswing (Fig.
6.5.7).

Figure 6.5.6: The finesse-swing plane Figure 6.5.7: The clubhead should stay in
includes both the ball and your shoulders the swing plane until you stand up in your
finish

The club should feel light when it is above your body. Coming down it
should remain in the swing plane, naturally controlled by centrifugal force
through impact. This will allow you to make a dead-hands swing and keep your
hands, arms, chest, and hips synchronized: all together … back and through.
Look at the sequences in Figures 6.5.8 and 6.5.9, where two-time U.S. Open
champion Lee Janzen is flying his sand-and lob-wedge shots 40 and 50 yards in
the air, each ending up next to the pin. For reference, this swing should have a
very different feeling than your driver swing, which is much more horizontal,
swings more around your body, is more behind you at the top of your
swings more around your body, is more behind you at the top of your
backswing, feels much heavier, and involves your hand and arm muscles to a
greater degree.

Figure 6.5.8: Lee Janzen’s 7:30 swing (looking downline)

Figure 6.5.9: Lee Janzen’s 9:00 o’clock swing (looking downline)

6.6 Distance-Wedge Recap

 1. Start the swing by moving everything-legs, hips, upper body
(shoulders, arms, hands, and club)—together and in rhythm away from the
target.
2. The arms move with the rest of the body: They do not initiate the
motion or add any power. The fingers and hands are dead, doing nothing besides
holding the club and cocking your wrists.
3. Don’t set your wrist cock prematurely; it should be accomplished
gradually during the backswing, and be completed before you reach the top or
end of your backswing.
4. During the through-swing, keep everything synchronized as you
swing down and through the ball. Body rotation and the club should still be
speeding up until a few feet past impact. This natural, muscle-free stability is
produced by a follow-through longer than the backswing.
5. Swing through to a high, full finish regardless of the length of the
backswing, and hold your finish position while you watch the results, with 99%
of your weight on your front foot (use your back toe for balance only).

If you want to see what I consider a perfectly synchronized distance-

wedge swing, examine the sequence of Tom Jenkins in Figure 6.6.1. If you can
learn to keep your finesse swings synchronized this well, your short-game shots
will improve for sure.
 Figure 6.6.1: T.J.’s perfectly synchronized finesse swing

Shot Behavior
6.7 What Happens After Impact

The other half of a distance-wedge shot is the behavior of the ball after it lands
on, or just short of, the green. While exact shot behavior is impossible to predict
or describe in these pages, I can give a general outline of what to expect from
your distance-wedge efforts, and a few numbers that may help guide you when
practicing this part of your game.
As a general rule, I would describe the distance-wedge shots with the four
wedges like this:
The pitching wedge (PW) provides a somewhat low, penetrating trajectory,
with medium backspin, resulting in a shot that bounces forward from a shallow
pitch mark in the green surface, then rolls a fair amount. This shot is perfect for
playing short of elevation changes on a green, so the ball bounces and then rolls
up to the next level by the pin. This shot also is great in windy conditions,
especially against the wind. The PW is a good choice off tight lies, but expect a
lower trajectory and more spin.
The sand wedge (SW) creates a high, crisp trajectory with lots of backspin,
and a shot that lands and makes a medium-deep pitch mark in the green. From
this pitch mark, the ball usually bounces only modestly forward, then spins back
almost to where it first hit the green. Don’t use this shot with too much wind,
because of its high spin; into the wind, it will up-shoot and go nowhere. The SW
has too much bounce on its sole (bottom) to be effective from tight lies.
However, the bounce makes the SW an excellent choice from deep grass (rough)
and soft sand.
The lofted wedge (LW) provides a high, soft trajectory with modest
backspin (unless hit hard from a longer distance), and a shot that lands softly and
makes a medium-deep pitch mark in the green. Because the LW comes down
almost vertically, the first bounce is more up and down than forward, and the
ball tends to stop fairly quickly. If the shot is hit crisply from a tight lie, the
increased backspin can pull it back short of where it first landed, sometimes even
off the green. The LW is an excellent choice from greenside bunkers and for
many soft lob shots around the green from the
fairway or short rough. It is not a good choice from deep rough or very tall grass.
The extra-loft wedge (XW) provides the ultimate high, soft shot, one that
controls its behavior on the greens with an almost vertical landing trajectory.
While it does have some backspin, it’s usually not too much, because this shot is
rarely hit hard. (Hit the X-wedge hard and it will fly too high, becoming almost
useless.) The XW works best when hitting high, soft shots to difficult pin
positions on hard, fast greens, without having to play cut shots (which are
somewhat more difficult to control). These shots usually make shallow pitch
marks on the green as they come in softly and
from short distances. The XW is the best club from the sand for short shots
(under 10 yards’ carry), and for getting the ball up quickly over high bunker lips.
In the four video sequences in Figure 6.7.1, you can see the measurably
different launch angles of these four shots. I’ll detail what to expect on the
greens as a result.

Pitching Wedge
Sand Wedge
Lofted Wedge
Extra-Loft Wedge

Figure 6.7.1: Launch angle varies with club loft angle

6.8 Average Expectations

Table 6.8.1 lists the average general characteristics one can expect from
distance-wedge shots from the four clubs described earlier, when hit from level
lies into flat greens of normal firmness. Do not take these descriptions as gospel:
Shot behavior will always vary based on type of grass, green speed, firmness and
moisture content, wind, the ball’s lie, and the player’s finesse-swing action.

CLUB PW SW LW XW
Trajectory
Low Medium High Extra-High
Height
Spin Medium Maximum Medium-High Medium
Roll-to-Carry
20% to 50% 0% to 30% –15% to 15% –20% to 10%
Ratio
Fairway, Plush Fairways, Fairways, Light Tight Fairways,
Desirable Lies
Rough Deep Rough Rough Light Rough
Undesirable
Deep Rough Tight Fluffy Fluffy
Lies
Good (under 85 Good (under 60 Good (under 40
Good in yds.) yds.) yds.)
Performance
general Poor (over 95 Medium (over Poor (over 45
yds.) 60 yds.) yds.)

Table 6.8.1: General characteristics of distance wedges from grass

6.9 The Ball’s Pitch Mark Controls Roll

Before your shot, do you assume that how fast your ball will stop on the green
depends on how much backspin you put on it? Most golfers do.
Before your shot, do you think about how deep a crater, or pitch mark,
your ball is going to make in the green? Most golfers don’t.
In fact, the depth of your shot’s pitch mark in the green can have a greater
effect on the shot’s subsequent behavior than backspin. As illustrated in Figure
6.9.1, the depth of the impact craters made by identical incoming shots can vary
with the firmness of the green surface, influencing how far the ball bounces. The
forward momentum of every short-game shot is affected by either the depth of
the pitch mark it has made, or was not allowed to make, due to green firmness.
the pitch mark it has made, or was not allowed to make, due to green firmness.

Figure 6.9.1: The depth of your pitch mark affects the behaviour of your shot

Most golfers subconsciously understand this, especially in the context of

wet, soft greens. Every golfer who follows the pro Tours knows that when
greens are soft, the pros get up and down more often and shoot lower scores.
Why? Because they hit high, soft shots that stop almost exactly where they land
on the soft greens (their shots make deep pitch marks in the soft, wet greens, so
the ball can’t bounce forward). The pros call this “throwing darts,” because each
shot sticks where it first hits the green, and shot behavior on the greens becomes
very predictable at “zero movement.”
Figure 6.9.2 shows how pitch-mark depth is also affected by a shot’s angle
of impact. It shows that on surfaces of the same firmness, three different
approach angles can have a dramatic effect on pitch-mark depth (as long as the
surface is not concrete-hard). Again, pitch-mark depth affects the first bounce
forward. Note that neither example is concerned with how much spin is on the
ball: Spin is a separate factor and has its own effect, which is often significantly
influenced by the pitch-mark-crater depth.
 Figure 6.9.2: Angle of impact affects pitch-mark depth

I emphasize pitch-mark depth because it especially controls how quickly

your shots will stop when you are hitting distance wedges and pitch shots to
elevated and lowered greens. Examine the examples in the sidebar (below) and
make sure you understand the effect of green elevation on how balls will behave,
even when the greens are perfectly flat and of constant firmness. What you’ll
learn is that hitting a 31-foot-high distance-wedge shot to a soft green elevated
30 feet above you is like hitting onto a cement-hard green. Your shot will make
no pitch-mark crater and will roll like you can’t believe.

Pitch-Mark-Depth Effects

It’s easy to understand that the depth of a ball’s crater is affected

by the incoming angle of impact. Less obvious is that the angle
of impact can be affected by the elevation of the green relative to
the golfer and the slope of the ground from whichthe golfer hits
the shot. Look how the three angles of impact in Figure 6.9.3, for
the same wedge shot, are totally dependent on the elevation of
the greens. Since angle of impact affects the depth of the pitch
mark and the first bounce, it significantly controls the behavior
of the shot on the green.
Examine an example of this effect, shown in Figure
6.9.4, when two golfers hit the same-distance shot, with the same
height and spin, to the same flat green. The only difference is
that one hits his shot from below the green surface while the
other one hits from above. Owing to the different angles of
impact, the two shots make different-depth pitch marks and
behave completely differently upon landing.
behave completely differently upon landing.
Now look at Figure 6.9.5, where the same thing happens
to two different golfers, again hitting the same shots to the green
but this time off lies of different slopes. These effects occur all
the time on the course, with golfers blaming themselves for not
putting enough (or too much) spin on their shots. If anything,
they should be blaming themselves for not understanding the
effect of angle of impact and pitch-mark-crater depths.
 Figure 6.9.3 (top): Green elevation affects pitch-mark depth and shot behaviour
Figure 6.9.4 (middle): Identical shots (produced by identical swings) behave
differently, depending on green elevation
Figure 6.9.5 (bottom): The slope of your hitting ground affects your results on the
green

Distance-Wedge Swing Variations

6.10 The Grip-Down
While the primary distance controls in the 3 × 4 System are length of backswing
and club selection, there is one other way to adjust shot distance without
violating or interfering with the rest of the system.
You don’t want to “hit” the shot a little harder or “take a little off” your
swing, since those have adverse effects on a rhythmic dead-hands finesse swing.
And you certainly never want to decelerate into impact or shorten your follow-
through to reduce carry distance. The other way to adjust distance is to change
the length of your club: To take four or five yards off a shot, grip down on the
shaft about four or five inches, move a little closer to the ball, and make the
same swing.
Maybe, for your swing, four or five inches won’t equal exactly four or five
yards; the test on page 134 will clarify the relationship with your finesse-swing
shots between gripping down and shorter carry distances. When you run this test,
don’t try to reduce distance by a set number of yards. Rather, find a grip-down
position that feels comfortable (Fig. 6.10.1) and see how many yards that grip
takes off your shots.
 Figure 6.10.1: Grip down the shaft to
decrease shot distance

The ultimate performance would be to learn a precise grip-down distance

for each of your original 12 distances, giving you a total of 24 accurate shots
inside 100 yards. Sound unbelievable? Jan Stephenson did exactly this on the
LPGA Tour. She taped all six numbers onto each of her wedge shafts, and no
one on the ladies’ Tour could touch her near the greens.

Calibrate Your Grip-Down Distance Loss

The 3 × 4 System creates 12 known and repeatable

distances. Run this calibration test on each of those “swing
× club” distances.
At your practice range, find a target area that will
give you accurate feedback on ball-flight distance. A good
place would be an easily viewed slight uphill slope at the
approximate calibration distances needed for that day’s
test-for example, at your 9:00 o’clock L-wedge distance of
42 yards. Spread two towels on the ground, one at your
precise distance for that swing (in this example, 42 yards),
the other towel five yards closer (37 yards). Warm up your
swing to a different target, then get 10 balls for the test.
Try to make 10 identical, perfect 9:00 o’clock swings,
hitting all 10 balls to your target towels, gripping down
 hitting all 10 balls to your target towels, gripping down
about four inches on your L-wedge shaft on every other
shot. Figure 6.10.2 shows identical swings with alternating
shaft lengths.
Note how much shorter your grip-down shots fly,
on average, and you have a first estimate of your grip-
down distance effect. If you repeat this test several times,
you will begin to get an accurate and repeatable idea of the
actual distance effect. By repeating the test over several
different days, you can measure this effect quite
accurately, and start using it effectively on the course.

Figure 6.10.2: Identical swings with different-length clubs produce different

distances

6.11 Low Trajectories

The easiest way to vary shot trajectory from a normal lie is to change the loft of
the club you use. If you need a higher, softer shot, use a wedge with more loft. It
is a lot easier than creating a different swing or changing your mechanics. Still,
you’ll face situations when you want to change the character of a shot, which is
done by making slight changes in technique. To lower wedge-shot trajectories—
done by making slight changes in technique. To lower wedge-shot trajectories—
when hitting directly into a crosswind—either move the ball back two to three
inches in your stance or lower your follow-through and finish with your hands
low, shoulder-high at most. Either change will slightly reduce the wind effects
on your shots, which can be significant on distance wedges.
If you want a more pronounced effect, make both changes, which creates a
“knock-down” wedge shot (Fig. 6.11.1). The trajectory is even lower, while
maintaining a fair ability to stop shots on the green with lots of backspin. (Note:
You must not use your hands in the knock-down shot. Be sure to swing through
impact keeping your synchronized body turn, but let your hands keep going out
toward the target on the follow-through rather than folding up and finishing
high, as in a normal distance-wedge shot, Fig. 6.11.2.)

Figure 6.11.1: The knock-down wedge swing

 Figure 6.11.2: The 9:00 o’clock distance-wedge swing

To lower your shots even more, position the ball about four inches back in
your stance and again use a low-hands follow-through. This will minimize any
wind effect on your shot.
As you practice different-length finishes, you’ll see that even though the
ball stays on the clubface only a very short time, your follow-through has a real
effect on ball flight. The higher your hands finish, the higher the trajectory; the
lower the follow-through, the lower the shot flies. If you watch Paul Azinger on
the PGA Tour, you’ll see his follow-through is usually low, his hands barely
rising above his chest, which is why he strikes low, boring shots (as I’m
demonstrating in Fig. 6.11.3).
 Figure 6.11.3: A slightly knocked-down 9:10 distance-wedge swing

Paul’s low shots are very repeatable, very reliable, and he is a great player.
However, it takes a lot of practice and skill to execute this shot without “hitting”
at the ball at impact. As skilled as “Zinger” is, when the greens get hard and fast,
it becomes more difficult for him to hit to some tight pin positions and keep the
ball on the greens. Most golfers who try to play a short follow-through get very
“handsy” and “muscley” in the impact zone, resulting in poor control, especially
under pressure. So go with the low finish only when a low shot is absolutely
necessary and a lower lofted club won’t get the job done.

6.12 The Cut Lob

While it’s okay to occasionally play the ball back in your stance to produce
lower shots, it is not okay to play the ball forward in your stance as a means of
getting a higher trajectory. Playing the ball forward leads to one of three results,
and two of them are bad: From a forward ball position, golfers either hit shots
solidly (but with distance results that aren’t great), hit a thin skull (terrible
result), or hit it fat (terrible result).
Playing the ball significantly forward of your stance center moves it ahead
of the bottom of your natural swing arc. If nothing else in the swing changes, the
shot has to be hit fat; more likely, the golfer uses his hands or a body slide to
alter the swing (producing some solid shots and some thin skulls).
As you learned before, the bottom of a good finesse-swing arc and the
divot are where they are. That’s physics. The only way you alter that is by giving
up your true finesse swing. And if you don’t change your swing, you will hit
up your true finesse swing. And if you don’t change your swing, you will hit
behind the ball. Then what happens is that after a few fat shots “fat fear” sets in,
and the subconscious creates a new swing motion that includes a forward knee
slide during the downswing (Fig. 6.12.1), a “handsy-through-impact” action
(Fig. 6.12.2), or both. Both compensations are attempts to hit the ball before the
ground. Both create bad contact, bad shot trajectories, and bad distance control,
especially under pressure when the hands don’t work as well as they did on the
practice tee.

Figure 6.12.1: Forward ball position promotes forward knee slide

 Figure 6.12.2: Forward ball position promotes handsy wrist action and fat fear

To hit a higher shot, the first choice should always be to take a more lofted
club and make your standard dead-hands finesse swing. The second choice is to
open the clubface, aim your swing line to the left of the target, and keep your
ball exactly in the center of your stance, relative to your new swing line (Fig.
6.12.3). Keeping the ball in the middle of your stance ensures crisp contact, and
you can hit the ball as high as you want simply by opening the clubface enough
and aiming far enough left.

Figure 6.12.3: Ball position should be centered between ankles for the cut-lob shot

Remember, higher shots usually fly shorter distances, so be sure to make a

longer backswing (and, as always, a full finish) to get these shots all the way to
your target.
6.13 Calibrate Your Cut-Lob Technique

For any cut shot, you must open the face of your wedge, which can be done
many different ways. I suggest simplifying your options by adopting one
standard open-faced position, the “45-degree-open” look, as shown in the
sequence of photographs in Figure 6.13.1. Start with a normal finesse grip and
square club-address position shown on the left (aligned parallel left), then loosen
your grip without moving the left-hand position and rotate the shaft to open the
clubface until the face lines are at a 45-degree angle to the aim club (center
figure). Retighten your left-hand grip, still without moving the left hand,
reestablish your original finesse-grip position relative to your body, and flare
your left toe toward the target (shown on right). This is the normal address
position, with a normal finesse grip relative to your “aim club,” except the face
of the wedge has been rotated open to the 45-degree-open position.

Figure 6.13.1: The proper way: Rotate your clubface open while maintaining your
finesse grip
 Now that you know how to establish a consistent open-faced wedge setup,
take a towel and a laundry basket to your practice range, where you can calibrate
how that clubface performs. Walk 30 steps from the pile of balls you’ll be hitting
and set down your basket as your target. Walk seven steps to the right and lay
down the towel, which becomes your calibration towel. Return to the pile of
balls. Pick a nice area of grass from which to hit and set up your aim club
parallel left of the target basket (for help setting an aim club, see section 4.4).
With a normal square clubface, hit five shots with your normal distance-
wedge swing to your target basket. Next, without changing anything else, rotate
your clubface open to the 45-degree-open position, keep your grip square to the
target, and hit five more shots. If you truly swing just the way you did before,
with your swing still going down your aim-club line through impact toward the
basket, these five shots should go off to the right and fall short of the calibration
towel (due to the open clubface).
Continue using the same setup (aiming parallel left of the basket, the
clubface 45 degrees open) and hit five more shots. Again, the balls should fly off
to the right and short of the basket. The amount they fly to the right and short is
your cut-lob calibration angle and distance.
Walk out and measure your calibration distance by first moving the towel
to the middle of your 10-ball scatter pattern (Fig. 6.13.2). Measure visually how
far short and to the right the towel is compared to your target basket. Pick up the
towel and move it the same angle to the left and the same distance past your
basket as your open-faced shots finished right and short. Now the calibration
towel is your new swing line and swing-distance-calibration target, to help you
set up to hit shots dead to the real flagstick on the course (Fig. 6.13.3).
Figure 6.13.2: Measure your cut-lob calibration angle and distance right and short
of your target
 Figure 6.13.3: Set up and aim long and left to hit perfect cut-lob shots to the target
basket

Practice hitting cut-lob shots to the target basket by setting up and

swinging to your new calibration towel, using your 45-degree-open-faced
wedge. The more you practice this way, with an aim club aligned left and an
identifiable calibration towel on the range, the better you will learn to set up and
swing properly to the left, so you can hit cut-lob shots accurately to a flagstick
on the course.

Distance Wedges from Difficult Lies

When faced with a bad lie, you should change your setup. Here’s a simple rule:
The worse the lie, the more sacrifices you should be willing to make (in carry
distance, height, stopping distance, and general shot control or accuracy) to
better accomplish the single most important factor in achieving acceptable
results—clean, crisp contact of your clubface on the ball. Always remember, it is
all too easy to jump out of the frying pan (the bad lie) into the fire (a worse lie,
penalty strokes, double bogeys, and worse). The number-one result you want to
penalty strokes, double bogeys, and worse). The number-one result you want to
achieve from a bad lie is a safe recovery to a safe position.

6.14 From Deep Grass

Two comments when playing from grass: (1) The taller the grass, the shorter the
shaft and the longer the swing you should use; and (2) Never try to curve a shot
when you can’t get clean contact between clubface and ball.
When there’s a lot of grass around the ball, you won’t get good results, or
maintain control, if you sweep the club through and trap grass between clubface
and ball. The grass and consequent moisture on the clubface produce “flyer”
shots, which have slightly more carry and significantly less backspin than
normal, solid-contact shots. They usually don’t stop rolling until finding trouble
behind the green.
The setup changes to make from deep grass are to grip down on the shaft,
effectively shortening the club, and to play the ball farther back in your stance.
These adjustments create a steeper angle of attack and minimize the grass
compressed between the clubface and the ball. Although these shots are never
easy, they become more predictable as you learn to make better contact.

6.15 Against the Grain

Always consider the grain of the grass from which you are hitting. If it’s
growing away from the target, you must swing as if your shot distance is 25% to
50% farther than what it measures (Fig. 6.15.1). The grass is going to grab your
wedge and try to stop your follow-through, so always take a little longer
backswing and try to continue all the way to a full finish: If your club doesn’t get
out of the grass, your ball might not, either.
 Figure 6.15.1: Vijay Singh blasts from greenside rough, against the grain

When grass grows toward your target, it may make your shot fly and roll a
lot farther. This happens because so much grass gets trapped between the
clubface and the ball that all backspin is removed from the shot. It also doesn’t
help that the ball squirts out on a lower trajectory, further increasing shot
distance.
Once you have a practice green to hit to, try to find some long-grass rough
30 to 100 yards away. Don’t worry about the grain of the grass, but do notice
which way it’s growing and then go ahead and hit your shots; either direction is
good practice. The more shots you hit out of unusual situations, the more you’ll
learn how to plan your shots accordingly.

6.16 On Hardpan

Most golfers fear hardpan lies. I love them. Rather than thinking of them as
being big trouble, you can count on good results and have extraordinary control
from hardpan once you learn how to handle it.
From a bare, hardpan lie on hard dirt, move the ball three inches back from
normal position (that is, three inches behind the center of your stance), open the
clubface slightly, and aim a little left (for right-handed players), as shown in
Figure 6.16.1. Make your normal dead-hands finesse swing. These adjustments
will prevent you from hitting the ground behind the ball, bouncing the clubhead
into it, and skulling the shot. You’ll produce a slightly lower trajectory with
more backspin than you normally get from a good lie, two differences you can
learn to live with.
 Figure 6.16.1: The hardpan lie

Sometimes a low, spinning shot is not what you need from hardpan. To hit
the ball higher, open the face of your wedge more. You can even do it with a 64-
degree X-wedge as long as it doesn’t have too much bounce on the sole.
Before I explain how to hit hardpan shots high, understand what you’re
 Before I explain how to hit hardpan shots high, understand what you’re
trying to do and how the club can help. Take all your wedges and prop them up
on your kitchen countertop (lean them against a support, as shown in Fig. 6.16.2,
so they stand up). Place a golf ball at the leading edge of each club and squat
down so your eyes are at countertop level. Push the ball against each club
tightly, so you can see exactly how much margin for error you have to mishit the
shot and still make contact on the face rather than the leading edge. Each wedge
probably has a different margin for error due to its different sole configurations
(called bounce; see section 9.13 for details) in the square-face position. Realize
that if you hit a hardpan shot either thin or fat, the result will be the same
because on fat shots the club will bounce up and skull the ball.

Figure 6.16.2: The bounce on each wedge determines how high its leading edge is
above hardpan (relative to a golf ball)

Now you want to maximize the margin for error in hitting a shot high. So
take each wedge in turn and open the face slowly, back and forth (as shown in
Fig. 6.16.3 for the second club from right), while looking at the height of the ball
in comparison. Some wedges give fairly good margins for error in the open
position, and some are awful (if none of yours can be opened and still get the
face under the center of the ball, you must get some new wedges). You should
have at least one wedge in your bag that you can rotate open and still use
successfully off hardpan surfaces.
 Figure 6.16.3: Rotating the face open raises some wedges’ leading edge intolerably
high

Once you know which wedge gives you the most margin for error in the
open position, see how high you can hit it. Take some balls, your wedge, and a
piece of lumber (a 2” × 12” board, about 2 feet long, as shown in Fig. 6.16.4, is
perfect), and head to your backyard. Aim the board to the left of your target, put
a ball on the board (Fig. 6.16.5), take your address position parallel to the board,
and make sure the ball is centered in your stance, between your ankles. Grip
down on your wedge shaft two inches (the thickness of the board), and you’re
ready. The more you open the face, the higher your shots will fly.

Figure 6.16.4: A solid board (2” × 12”) is good for hardpan lie practice
 Figure 6.16.5: When practicing
hardpan lies, don’t set your target
basket in line with any windows

Be sure you can’t break anything with the occasional skulled shot, because
you’re going to hit some skulls (the margin for error is so small). But once you
get reasonably good from wood, you’ll be fine off dirt. When you feel real
confident, try hitting from cement; you’ll be amazed at how you can hit these
shots high, reasonably soft, and with lots of backspin. But don’t spend too much
time hitting off cement or the sole of your club will suffer.
time hitting off cement or the sole of your club will suffer.

6.17 Ball Above or Below Your Feet

When the ball is above their feet, most golfers have been told to beware of the
shot flying left because their swing plane will be flatter (more around their
body). This is true. However, there is a more important reason the ball flies left
from these lies on short-game shots: The greater the loft of a club, the more it
aims to the left when the ball is above your feet. Since the wedges have the most
loft, this phenomenon is most effective close to the green. Seen in a downline
view (Fig. 6.17.1), even when the player aims the leading edge of his L-wedge
straight (wide band), the loft angle of the face is actually still aiming to the left
(narrow rod). Then when his shot goes left, he thinks he made a bad swing.

Figure 6.17.1: Ball above feet: When the leading edge aims straight, the
face of a lofted wedge still aims left

This effect is not so bad on a 3-iron shot because the loft of a 3-iron is not
as great as that of a wedge. Remember: The greater the loft, the greater the aim-
left effect.
left effect.
When the lie is above your feet, minimize the aim-left effect by gripping
down on the shaft, then make up for the distance loss by taking either a longer
backswing or less lofted wedge. This keeps the lie angle of your shaft closer to
normal. But you still have to aim to the right to finish close to the pin.
When the ball lies below your feet, the alignment problem is not nearly so
bad. Because golfers tend to keep their bodies vertical, crouch down, and use a
club with a longer shaft, the only change in lie angle (and thus where they aim)
comes if they stand slightly closer to the ball than normal. With the ball below
your feet, try not to catch the heel of your club on the ground before impact
(play the ball slightly back in your stance), and don’t aim as far left on any slope
as you would aim right if the slope ran the opposite way (putting the ball above
your feet). For more details on this effect, see section 7.16.
My point here is that you should always be aware of the ground level from
which you hit your short-game shots and its effect on where you must set up and
aim.

6.18 Downhill and Uphill

Downhill wedge shots are difficult, and it doesn’t take much of a downhill slope
to create the problem. To understand what’s happening, look at Figure 6.18.1,
where normal ground level is indicated by the horizontal line and the normal
clubhead arc is the curve on the downswing. Both lines are dashed to show
where they would extend below ground. Obviously, there is no possible way to
make a centrifically powered swing from this position that will let you hit the
small (golf) ball before hitting the big (earth) ball.
This “wrong-ball-first” problem occurs because golfers like to stand
vertically in the gravitational field of the earth. They feel out of balance when
they’re tilted, and make poor swings from such positions. But changing your
orientation to the ground is the best solution to hitting downhill shots, as long as
the slope isn’t too severe.
 Figure 6.18.1: Downhill lies promote Figure 6.18.2: Tilt shoulders with downhill
hitting the ground behind the ball slope to avoid hitting fat shots

In Figure 6.18.2, Jon is standing perpendicular to the downhill surface on

which the ball lies. If he could swing this way (and keep his balance), hitting this
shot would not be a problem. The ball would come out lower owing to the slope
of the hill, but he could plan for that by using a more lofted club or allowing for
more roll after impact. Most important, he can easily hit the ball solidly before
hitting the ground.
This is my first solution to a downhill lie. Set your shoulders parallel to the
ground, keep your balance as well as you can on your backswing, then make a
good through-swing. Allow yourself to walk forward on your follow-through to
keep from falling over (Fig. 6.18.3). Play the ball in the middle (or slightly back
in your stance if you want to provide a little “fudge margin,” to avoid hitting the
shot fat), and plan on the ball coming out low and running longer than normal
once on the ground.
 Figure 6.18.3: Tilt with the slope, hit a good shot (stay down through impact), then
walk down the slope if you can’t maintain balance through your finish

When the downslope gets too steep to stand with your shoulders parallel to
the ground and make a walk-through finish, go to plan B. For this, instead of
standing down the hill, go back to standing vertically but set up aiming way left,
open your clubface (Fig. 6.18.4), and hit a cut shot from the sidehill lie you
created. Aiming far left changes the downhill lie to a sidehill lie, with the ball
below your feet (left-handers aim the other way). This is still not an easy shot,
but if you don’t catch the heel of your wedge on the ground before impact, you
can hit a cut slice around to your target, and things usually will turn out fine.
 Figure 6.18.4: Sidehill cut shots (right) are easier to hit
than severe downhill shots (left)

My last-resort shot, plan P (for Prayer) from even steeper downhill slopes
(leftmost image in Fig. 6.18.5), is the “muscle chop,” swinging down on the ball
hard from the left-aim setup (sequence Fig. 6.18.5) and hoping for the best. This
should be the last option, because no matter how much you practice, this is a
very difficult shot under pressure.
 Figure 6.18.5: The downhill chop-cut shot (no lower body turn) is the last resort

6.19 From Sand

When facing a distance-wedge shot that happens to be in the sand, anywhere

between about 30 and 100 yards, use your normal distance-wedge swing and
move the ball back one or two inches from your stance center (Fig. 6.19.1). Set
the face of the club square to your target and make a normal finesse-wedge
synchronized turn.

Figure 6.19.1: A normal distance-wedge swing with ball slightly back ensures solid
ball contact on long sand shots

The setup adjustment guarantees clean contact—ball before sand—

actually pinching the ball against the sand at impact. But this slightly more
descending blow adds backspin and takes some yardage off the shot (about 10
yards) compared to the same shot from a good lie in grass. To compensate for
this loss of distance, use a slightly longer backswing or the next-longer club.
Many golfers don’t understand what happens in the sand, so even when
they make a beautiful swing, with beautiful contact, the shot finishes short. If
they’re lucky, the ball stops on the front of the green; less lucky and they’re in
another bunker just short of the green.
Chapter 7
The Pitch Shot
From Inside 30 Yards
7.1 You Could Toss It On from Here

Now let’s move a little closer to the green.

The pitch shot probably got its name because it flies as if someone has
made an underhanded toss, or pitch, of the ball into the air and onto the green
(Fig. 7.1.1). Not as long as a distance wedge, but longer and higher-flying than
the chip, the pitch is lofted onto the green from about three to 30 yards off its
edge. After landing, it normally rolls about the same, or a slightly shorter,
distance than it flew in the air. You can and will use all of your wedges for pitch
shots, and, as you’ll soon learn, the conditions of the shot dictate which wedge is
best.

Figure 7.1.1: My non-USGA approved “pitch” shot

As you get closer to the green, the second half of each shot increases in
importance. What I mean is, with a 5-iron, which flies 170 yards then stops in
three or four, what happens on the green is not such a big concern. The premium
three or four, what happens on the green is not such a big concern. The premium
is on striking the ball—making a good swing—to get the ball on the green. It’s
almost taken for granted that if you make a good swing and hit a good shot, the
ball will stop on the green. (Once you know the softness of the greens that day,
you don’t think much about them on each shot.)
But as you get closer to the green and start using your distance wedges,
you have to worry how and where the ball will stop: Will it kick left or right? Is
the landing area uphill? By the time you’re close enough to hit a pitch shot, the
ball’s reaction on the green is critical to your success. So while the physical
motion of the pitch swing is easier to execute than the full-power swing, the
result of the pitch is judged on a much harsher scale: You either make the next
shot, your first putt, or you don’t. As a result, these are pressure-packed shots.
There are other factors contributing to the golfer’s fear of pitch shots: (1)
pitch shots are not well understood mechanically; (2) they are rarely taught by
club pros; (3) they look simple; and (4) golfers fear looking foolish, especially
on such a simple shot. Magnify these factors by some of the situations when
you’ll be hitting a pitch: lofting the ball over a bunker, water, or an expanse of
long grass around the green. Short shots with severe penalties for
nonperformance!
However, as I’ll show you, the pitch is pretty simple. You play it much the
way you do a distance wedge, except with a shorter backswing and shorter
follow-through. The follow-through is still longer than the backswing (to ensure
stability), but a pitch never has a full finish: If it did, it would be a distance-
wedge shot—and carry the ball too far.

7.2 Execution of the Pitch Shot

The mechanics of the pitch closely resemble those of the distance wedge in
many respects. Your feet should be fairly close together, no more than 14 to 15
inches apart (but at least 10 inches apart, even for small women). Don’t get them
too close together, since your stance needs to provide balance and you need to be
able to rotate your lower body in rhythm with the shot.
Start your setup with both feet perpendicular to an aim club (real or
imagined) aligned parallel left. Position the ball exactly at the midpoint between
your ankles and turn your forward foot toward the target 30 to 45 degrees
without moving your heel. This routine assures you will achieve a true centered-
in-your-stance ball position (Fig. 7.2.1). The ball should be centered between
your ankles for all good lies (just like for distance-wedge shots), to allow contact
with the ball before the club reaches its low point or divot. The bottom of your
with the ball before the club reaches its low point or divot. The bottom of your
pitching arc, just like your distance-wedge arc, will locate the center of your
divot about two to three inches forward of the center of your stance.

Figure 7.2.1: The pitch shot setup

position

Your stance should be athletic, with knees slightly flexed. Hold the wedge
lightly in your finesse grip. Stand fairly tall and let your arms relax, hanging
straight down under your shoulders.
Many golf pros teach that the lower body should remain totally still during
the pitch shot. They reason that you don’t need power from the lower body, so
they try to simplify the swing by eliminating moving parts. I don’t agree.
It’s true that you don’t want to be driving your legs on pitch shots, but you
do need enough lower-body motion to keep your body parts synchronized during
the swing. The upper and lower body must move at the same rate, so you don’t
create power but you do create rhythm. And it’s difficult to have good rhythm if
you don’t move your lower body. Golfers who freeze from the hips down
become arms-and-hands players. Rather than swinging, they swipe or hit at the
ball, producing inconsistent results, especially under pressure.
For example, on a 15-yard L-wedge pitch shot, you should take about a #2
turn away from the ball, and then a #3 turn through (see section 5.12 if you have
forgotten the turn calibrations), and your wedge shaft should come from about
forgotten the turn calibrations), and your wedge shaft should come from about
horizontal on the backswing to vertical on the follow-through (Fig. 7.2.2).

Figure 7.2.2: A horizontal-to-vertical shaft swing will deliver a 15-yard

(approximately) pitch shot

Again, like the distance-wedge shot, the swing plane includes the lines
from the ball through your shoulders (Fig. 7.2.3). Keep the club on this plane
(until your head comes up as you finish) with a synchronized finesse turn, and
you won’t have to make any compensations with your dead hands and wrists.
Start every shot, on the practice tee and on the course, with your preshot ritual: It
won’t work for you later, under pressure, unless you ingrain it into your preshot
routine along the way.

Figure 7.2.3: The clubhead stays in the swing plane on pitch shots until you stand
up in your finish
7.3 Standard Pitch Recap

1. At the perfect time in your preshot ritual, start the swing by moving
everything together—legs, hips, upper body (shoulders, arms, hands, and club)
—synchronized and in rhythm, away from the target.
2. The arms move with the rest of the body; they neither initiate the
motion, nor add any power. The fingers and hands are dead, being used only to
hold on to the club, and cock the wrists.
3. Begin your wrist cock as soon as you start your takeaway; it should
be accomplished gradually, and be completed by the end of your backswing.
4. During the through-swing, keep everything synchronized as you
swing through the ball. Your body rotation and short-to-long swing will produce
the natural, muscle-free stability necessary for efficient and repeatable pitching.

If you want to see a great 15-yard pitch, examine the sequence in Figure
7.3.1 carefully. Payne Stewart is so good at these shots, I think he’s trying to
make it almost every time.

Figure 7.3.1: The 15-yard pitch, Payne Stewart style

Other Pitch Shots

7.4 S-Wedge, L-Wedge, and X-Wedge Shots

Many golfers think pitch shots are hit only with pitching wedges. Not in my
book! All four wedges can and should be used in your pitching game (and in
your sand, distance-wedge, and chipping games, as well), because every shot
calls for different shot characteristics. If different clubs can help you shape your
pitch shots for better and more consistent results, and make them easier to hit,
then use them.
Because I firmly believe you should use all your wedges in all these ways,
I have renamed my own four wedges Perfect, Sensational, Lovely, and eXcellent
(PW, SW, LW, and XW), as you’ll see in Chapter 10. This removes any
tendency to stereotype them by name. So a sand wedge isn’t only for the sand,
and so on.
However, if you are going to be successful using four wedges inside 100
yards, you have to learn about them, learn what you can do with them, and just
as important, learn what you should not do with them. In Figures 7.4.1 to 7.4.4,
you can see that each of the four wedges creates a different launch angle for its
pitch shot, which, of course, produces different reactions on the green.
Furthermore, the clubs differ in shaft length, head weight, sole configuration,
and lie angle (see Chapter 10 for more about equipment specifications). These
differences combine to produce the specific performance of each club.

Figure 7.4.1: Pitching wedge launch angle

 Figure 7.4.2: Sand wedge launch angle

Figure 7.4.3: Lofted wedge launch

Figure 7.4.4: Extra-lofted wedge angle

Most of these clubs also can be used for cut lobs from grass, as well as off
 Most of these clubs also can be used for cut lobs from grass, as well as off
hardpan lies. Likewise, each has an application from the rough and tight fairway
lies. It’s all a matter of what the golf course gives you. The more options you can
handle, the better your chance of hitting the shot you need when you need it.

7.5 Cut Shots

As mentioned in the last chapter, if you need a high, soft shot, the most accurate
way to hit it is with a high-lofted wedge with the face square. Similarly, when
you want to hit a cut shot, lofting it even higher than the standard wedge shot,
don’t position the ball forward in your stance. Moving the ball ahead of the
center of your stance requires you to move the bottom of your swing arc forward
to hit the shot solidly. From this position, golfers either hit fat shots or slide their
knees and “chase” the ball with their hand muscles to alter their swings, as
shown in Figure 7.5.1. Here, subconscious compensations must be made.
Compare this with the beautiful cut-pitch swing of Payne Stewart in Figure
7.5.2.

Figure 7.5.1: Forward ball position requires hands and knees to overwork to avoid
fat shots
 Figure 7.5.2: Payne Stewart executes a 12-yard cut shot

To hit the high cut-lob pitch shot, follow the directions for a cut-lob
distance-wedge shot (section 6.12), modifying it for your finesse-pitch swing.
Narrow your stance, open the clubface, aim left of the target, and keep the ball
exactly in the center of your stance (between your ankles) relative to your new
swing line (Fig. 7.5.3). Spend some time beforehand learning how far left you
need to aim to fly your shots at your target (using the same general procedures as
detailed in section 6.13).

Figure 7.5.3: Setup for a cut-lob pitch shot

Test your cut-lob technique off tight and hardpan lies. This may sound
sadistic, but if you’re comfortable hitting a cut lob off hardpan, you’ll have no
problem from a good lie. Remember to keep your hands and arms soft, and let
your finesse swing and club do the work. One thing that is very different from
your normal pitch is the size of the swing necessary with a cut lob: When the
your normal pitch is the size of the swing necessary with a cut lob: When the
clubface is wide open, it’s not unusual to need a 9:00 o’clock backswing to fly
the ball just 15 yards.

Are You Making Compensations?

Once you’re comfortable hitting the short cut lob, do me a

favor. Go to a private spot—the far end of the driving range or
an empty field (so you won’t be embarrassed if you hit a few
bad shots)—and hit cut lobs with your eyes closed. Set up with
your eyes open, place the ball in the center of your stance, and
go through your normal preshot routine and ritual. But as you
start your takeaway, close your eyes (as I demonstrate in Fig.
7.5.4).
Don’t open them until the swing is finished, then look
and see how you did. Closing your eyes will reveal if you’ve
been compensating for poor ball position: If the ball is too far
forward, you’ll have trouble hitting good eyes-shut shots,
because you won’t be able to compensate with your hands or
body. If you hit good shots with your eyes closed, your ball
position is fine. If, however, you tend to hit behind the ball,
move it back a little in your stance.
I ask my pros to hit practice shots with their eyes closed
all the time. They usually perform just as well with them shut
as open. What does that tell you?
 Figure 7.5.4: The eyes-closed, 15-yard cut-lob pitch shot

7.6 Pinch Shots

Do you understand what produces spin? To impart backspin (spin that would
bring the ball back toward the golfer), the face and force of the club must contact
the ball below the ball’s center of mass. Figure 7.6.1 is a simple sketch of that
happening.

Figure 7.6.1: Lofted wedge face contacts ball below center, producing backspin

Therefore, it follows that overspin (or topspin) is produced by making

contact with the club above the ball’s center of mass (Fig. 7.6.2). However, it’s
hard to do this without skulling the shot: That’s why thin and skulled shots fly so
low and so far—no backspin. In reality, most golfers who talk about applying
overspin actually are referring to the condition of “less than normal” backspin.
It’s minimal because although they may have made contact below the ball’s
center of mass, it isn’t much below and the other conditions necessary for
backspin are not present.

Figure 7.6.2: Skulled wedge shot contacts ball above center, produces overspin

What are those conditions? Primarily the loft and angle of attack of the
clubhead, and the surface below the ball. When the surface is firm, offering good
resistance, the ball actually can get “pinched” against it (Fig. 7.6.3). When the
ball is pushed down and dragged along a firm surface, the “pinched” cover of the
ball is stretched, then snaps back, producing some extra backspin. (It often
damages the cover, which you see after the shot.)
 Figure 7.6.3: Descending blow pinches ball against hardpan, producing maximum
backspin

The clubhead’s angle of attack to the ball is the exact direction of the
clubhead’s movement (can be horizontal, upward, or descending), through
impact. Even when no pinching is involved, the downward swing strikes a more
glancing blow, and results in more backspin than when the clubhead moves
horizontally, as in Figure 7.6.1. These spin differences can significantly affect
whether or not the ball stops near the hole.

7.7 Minimum vs. Maximum Spin

To consistently pitch your shots and stop them within the “Golden Eight” feet
surrounding the flagstick, you should be aware of how much or how little
backspin can be imparted on shots from different lie conditions (as shown in Fig.
7.7.1) when:

1. There’s nothing beneath the ball to pinch it against; typically when

the ball sits up high in the grass.
2. The surface beneath and close to the ball is fairly firm, so the ball can
be pinched against it; e.g., a normal lie on fairway grass.
3. The ball is in direct contact with something hard like hardpan dirt or
sand. It’s very easy to pinch the ball against the dirt or drag it through the sand
with any downward swing. (A horizontal swing will pick it cleanly off the
surface with no pinching, or else produce a skulled shot.)

Figure 7.7.1: A ball’s proximity to a firm surface affects how much spin can be
applied

On the golf course, one can use this knowledge of backspin and whatever
is below the ball to determine what kind of shot to play, how much backspin it
will have, and where you want it to land.
will have, and where you want it to land.
I recommend using one of two swings to control the backspin on your
pitch shots—one for maximum backspin, and one for minimum backspin. Both
are reliable and consistent. Once you decide which to use, you must read the
green for that shot. If you then execute reasonably well, you will end up near the
hole.
To achieve the minimum-backspin-shot swing, you must always execute
the same way, from all the lies—by making your clubhead travel horizontally
through the impact zone. This can be achieved with a stiff wristed (no wrist
cock) swing, in which the angle of approach to the ball is low and stays low after
impact, as seen in Figure 7.7.2. It also helps to use as little loft as possible, by
taking a lower lofted club, and contacting the ball as near its center as you can.

Figure 7.7.2: The zero-wrist pitch shot produces minimal backspin

To produce maximum backspin, create the most descending blow you can
and pinch the ball as firmly as possible against the surface beneath it (Fig. 7.7.3).
If there’s nothing beneath the ball, a more descending motion will produce a
low-trajectory shot but only moderately more backspin. Increasing your
clubhead loft at impact by opening the face will also increase spin a little, as
impact occurs farther below the ball’s center of mass. This will produce some
backspin, but not as much as in the pinching action discussed above.
 Figure 7.7.3: Pinching with a descending blow maximizes backspin

Shot Behavior
7.8 Don’t Hit into Slopes

Here is an example of how golf, especially pitching, is more than simply hitting
the shots.
Every year at the U.S. Open, I hear a few players complain about how the
officials who set up the course are evil, unfair, and trying to keep them from
shooting too far below par. Players think this because every Open course seems
to have a few greens that behave oddly. When players hit to these greens, the
surface is so hard and fast that the shots don’t hold but roll into trouble behind.
Unless the shot is absolutely perfect—landing on the right spot near the front,
with maximum backspin—it has no chance of staying on the putting surface. But
if they try to land the shot short and bounce it onto the green, the ball stops short.
The front of these greens appear to be much softer than the surfaces themselves,
so the (expletive deleted) officials are blamed for watering the front of the
greens but not the greens themselves.
One year, after talking to the course superintendent and learning that the
fronts of the greens had not been watered, yet still hearing the players’
complaints, I decided to investigate to find out what was really happening. I
learned that it was a simple matter of golfers not understanding the physics of
slopes and bouncing balls.
Begin by understanding that a golf ball bounces off a firm surface (when it
makes no significant pitch mark) like a beam of light bouncing off a reflective
surface (Fig. 7.8.1). The physical law describing this says the incoming angle
equals the outgoing angle. That’s how most drives bounce off a hard fairway
(Fig. 7.8.2): The lower the ball comes in, the lower and farther it bounces
(Fig. 7.8.2): The lower the ball comes in, the lower and farther it bounces
forward; the higher it comes in, the higher and shorter it bounces out and
forward. We see it, and expect it, on drives and fairway wood shots that we
perceive as having little spin.

Figure 7.8.1: Light beam bounces off reflective surface; angle of incidence
(incoming) equals angle of reflection (outgoing)

Figure 7.8.2: Low drive bounces low off hard fairway

But golfers don’t carry that understanding to iron shots flying into greens.
There, we make two mistakes: (1) we expect backspin to stop an iron shot close
to where it lands; and (2) we have no idea how changing the slope of the landing
area changes the angle of the bounce.
Mistake 1 is explained in section 6.9. It’s the ball’s pitch mark depth that
primarily controls the first bounce, not the spin. When a ball lands on firm
fairway grass short of a green and there’s no pitch mark, the bounce should
follow the laws of physics (the outgoing angle should equal the incoming angle).
It’s mistake 2 that gets us. Figure 7.8.3 shows what happens when the
slope of the landing area is changed by 10 degrees. This changes the bounce
angle by twice that—20 degrees. (It’s a change of 10 degrees on the approach
plus 10 degrees on the bounce—20 degrees total.) That’s the explanation of U.S.
Open greens. A small change in the slope of the landing area makes twice as big
a change in the bounce angles of shots landing there.

Figure 7.8.3: PW pitch shut bounces 20 degrees higher off 10-degree slope
(bottom) compared to flat surface (top)

Here’s a more extreme example of this effect (Fig. 7.8.4). Imagine you are
hitting a pitching-wedge shot into a hard green with lots of trouble behind it. The
area in front of the green has a modest 22-degree slope. Your shot is perfect, so
you expect it to land just short of the green, coming in on a normal 45-degree
approach angle, and bounce 45 degrees forward onto the green. But when it hits
the 22-degree-sloped landing area, the bounce angle is changed by almost 45 (22
times 2) degrees. Instead of bouncing 45 degrees forward, the ball bounces 90
degrees—straight up into the air! It doesn’t bounce one inch forward, and
wouldn’t bounce forward if the landing area were concrete. All because of the
physics of bounce angles, not water or U.S. Open officials.
 Figure 7.8.4: PW pitch shot bounces straight up, not forward, off 22-degree surface

The lesson is this: Don’t land your pitches on slopes. If you try pitching
into upslopes, you will probably finish short of the pin. Conversely, when you
pitch onto downslopes, the effect is reversed and the ball will bounce forward
lower by twice the downslope angle, sometimes so far forward it won’t even stay
on the green. So if possible, always pick the shot that will land the ball on flat
ground, where you can judge the first bounce and roll more accurately.
It’s worth making the point here that this effect is exaggerated, or much
more noticeable, with wedges because their approach angles are so steep. People
don’t think about it as much with a 6-iron because the shot isn’t coming in on
such a steep angle and at least still bounces forward (although less than
expected), even off upslopes of 20 to 25 degrees.

7.9 After It’s on the Green

As I’ve mentioned previously, every short-game shot has two parts. The first
part, the physical execution, is the swing, which produces the different
characteristics of trajectory, velocity, and spin that you learn so you can land the
shot on a particular spot. The second part is the reaction of your ball to the green
after it lands. You must be able to anticipate this reaction, to “read the shot.” It’s
the same if you want to be a good putter: You must be able to perform the
mechanics of putting plus read the green to know how the ball will react. To be a
good short-game player, you must be able to hit the shot and know what’s going
to happen to it. Messing up either part ruins the end result, unless you are lucky.
And good players don’t depend on luck.
You’ll never have an accomplished pitching game if you can’t land your
shots consistently on the spot you want. You must be able to do this with every
wedge in your bag. That’s the first part, execution, which I’ve talked about a
little bit already and will discuss more in Chapter 12. Right now, it’s time to
detail the different responses you can expect from pitch shots with each club on
the greens.
A key to pitching success is practicing with each of your wedges. Each
club will produce a different trajectory, different height, different backspin
characteristics, and different bounce and roll behavior on the greens. While this
may seem overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. I’m not suggesting you practice,
master, and memorize every possible pitch-shot situation. But you do need to
practice enough to learn which combinations work best for you and are easiest
for you to visualize and produce. You must practice enough to develop a favorite
shot, while knowing which shots to avoid. The favorites will become the shots
you go to when the pressure is on because you can execute them with confidence
and reliability.
The next few sections cover generic behavioral characteristics of the pitch
shot. As you read them, some facts will stick out and stay with you; others may
not mean a thing. The only way you’ll ingrain any of them in your game is to see
for yourself what works and what doesn’t. My observations are based on
research, and I believe in them 100 percent. But, as the old saying goes, you
have to “see it to believe it.” In the end, you’ll have to practice for yourself.
I recommend landing all pitch shots at least three feet onto the green
surface and not in the fringe. I would rather hit a higher, softer shot with a 64-
degree X-wedge and land it safely on the green, than take a lower lofted wedge
and try to bounce the ball through the fringe. The fringe will produce more bad
bounces than will the putting surface. Fringes are not designed to be pure,
smooth surfaces; greens are. Most fringe areas are not top-dressed, aerified,
rolled, verticut, and smoothed to produce the consistent results that great up-and-
down play requires. Fringes are for flying over, greens are for flying onto.
(Unless you’re playing Augusta National, in which case the fringes are smooth,
and may be safer than those lightning-fast greens.)
How do you control shots after they land on the putting surface? Some
 How do you control shots after they land on the putting surface? Some
players hit the ball low and spinning, while others bring shots in high and soft.
Both techniques will work if properly executed and the greens behave
predictably (unless pin locations require an unavailable stopping distance).
However, I’ve noticed that the best finesse players use shot trajectory more often
than spin to control the bounce and roll on greens. If you watch the likes of Tom
Kite, Tom Watson, and Seve Ballesteros, you see a lot of high, soft shots that
float up to and stop near the hole. Of course, they can, and do, hit low, spinning
shots when necessary. But a soft shot dropping almost vertically will not bounce
or roll too far no matter how soft, hard, or moist the green. Soft, high shots are
very predictable when well executed. A well-struck, low, spinning shot is still
completely dependent on the amount of spin and the condition of the exact spot
on the green where it makes contact (for example, spinning balls don’t stop well
on wet or moist greens). And perhaps most important, the player has to create
just the spin he wants with execution and ball contact; it’s easier to hit the ball
soft and high, with less spin, time after time.
Which shot and club you select should be determined by your skill at
executing that shot, plus the shot’s margin for error and probability for success.
And don’t forget your subconscious. If you’re not sure about a shot, give your
subconscious a chance to help you decide. Imagine the shot, try to make a
preview swing and feel it, and see how your subconscious feels. Give it the
chance to join in the preparation process for the shot. That’s why my short-game
mantra is “see it, then feel it, and when you like it, do it.”
Very simply, if you feel you can get your ball closer with a flop shot than
with a bump-and-run, you should use your flop shot, and vice versa. Remember,
the goal is to leave yourself with the shortest possible putt.

7.10 P-Wedge Flight vs. Roll

A look at some pitching-wedge data will give you an idea how these shots react
for PGA Tour players. If you get the general flavor of what to expect from these
shots when they are well executed, it will help when you begin to practice your
own shots.
I ran this test with five different players, each hitting 50 shots at each
distance, with a variety of conditions: across, with, and against the grain; on dry
and wet green surfaces; on bent and Bermuda grass greens. All shots were hit
with the players’ normal finesse pitching swings, with no attempt to create extra
spin or height. These were simple pitch shots to flat areas of greens rolling at
average speed (between 7.5 and 9.0 as measured by a Stimpmeter). I tabulated
average speed (between 7.5 and 9.0 as measured by a Stimpmeter). I tabulated
the results so you can see an average performance, something you could look for
when you’re facing similar situations.
In Chart 7.10.1, you can see that pitching-wedge shots (49-50 degrees loft)
hit across grain rolled approximately the same distance on the bent grass green
that they carried in the air. These shots rolled a little less on Bermuda grass. The
result gives you a good baseline, and is easy to remember: When you pitch the
ball with your P-wedge, expect a 50-50 split of carry distance to roll distance
under these kinds of average conditions.

Chart 7.10.1: Carry

vs. roll distance for
PW shots
Conditions: Pitching
wedge. Standard
trajectory, average
backspin. Greens: Dry.
Speed: 7.5–9.0

But not all shots are across grain to flat pin positions. In Charts 7.10.2 and
7.10.3, you can see that when the pros pitched with and against the grain, there
were large differences on the Bermuda green—hitting into the grain killed the
roll, while hitting with the grain increased the roll—but only small effects on the
bent grass green. So when hitting a pitch to a Bermuda green, check whether
your shot will be coming in with or against the grain of the grass before you
decide how far to fly it. On bent, however, it doesn’t matter much.
Chart 7.10.2: Grain effects
on Bermuda greens
Conditions: Pitching wedge
(loft: 49° or 50°). Standard
trajectory, average
backspin. Greens: Dry.
Speed: 7.5–9.0
 Chart 7.10.3: Grain
effects on bent greens
Conditions: Pitching
wedge (loft: 49° or 50°).
Standard trajectory,
average backspin.
Greens: Dry. Speed: 8.0-
9.0

What about wet greens? Shots were first hit to dry greens, across grain,
and measured. Then the greens were thoroughly watered, and the same shots hit
again. It is clear that pitch shots are more affected by rain when playing to bent
greens than Bermuda greens (Chart 7.10.4).
 Chart 7.10.4: Dampness
effects of bent and
Bermuda green
Conditions: Pitching
wedge. Standard
trajectory, average
backspin. Greens: Dry.
Speed: 7.5–9.0

Don’t take these data and charts too seriously, because your shots will
behave a little differently, based on your swing mechanics. Use this information
as a guideline to begin learning about the second half of your pitch shots when
you practice.

7.11 Loft Affects Roll

When I was taking the data of the Tour pros, I had them hit shots to the same
greens with other wedges besides the P-wedge. This information will further
help you learn the details of your game. Again, don’t take it as gospel; use it as a
general guideline.
When looking at a shot, begin by thinking that if you hit it with a pitching
wedge, the ball will roll about as far as it flies. Then modify this estimate by the
conditions of the green, as discussed above. Also remember that if you bring
your shot in higher, the ball will make a deeper pitch mark in the green and will
stop faster.
Look at the pros’ average results—on flat, dry, bent, and Bermuda grass
greens—comparing shots with a sand wedge and lofted wedge to the pitching
wedge (Figs. 7.11.1 and 7.11.2). While the pitching-wedge roll roughly equaled
wedge (Figs. 7.11.1 and 7.11.2). While the pitching-wedge roll roughly equaled
the carry in the air, sand-wedge shots rolled less, about two-thirds as far. L-
wedge shots rolled only one-half as far as they flew (when I say “rolled,” I mean
how far the balls moved after first contacting the green, bounce plus roll).

Figure 7.11.1: Carry vs. roll for different loft wedges (bent grass)
Conditions: PW (loft: 49°–50°); SW (loft: 54’–55°); LW (loft: 59’–60°). Standard
trajectory, average spin. Greens: bent. Speed: 8.0–9.0

Figure 7.11.2: Carry vs. roll for

different loft wedges (Bermuda grass)
Conditions: PW (loft: 49°–50°); SW
(loft: 54°–55°); LW (loft: 59°–60°).
Standard trajectory, average spin.
Greens: Bermuda. Speed: 7.5–9.0
 These numbers, while not exact for any given golfer or particular shot, are
a good indication of what you can expect on your shots. On flat, firm greens,
land your pitching-wedge pitch shots about halfway to the hole. If you decide to
pitch with your sand wedge, perhaps to carry farther over the fringe, fly the ball
about 60% of the way to the hole. If you use your L-wedge, land it about two-
thirds of the way to the hole, plus or minus a little based on the green conditions.

7.12 Spin Effects

I also can give you an idea of how the spin put on wedge shots will influence a
shot’s behavior on the greens. In general, you can increase the spin on any shot
by cocking your wrists and making a more descending blow than normal.
Playing the ball slightly back in your stance and pinching it against a firm
surface will maximize spin. To minimize spin, keep your wrists straight (zero
wrist cock), and sweep through impact with as little loft as possible (relative to
what the shot will allow). If you don’t need either maximum or minimum spin,
you probably can get more consistent results by playing your normal pitch swing
and producing what I call the “normal” (mid) amount of spin.
I had the Tour pros try the same shots with each of these three spin
techniques (maximum, minimum, mid). Chart 7.12.1 shows the results of their
pitching-wedge shots. You can see that by pinching these shots, they stopped
them in about half the distance of their minimum-spin shots.
 Chart 7.12.1: Carry vs. roll effects for different spin rates (PW shots)
Conditions: PW (loft: 49°–50°). Speed: 8.0–9.0 for bent, 7.5–9.0 for Bermuda. Grain:
minimum for bent and across for Bermuda.

Hitting shots with their sand wedges produced the results shown in Chart
7.12.2. This time maximum spin stopped the shots even faster (shorter roll). And
when they used their lofted wedges (Chart 7.12.3), their shots stopped shorter,
and shortest of all when they were pinched.

Chart 7.12.2: Carry vs. roll effects for different spin rates (SW shots)
Conditions: SW (loft: 54°–55°). Speed: 8.0–9.0 for bent, 7.5–9.0 for Bermuda. Grain:
minimum for bent and across for Bermuda.
 Chart 7.12.3: Carry vs. roll effects for different spin rates (LW shots)
Conditions: LW (loft: 59°–60°). Speed: 8.0–9.0 for bent, 7.5–9.0 for Bermuda. Grain:
minimum for bent and across for Bermuda.

There are a few other interesting results in this data:

1. Balls can be stopped faster on Bermuda grass greens than on bent

grass greens of similar speed and firmness. Remember this if you play different
courses around the country or the world.
2. The higher the pros hit their shots, the less effect spin had on where
the balls stopped. This should prove to you that the higher your shots come into
greens, the less important spin is.

Relate this information to the advice everyone hears for short shots: “Get
the ball on the ground and running as soon as you can.” This axiom is true for
those amateurs who cannot control how far they fly their wedge shots. But the
pros often get their best results by bringing shots in high, landing them close to
the pin—rather than the edge of the green—and not worrying about how far they
will roll. As your pitching improves, you’ll be able to hit shots this way, too.

7.13 The Grass Menagerie

To be a complete player, you must be knowledgeable about the different results
produced by the types of grass you’re likely to encounter. In this country, that
produced by the types of grass you’re likely to encounter. In this country, that
usully means bent, rye-, blue-, Bermuda, and Kikuya grasses. Characteristics of
shots hit from bent, rye-, and bluegrass are relatively easy to predict, because the
grass (unless extremely long) doesn’t grab your clubhead as it heads into and
through impact. They are finer, weaker blades, so the club slides through them
without much effect, and the moisture content and firmness of the dirt below
your ball are the main outside influences you need to worry about.
Bermuda grass is much more difficult to pitch from, especially in southern
and coastal climates where the grain (the direction the grass grows) runs strongly
in one direction or another. Chipping from Bermuda fringe is easy, perhaps
easier than from bent, because the ball tends to sit on top of the short, thick,
snarly blades. Pitching is a different story, particularly against the grain. Take
several serious practice swings when pitching from Bermuda to judge the effect
of the grain on your clubhead through the impact zone. Get as close as you can
to an exact replica of the grass where your ball lies without moving it. Take
several practice swings, watch and feel your cluhhead pass through, and
visualize what will happen in your real swing. When pitching against Bermuda
grain, always move the ball back slightly in your stance to assure solid contact
from a more descending blow. You want to get the ball up and out as quickly as
possible so that when the club gets caught in the grass and slows down, the shot
is already away.
Kikuya grass is the rarest of the grasses mentioned, which is fortunate
because it presents the most difficult problems when hitting distance wedges,
pitches, and chips. It is the dominant grass in Japan, but I have played on it in
California, at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. Kikuya plays like triple-
strength Bermuda, with similar grain effects. It is tough even when pitching and
chipping with the grain. To handle Kikuya, use very short clubs and practice
making clean, crisp contact with the ball. If you’re tall, grip down so your lower
hand is completely on the shaft, below the grip; shorter players can get away
with a few fingers of the bottom hand actually on the shaft.
What about the different grass on the greens? You will find Bermuda,
bent, and ryegrasses on most greens in the United States, and they have seriously
different effects on the ball after it lands on the putting surface, as shown in the
previous section. But there are many new types or strains of bent and Bermuda
grasses, as well as several new grasses, so here are a few general rules:

1. For greens cut to the same grass height, expect more roll on bent
greens, a little less on the thicker, stronger-bladed Bermuda.
 2. Expect almost no effect from the grain on bent grass, unless it is long
enough for you to see it lying in one direction or the other.
3. Bermuda grain will have a strong influence on the roll of your chip
and pitch shots. Hitting into the grain, the ball will stop much more quickly;
when the grain is with you, the ball will roll farther than normal.

Since you’ll be only a few yards off the green on a pitch shot, take a few
extra seconds to walk and look from your landing area to the hole to see how the
grain runs. Ask someone in your foursome or the pro shop before the round what
kinds of grasses are on the fairways, roughs, and greens; it can make a
difference.

Pitch-Shot Variations
7.14 Avoid Humps, Look for Valleys
I always recommend pitching to a flat area of a green, not to an upslope or
downslope (see section 7.8 for details), because it’s easier to judge how your
shot will bounce and roll off a flat surface. However, flat spots are not always
available. If you must pitch onto uneven terrain, try to land the ball in a
depression, not an elevation. Here’s why:
In the center of Figure 7.14.1,1 have diagrammed the perfect sand-wedge
shot to a perfectly flat green: It lands and then rolls the perfect distance to the
hole. However, since no one is always perfect, I’ve also shown how a shot hit
slightly short of or past the perfect landing spot will behave. As logic would
suggest, a shot hit three feet short of the perfect landing spot ends up about three
feet short of the hole. A shot that lands three feet past the desired mark rolls only
about three feet past the hole.
 Figure 7.14.1: Pitch-shot execution errors can be magnified, unchanged, or
minimized, depending on where they land

At the top of Figure 7.14.1, there’s a hump at what otherwise would be the
perfect spot to land the same sand-wedge pitch. But again, since nobody is
perfect spot to land the same sand-wedge pitch. But again, since nobody is
always perfect, I also have shown how slightly long and short shots will behave.
As you can see, these are not so good. The shot that lands three feet short of
perfect will hit on the upslope of the hump, bounce up in the air (it’s those
incoming/outgoing angles again), and finish nine feet short of the pin; the shot
that lands three feet long hits on the downslope, kicks forward, and scoots nine
feet past the hole. The hump magnifies any error you make.
Compare the hump to the bottom of Figure 7.14.1, in which a depression
or valley is at the perfect landing spot. All three shots—the one hit short, the one
hit perfectly, and the one hit too long—finish in the same place right by the hole.
The short shot hits the downslope and kicks forward; the long shot hits the
upslope and doesn’t bounce as far. The one in the middle bounces “normally.”
And that’s why you would like to aim all your shots at valleys rather than
humps.
Here’s a test. You are faced with a shot that is 30 yards to the pin, as
shown in Figure 7.14.2. The first eight yards is sand, so a bump-and-run is out.
You can choose a pitching wedge, carry it halfway to the pin, land it on the flat
spot on the green, and if you hit it perfectly, it should roll close to the hole. Or
you can choose your sand wedge and fly it about 60% of the way to the pin, to
land in the bottom of the valley, so no matter how well you hit it, the ball should
roll close to the hole.
 Figure 7.14.2: Should you use your P-, S-, or L-wedge for this pitch shot?

Or you can fly your L-wedge two-thirds of the way to the pin, to the top of
the mound, and maximize any error you commit in your swing. It’s your choice.
The smarter you play, the luckier you’ll get. And the better you understand the
game, the easier it is to make the smart decisions. (The answer, by the way, is
the sand wedge. But you knew that.)

7.15 Gripping Down

In section 6.10, I discussed how gripping down on your distance-wedge shaft

will reduce the distance of those shots. The same principle applies to pitching
and all short-game shots. If you are worried about hitting a soft enough shot—
say, the landing area is downhill—grip down on the shaft. By effectively
shortening the dub, you take power out of your shots.
Internalize the feel for a shorter club at your practice green. Drop a few
balls about 30 steps from a target pin. Pitch three or four shots to the pin with
any club, using your normal swing and execution. Then grip all the way down to
the end of the grip, putting your right index finger (for right-handed golfers) just
onto the bare shaft, as shown in Figure 7.15.1. Pitch 10 more shots to the same
onto the bare shaft, as shown in Figure 7.15.1. Pitch 10 more shots to the same
pin. You will have to stand closer to the ball, crouch down a little, and make a
much bigger swing to get the balls to the hole. The longer swing indicates that
the shorter club has cut the power on the shot.

Figure 7.15.1: Gripping down on the

shaft reduces power delivered to the
shot

If you really want to get comfortable with the gripped-down pitch shot,
find a difficult downhill shot and run the test again. First, pitch with a full-length
shaft, followed by several shots to the same pin with a gripped-down grip and
shortened club. You’ll quickly learn the truth about many delicate shots around
the green: It’s easier to control the ball with a short club and a long swing than
with a long club and a short swing. This truth stands strong for all the wedges.

7.16 Uneven Lies

I’ve been credited with saying that golfers hit their short-game shots much
straighter on the practice tee than on the golf course. Of course, I didn’t just say
this: I saw it happen and I measured it. Then it took me several years to figure
out why.
The reason is the ground beneath the golfer’s feet. Many players don’t
 The reason is the ground beneath the golfer’s feet. Many players don’t
understand that even on short shots around the greens, ground level influences
aim.
The importance of aim, and how to aim properly, is discussed at length in
sections 4.3 and 4.4. However, those sections assumed you were standing on
level (horizontal) ground and hitting shots off level ground. However, many
short-game shots start with the ball above or below the player’s feet, creating all
manner of directional problems.
First, let me define what I mean by the aim, or alignment, of your wedge.
Figure 7.16.1 shows the golfer’s perspective of a wedge on level ground: The
wide bar is aimed from the leading edge of the clubhead toward the target. The
smaller, round rod is aimed in the same direction, but points up along the
approximate launch angle the ball would leave on if it were hit off the face five
lines up from the bottom of the club (which is where most clubs feel the most
solid). For clubs soled properly on level ground, both bar and rod point in the
same direction. So whether you skull a wedge shot off the club’s leading edge or
hit it perfectly on the fifth face line, it will fly the same direction (although not
the same distance or on the same trajectory). The true launch direction of the
well-struck shot is what I call the “face aim” of the wedge, because wherever the
wedge face is aimed, that is where the shot will fly (unless the wedge is moving
sideways on a cut shot).

Figure 7.16.1: Leading-edge aim

(wide bar) and face aim
(narrow rod) of a wedge
 As I said, this doesn’t create a problem on level ground. However, many
right-handed golfers have been told that when the ball is above their feet, they
should aim a little to the right to compensate for the flatter, more around-the-
body swing that results in a right-to-left hook.
But that’s only part of the truth. Aiming a little to the right works well for
full-swing long-iron shots. It does not work as well for short-game shots.
Look at the directional rod coming off the face of a 60-degree L-wedge
(Fig. 7.16.2). When you place the ball above your feet and stand in a normal
posture, the clubhead is higher than your feet. This not only flattens the swing
plane, it also points the wedge’s face aim dramatically to the left due to the
severe loft of the clubface. The direction of the “leading-edge aim” doesn’t
change (so if you skull the shot off the leading edge, it will fly straight and not to
the left). The problem I discovered follows from the fact that golfers aim with
the leading edge of their wedges without realizing that this positions the face aim
well left of their intended target.

Figure 7.16.2: When the L-wedge

leading-edge aim is slightly right of
the pin, the face aim is still to the left

Conversely, when the ball is below the feet, it probably will go to the right,
 Conversely, when the ball is below the feet, it probably will go to the right,
right? Wrong. When the ball is below the golfer’s feet, he does not have to
change his posture or his swing plane so much. Instead, he crouches down a little
more than usual and uses a longer-shafted club to reach the ball (Fig. 7.16.3). If
he makes a good swing, hitting the ball solidly without catching the heel of the
club on the ground, the ball usually flies dead straight to where he aimed. So
while most golfers aim a little left to allow for a fade when the ball lies below
their feet, I’ve measured that they miss this shot to the left more often than not.

Figure 7.16.3: L-wedge leading-edge

aim and face aim point in nearly the
same direction when ball is below
feet

Once you understand the phenomenon of uneven-lie alignment, it’s easy to

see why golfers perform poorly around the greens, especially on modern golf
courses lined with moguls. (Look at Pete Dye’s notorious Stadium Course at
PGA West, in LaQuinta, California, in Fig. 7.16.4.) Learn to aim your pitches
accurately and you’ll have a leg up on your competition before you swing.
Figure 7.16.4: The humps, bumps, and moguls of PGA West are a golfer’s
“uneven-lie-heaven,” courtesy of Pete Dye

Uneven Lies Cause Alignment Problems

Here are three face-aim directions—when the ball is

above, below, and level with the feet—for an L-wedge
when its leading edge is aimed straight at the target (Figs.
7.16.5, 7.16.6, and 7.16.7).
Compare these to the face aims taken by the same
golfer, who now is aiming the leading edge of his L-wedge
slightly right and left to compensate for the effects of the
same two uneven lies on his swing plane (Figs. 7.16.8 and
7.16.9). This is how most golfers actually align their
wedges, and causes their poor directional results from
sidehill lies.
Figures 7.16.10 and 7.16.11, is the proper
“leading-edge aim” the golfer should use to accomplish
the proper face aim of his L-wedge for these lies.
 Figure 7.16.5 (left): L-wedge, ball above feet: when leading-edge aim is at target, face
aim is left
Figure 7.16.6 (center): L-wedge, ball below feet: when leading-edge aim is at target, face
aim is almost straight
Figure 7.16.7 (right): L-wedge from level ground: when leading-edge aim is straight, face
aim is straight
 Figure 7.16.8 (top left): L-wedge, ball above feet: when leading-edge aim is slightly
right, face aim is still left
Figure 7.16.9 (top right): L-wedge, ball below feet: when leading-edge aim is slightly
left, face aim is also left
Figure 7.16.10 (bottom left): Proper alignment for L-wedge, ball above feet: leading-
edge aim substantially right so face aim is at target
Figure 7.16.11 (bottom right): Proper alignment for L-wedge, ball below feet:
leading-edge aim only slightly left so face aim is at target

7.17 Tight Lies, Then Hardpan

Pitching from a tight lie, even hardpan, isn’t particularly difficult unless you try
it while using the wrong club. Wrong in the sense that many wedges have
different sole configurations (the bounce on the bottom of the clubhead), which
dramatically affect their performance. A sand wedge with lots of bounce, for
example, is particularly ill-suited for tight lies.
The sole designs of the four wedges I recommend are detailed in section
10.10, but since we’re discussing pitch shots off hardpan, look at Figure 7.17.1.
Shown are the sole designs of a typical sand and L-wedge. The large amount of
Shown are the sole designs of a typical sand and L-wedge. The large amount of
bounce on the sand wedge prevents the leading edge of the club from getting
close to the ground; that can be helpful for sand play, but off a hard surface it
would cause the club to hit behind the ball, bounce, and send the leading edge
into the center of the ball. This is the classic cause of the skulled wedge off
hardpan.

Figure 7.17.1: Different wedges

are designed with
different amounts of bounce

The L-wedge, however, has a small flange with not too much bounce,
giving the golfer a reasonable margin for error in hitting shots a little thin or
heavy without the dreaded skull. The margin for error can be increased by
opening the clubface, aiming left, and playing the ball a little back in your
stance. This technique is discussed in section 6.15 (distance wedge off a tight
lie); the same applies to the pitch shot when using X-, L-, or P-wedges.
From tight lies, you also must not let your muscles get tight or your swing
get handsy. Use your dead-hands approach to the finesse swing. Again, you can
gain confidence in this shot by practicing with your eyes closed, but only after
you learn precisely where to position the ball in your stance, and can hit great
shots with your eyes open.
Special Pitches from Difficult Lies
7.18 From Serious Greenside Rough
You will occasionally encounter serious—what I call “U.S. Open-style”—rough
around a green. The grass can be so long and deep that it’s difficult to find your
ball, even when you know it’s only a few feet off the putting surface. When
golfers encounter one of these deep-grass lies, they often step up and swing hard,
simply hoping for the best. Sorry, but normal techniques won’t work, no matter
how hard you swing. To extricate your ball and get it close to the hole requires a
well-executed plan, a specific method of delivering the clubface to the ball, and
a little luck.
I don’t want to mislead you: These are difficult shots. There is no surefire
way to free your ball and get it near the hole every time. However, there are four
shots you can play, one of which should get the ball up and out and onto the
putting surface. Each technique is fundamentally different, and requires a
fundamentally different mind-set and swing.
The four shots are the “Drop,” the “Chop,” the “Rip,” and the “Blast.”
The Drop
The idea here is to drop the club cleanly on the ball, but this shot requires two
circumstances to make it possible. First, the ball can be no more than six to 12
inches into tall grass: The shot comes out so softly, the ball cannot travel through
much more grass than that. Second, the grass has to be growing straight up so
you can drop the club down through the blades and cleanly onto the ball. That
won’t happen if the grass is folded over.
The drop swing is fairly simple. Position the ball off your right (back)
ankle, take a narrow stance, and lean as far forward as you can without losing
your balance (Fig. 7.18.1). Take a finesse backswing, fully cocking your wrists
(Fig. 7.18.2), and drop the club onto the back of the ball (Fig. 7.18.3). The
downswing should drop as straight down as possible.
You’re trying to slide the clubhead between the blades of grass, not cut
through them. If you lean forward far enough, play the ball back far enough, and
choke down on the shaft far enough, you should be able to put the clubface flush
on the ball. If you can’t make clean contact, don’t try this shot.
There is no follow-through (Fig. 7.18.4). Again, the ball will come out of
the rough low and soft, so don’t try to hit it through too much grass or very far.
 Figure 7.18.1 (top left): Setup for the drop shot from deep grass
Figure 7.18.2 (top right): Drop-shot backswing
Figure 7.18.3 (bottom left): The drop shot pops the ball out softly
Figure 7.18.4 (bottom right): The drop shot has no follow-through

The Chop
The chop works from a lie similar to the drop shot described on page 191, except
the ball can be more than 12 inches into the deep stuff. Again, you want to get
the clubface cleanly through the grass and down onto the ball. But the chop has
more power and a follow-through, and you’ll probably have to cut a little grass
since you’re going to drive the ball out of the rough rather than pop it as you do
in the drop shot.
Play the ball well back, take a slightly wider stance (but still less than
shoulder-width), and lean forward slightly (Fig. 7.18.5). Then make a longer
backswing than on the drop shot and make certain your wrists are fully cocked
(Fig. 7.18.6).
 Figure 7.18.5: Setup for the chop shot from Figure 7.18.6: Chop-shot backswing
deep grass

Chop through the grass, delivering a descending blow through the ball trying to
take a divot (Fig. 7.18.7), then follow through at least two feet past impact (Fig.
7.18.8). You probably won’t make a divot, but trying to swing through will let
you feel the power. You should see the ball fly out well ahead of the clubhead
with plenty of speed.
 Figure 7.18.7: When chopping, try to take a Figure 7.18.8: The chop shot and follow-
divot after impact through

The heavy grass will take all the backspin off the ball, so it’s going to
come out hot. Don’t choose the chop to tight pin positions; you need room for
the ball to roll after it lands.
The Rip
When your ball is lying so badly, so far down in the grass that neither the drop
nor the chop will work, try a rip swing.
I really don’t consider the rip part of the short game. It’s more a power
swing than a finesse swing, but I include it here because it can be effective from
a few yards off the green. The plan is to take a short club and rip through impact,
ignoring the fact that there’s a lot of grass in front of, around, and behind your
ball. Rip through impact and move everything, ball and grass included, forward
and onto the putting surface. Obviously, this is not a delicate shot that can be
controlled with precision: That’s okay, its purpose isn’t control, just making sure
controlled with precision: That’s okay, its purpose isn’t control, just making sure
you get the ball out and forward so you don’t face a similar shot again.
Play the ball from the center of your stance (ankles), with a wide stance
(shoulder-width), and choke down on the shaft as far as you can while still
making a reasonable swing (Fig. 7.18.9). Make a big backswing, slightly past
9:00 o’clock (Fig. 7.18.10), and then rip through impact (Fig. 7.18.11), and don’t
worry where the ball is going to land or stop. The key to getting out is
accelerating through impact and a full follow-through (Fig. 7.18.12).

Figure 7.18.9: Setup for the rip shot Figure 7.18.10: Rip-shot backswing
 Figure 7.18.11: Ripping through impact Figure 7.18.12: With such a short club,
moves grass and ball forward the rip follow-through is difficult, but important

This is one shot in your short game where I advise using all the muscles in
your hands, arms, and wrists. Go ahead and release your power, finish your
swing, and make sure you get the ball out in front of you somewhere.
The Blast
Use the blast when the ball is deep and the grass is lying over or clumping
around the ball. The pin should be no more than about 30 feet from your lie.
The blast from grass is virtually identical to the blast from sand (detailed
in Chapter 9), where you take a long swing with a long club and “scoot” the
clubhead under and past the ball. The clubface never actually touches the ball;
like sand, the grass blasts the ball softly onto the green. But there is one
difference between the blast from grass and that from sand: Coming out of grass,
don’t expect much backspin, so these shots won’t bite when they land. They’ll
be soft, and they won’t roll too far, but there is no way they will bite or spin back
on the green.
on the green.
Holding your club at full-shaft length from a shoulder-wide stance, play
the ball forward, off the heel of your front foot (Fig. 7.18.13), and make a pure
9:00 o’clock backswing (Fig. 7.18.14). Then swing through and past the ball
(Fig. 7.18.15). The ball should come out high and soft. After a little practice,
you’ll develop good control as long as you complete the swing with a full, high
finish (Fig. 7.18.16).

Figure 7.18.13: Setup for the blast Figure 7.18.14: Swing back to 9:00
from tall grass o’clock
 Figure 7.18.15: The blast from grass is similar Figure 7.18.16: The ball always comes out
to the scoot-and-spin shot from sand if you finish the swing

If you commit to finishing the swing, you’ll never leave the ball in the
rough.

7.19 From Nesty Lies

The nesty lie should be called the “nasty lie,” because it is one of the trickiest in
golf. As you can see in Figure 7.19.1, the ball actually looks as if it is sitting in a
bird’s nest. Because the top of the ball is visible, golfers think they can hit it out.
However, it is almost impossible to make crisp, clean contact with a normal
pitching swing motion.
 Figure 7.19.1: A nesty lie looks
like an egg in a bird’s nest

If you swing hard and the ball comes out hot, it will fly way too far. If you
swing too easy and you don’t make clean contact, you’ll fluff the shot and may
have to try it again from just a few feet ahead.
I know of only two ways to get out of the nesty lie. If there’s a lot of room
for the ball to roll to the pin, use the chop shot, very similar to the chop used
from deep grass (section 7.18). It should allow you to make “almost-clean”
contact between the club and the back of the ball.
Position the ball well back in your stance; the nestier the lie, the farther
back you play it. I’ve often played this ball behind my back ankle, as in Figure
7.19.2. Grip down on the shaft to shorten the club, lean forward so your natural
downswing motion becomes more vertical, make a full-wrist cock on the
backswing, and chop straight down on the back of the ball, expecting a very
short follow-through. If you make good contact, the ball will come out low and
with no spin, so it rolls a long way on the green.
 Figure 7.19.2: The chop shot from a nesty lie:
Clean club-to-ball contact is the goal

When the hole is closer to you, try the blast. Just like the blast from tall
grass (see page 196), this shot is similar to a blast out of sand except the grass is
throwing the ball out with almost no backspin.
Play the ball well forward in your stance (Fig. 7.19.3), open the clubface,
and aim left-like a normal sand shot. Make a 9:00 o’clock finesse swing and
finish with a high, full follow-through. The ball will come out high and soft, and
look like a sand shot until it hits the green. There, rather than biting and
checking after the first hop, it will gently release and roll a significant distance.
 Figure 7.19.3: Blasting from a nesty lie produces a soft shot without much backspin

7.20 From Tight Quarters

When something such as a tree (Fig. 7.20.1) behind the ball keeps you from
making a normal backswing, try the “cock-it-first” swing, which is fun to play. I
say it’s fun because whenever I’m going to use it during a round, I make normal,
full-length preview backswings. Then, as my companions watch, I step up to the
ball and use my “cock-it-first” swing. Without fail, they say, “What did you do
—why did you practice one way and make a different swing?”
 Figure 7.20.1: Someone put a tree behind my ball Figure 7.20.2: My normal
backswing won’t work

Actually, I didn’t change swings. The swing of the cock-it-first is identical

to that of the normal pitch shot. The only difference is, the wrists were cocked
before the backswing began. Cocking the wrists first reduces the size of the
swing arc, so it requires less room than a normal backswing (Fig. 7.20.2), and
the club is no longer restricted going back.
 Figure 7.20.3: Cock your wrists up first in the “cock-it- Figure 7.20.4: The “cock-it-first”
first” swing backswing looks like a normal
backswing at the top

I start in a normal pitch address position, then fully cock my wrists without
moving any other part of my body (Fig. 7.20.3). From there, I move my arms
and body in a normal backswing: If everything turns away together, the top of
the backswing looks normal (Fig. 7.20.4). Then, swinging down into the ball, the
radius is smaller (Fig. 7.20.5). At impact, my body and club positions are that of
a normal pitching swing (Fig. 7.20.6).
 Figure 7.20.5: Your normal finesse downswing will fit inside the Figure 7.20.6: The
tree “cock-it-first” swing
arrives at impact looking
the same as every other
finesse swing

This works only if you do everything just like a pitch swing except for the
early timing of the wrist cock.
Practice on the range by setting your bag or a chair behind you. Alternate
shots, first your normal pitching motion with nothing behind you, then the cock-
it-first pitch in front of the restriction. With a little practice, you’ll find this an
easy shot to master, and fun to pull off.

7.21 From Impossible Stances

Here is another fun finesse swing, which will come in handy when you can’t
make a reasonable golf swing from a normal stance. You’ll use it when the ball
is sitting well higher than normal—sometimes waist high or higher (which can
happen when you’re in the bunker but the ball is outside it, as in Fig. 7.21.1)—
on the wrong side of a tree, or too close to a fence or hedge. In these
on the wrong side of a tree, or too close to a fence or hedge. In these
predicaments, most golfers would try to swing left-handed. If the pin is inside 30
yards away, I prefer to use the same club as if my lie were perfect, but swing
backward.

Figure 7.21.1: When the ball is well

above your feet, shots become
difficult

The backward swing is a simple, wrist-free motion (Fig. 7.21.2). Stand as

close to the ball as you comfortably can without worrying about hitting yourself
in the foot. The ball should be slightly in front of your toes (Fig. 7.21.3). Place
your left hand on your right shoulder: The shoulder is your pivot point, and
holding it with the left hand will remind you to keep it in place throughout the
swing, ensuring solid contact and a reasonably good shot.
 Figure 7.21.2: The backward swing

The backswing is about twice the length of the normal swing you’d make
for a shot of the same distance. (You need a larger swing motion since there is
no wrist cock providing power.) Keep the right shoulder still and focus intently
on the ball throughout the swing. Practice and you’ll get pretty good at it.

Figure 7.21.3: Ball position for the backward swing should be forward of your feet
 If you need to fly the ball more than about 30 yards, the left-handed swing
using the back side of your 3-iron or putter probably will be required to give you
the necessary distance.

7.22 From Shallow Water

Most golfers never consider hitting a ball out of the water. They’re perfectly
happy to take the penalty, utter a few deletables, and play on. However, if you
can hit a ball out of sand, you can hit it out of water—as long as it’s not more
than a few inches below the surface and you don’t try to hit it too far (Fig.
7.22.1).

Figure 7.22.1: The shot from water is

just like a shot from sand

To hit the water shot, you must have either a solid stance on the bank or be
willing to take your shoes off (or get them wet). The pros hit this shot all the
time because saving a stroke means more money to them than the cost of shoes.
(They don’t pay for shoes anyway.)
The key is to remember that water is like sand. Just like in sand, your
 The key is to remember that water is like sand. Just like in sand, your
wedge can either bounce off the water or dig into it. And again, just like when
you are in sand, the ball should be positioned in your stance well forward for
good lies (near the top of the water), and back in the middle of your stance for
the buried (underwater) lies.
Figure 7.22.2 shows what to do when no more than one-third of the ball is
underwater. Open your X-wedge all the way—90 degrees, so the face points to
the sky—which positions the maximum surface area of the clubhead on the
water at the bottom of the swing arc. Also play the ball forward in your stance,
to ensure that the club will not cut into the water; rather, it will splash, bounce
off the surface, and scoot under the ball.

Figure 7.22.2: The one-third underwater shot

Figure 7.22.3 shows a ball about two-thirds in the water. Open the face
about 45 degrees and move it back in your stance a little so it cuts into the water
to the depth of a ball. The deeper the club cuts into the water, the harder you
have to swing to maintain clubhead speed through impact.
 Figure 7.22.3: The two-thirds underwater shot

When the entire ball is just under the surface (Fig. 7.22.4), play it back in
the middle of your stance, square the clubface, and prepare to swing through
firmly enough to move all the water and the ball.

Figure 7.22.4: The completely underwater shot

If your ball is two or more inches below the water’s surface, play the ball
slightly back of your stance center, and turn the club so it enters the water, toe
first. It will then dig as deep as the power of the swing will take it. Don’t try this
shot if your ball is more than four inches below the surface, as few golfers have
the necessary swing power.

Staying Dry
 Staying Dry

If you are worried about getting wet from any water shot, wrap a towel around the right
(back) side of your body. That way, when the water comes down, the towel will be there to
protect you during the finish of the swing. Remember, your face and clothes may get wet, but
they will dry later. If you don’t save your water strokes, they stay on your score forever.

By examining the splashes in Figures 7.22.2, 7.22.3, and 7.22.4, you can
better understand how the clubhead is interacting with, and powering through,
the water:

1. Ball one-third below the surface, clubface wide open: The club
bounces off the water so almost no water moves forward. The ball comes out
cleanly, much like a bunker shot but with less backspin.
2. Ball two-thirds below the surface, clubface open 45 degrees: As
intended, the club gets deep enough into the water to get to the bottom of the
ball. A significant amount of water is carried forward by the club. The ball will
come out low and with no spin.
 3. Ball totally underwater, clubface square: The club digs the ball out.
A lot of water moves forward, and even more moves up. This shot requires a
significant amount of power, so don’t swing easy.
Chapter 8
Chipping and the Bump-and-Run
The Mechanics of Chipping
8.1 So Simple-Yet Difficult

Chipping is the second-easiest motion in golf. Only the putting stroke is

mechanically and physically simpler to perform. And yet, for many golfers,
chipping is their worst shot. Their level of inaccuracy when chipping is so high
(as measured by my PEI data), that it was initially very hard for me to
understand why. But I’ve got it now.
After studying the chipping swings and shots of a number of both Tour
professionals and golfers in my schools, I have come to this conclusion: The
chipping swing is too easy. What I mean is, because it is easy to do, you can
learn to chip with bad technique and, at least in the early stages of your game
development, your chips look good compared to your other shots. Later on,
however, this poor technique will severely limit your effectiveness.
Compounding the problem, when you finally decide it’s important to improve—
when you finally realize how many strokes you’re losing—you don’t know how
or what to do to improve.
New golfers have no idea how costly poor chipping can be to their games.
They don’t know that they’ll chip at least two to five times in every round for the
rest of their golf careers. And they don’t realize how unforgiving each chip
really is. If you stub or chili-dip a chip (hitting the ground behind the ball), it
adds a stroke to your score and you have to try again. When you run the ball way
past the hole and have to chip coming back, it’s the same thing—a wasted shot.
Even when you think you chipped pretty well, if the ball doesn’t stop inside the
“Golden Eight” feet, you’ll probably miss the first putt—another wasted stroke!
In an earlier chapter I mentioned one of the cardinal rules of the short
game: “Hit the little ball (the golf ball), before you hit the big ball (the earth).”
This is especially crucial when chipping. Hitting the big ball first produces a fat
shot, which adds a stroke to your score, creates embarrassment, and takes the fun
shot, which adds a stroke to your score, creates embarrassment, and takes the fun
out of the game. Fat shots also lead golfers to change their technique, which
usually produces thin and skulled shots. We see all these symptoms and bad
chipping in nearly every session of my Scoring Game Schools.
The chip is a simple shot made with a simple swing. It’s easy to learn, easy
to hit, and crucial to your success. It also can wreak havoc on your score if not
done well. Read the following instruction carefully, practice, and you shouldn’t
have too many problems.

Beginners, Take a Chipping Lesson

Have you ever heard of a new golfer beginning to learn the

game with a chipping lesson? Me neither. Most golfers begin at
a driving range and try to hit the ball hard and far with a driver.
Since the golf swing is not very intuitive, they usually whiff a
number of times, laugh a lot, and suffer a little embarrassment
or humiliation. Then what do they do?
Human instinct tells them they’ve got to stop missing
the ball. To be sure of making contact, they let the hands and
wrists dominate the swing since it is initially easier to control a
club this way. By the time they get around to hitting their first
chip shot, they know how to swing a club only with their hand
and wrist muscles.
Golfers who start with a lesson from a qualified
teaching pro usually do better because he (or she) won’t let
them make too many whiffs with a driver before putting a 7-
iron in their hands. He teaches them a good grip and the
fundamentals of the swing. However, few pros teach chipping
in the first five lessons, by which time most golfers have
already played a few rounds of golf, chipping to every green,
and chipped enough to know how easy it is to chip with their
hands.
If you’re teaching a friend, a child, or even learning
golf yourself for the first time, I recommend you start with
putting and chipping, using the fundamentals of the finesse
swing as detailed in this book. You’ll be amazed at how easy it
is to learn to chip, and how nicely the chipping motion leads
into finesse (and other) swings in subsequent sessions.

8.2 Dead Hands … Quiet Wrists

The chip swing is a finesse swing, rhythmic and smooth, employing a body turn
away and a return-turn through (part of the same turns described in Chapter 4
and shown in Fig. 4.12.1.) There is no coil, so no power is generated by the
lower body. The low-power turning motion helps maintain the synchronized
swing rhythm of your arms, shoulders, and club. This motion also allows you to
adjust the power transferred to your shots in small, controlled increments by
changing the length of the swing. You do not use your hands or wrists for power.
I can explain a good chipping swing very easily: Imagine that your arms
form two sides of a triangle, with the line across your shoulders the third side.
When chipping, keep the shape of the triangle constant and swing it in synch
with your body (Fig. 8.2.1). That’s all: no hand power, no lower-body power, no
adrenaline problems. Don’t let your wrists hinge or break down (and, of course,
there’s no wrist cock since you don’t want the power). Avoid the temptation to
“hit” a chip with the muscles of your hands.

Figure 8.2.1: The chipping-swing motion: Turn back (left), turn through
(right)

Standing in front of a mirror, and without a club in your hands, make the
motion a few times to internalize in your mind how it looks. Then hold a club
and, without a ball, make a few more chipping swings (Fig. 8.2.2). Remember:
no body power, no hand power, no wrist power. It’s just a smooth swinging
motion. And keep your triangle intact.
motion. And keep your triangle intact.

Figure 8.2.2: Watch your own

chipping motion

Hold on just firmly enough to keep the grip of the club in the same
position in the triangle throughout the swing. Don’t strangle the club trying to
keep your hands quiet. In fact, the tighter you grip the club, the more likely you
are to have active hands, which will “fire” through impact. (Fig. 8.2.3 shows
severe wrist breakdown.) It will take only a modest amount of “mirror” practice,
as you concentrate on rhythm, to get you making a hand-and-wrist-free swing. If
you are still too handsy and can’t get rid of the “hit impulse,” chip with a
“ChipStick” (Fig. 8.2.4; see section 13.8 for more details) or chip “left-hand-
low.”
 Figure 8.2.3: Poor chipping motion with wrist breakdown

Figure 8.2.4: View from behind: ChipStick should never touch body

Reverse the position of your hands on the grip (right-handers place the left
hand below the right, as in Fig. 8.2.5). Practice this way while focusing on the
rhythm of the swing; you may find it an effective way to chip on the course.
 Figure 8.2.5: Left-hand-low chipping: makes no-wrist-breakdown chipping easy

Another way to quiet the wrists and hands is with the method taught by the
great player and teacher Paul Runyan. He advocates swinging the club with a
pure pendulum motion while setting and maintaining substantial angles among
the elbows, forearms, and wrists (as set up in Fig. 8.2.6). As long as you don’t
“hit,” and control the power of your chips with your muscle energy, it’s OK by
me.
 Figure 8.2.6: Elbows out, large-
wrist-angle chipping

8.3 Clean Contact

Crisp, clean contact is the number one requirement for good chipping. From
normal fringe (fairly short grass) just off the green, you need to make a slightly
descending blow to hit the ball cleanly. You don’t want any grass getting
between your clubface and the ball.
In keeping with the concept of requiring less and less power as you move
from the distance wedge to pitch shots to chip shots, your chipping stance should
be very narrow, only four to six inches between the insides of your shoes. Stand
with 60% to 65% of your weight on your front foot, which will help you make a
slightly more descending swing motion down and through impact for even
cleaner contact.
Play the ball back about two to three inches behind your stance center.
With such a narrow stance, that means the ball should be no farther forward than
your back ankle (the right ankle for right-handed players), as pictured in Figure
8.3.1. Yes, that’s what I said—the back ankle. To position the ball perfectly,
address it with your feet pointed squarely at your target line (Fig. 8.3.2) and the
ball across from your back foot. Then open both toes slightly, maybe 20 degrees
toward your target, without moving your heels. You should be very close to the
ball and standing tall. Raise your hands and bow both of your wrists a bit to keep
them firm through the swing (Fig. 8.3.3).

Figure 8.3.1: Ball position for Figure 8.3.2: Start Figure 8.3.3: Point toes
chipping: on the back ankle chipping setup with feet toward target and bow
square to target line wrists for chipping

Standing tall and raising your hands should have another result—the heel
of your club will rise off the ground while the toe stays down. This is a good
clue to look for as you set up (golfers who hit chips fat should be especially
mindful of getting the heel up and toe down). Don’t worry about stubbing the toe
into the ground, because with the ball back in your stance, you will contact it
well before the bottom of your swing arc, and the ball will be gone before the
club scuffs the grass.

Arch Your Left Wrist

 While you are reading this, run a quick test. Extend your
left arm straight out in front of your body, keeping your
palm vertical and your fingers horizontal to the ground.
Move your hand from side to side in a fanning motion,
with your eyes closed. Feel how easy it is to make that
back-and-forth wrist motion.
Next, let your hand relax and, keeping your palm
vertical, let your fingers point somewhat downward.
Again, close your eyes and feel the energy required to
move your hand from side to side. It will be a little harder
than before to make this motion with your wrist.
Now, press your thumb downward and bow your
wrist down as much as you can, positioning your hand at a
strong angle to your forearm. Keeping the pressure on
your wrist to stay bowed, try to move your hand back and
forth. It will feel much more restricted this way. That’s
why you want to bow your wrists when chipping, to
restrict wrist motion and avoid the possibility of any wrist
collapse.

Be careful to align your clubface accurately in your setup, because with

the ball two inches back in your stance, the tendency is to have your clubface
open at address as shown in Figure 8.3.4. Left uncorrected, this would lead to
shots starting out to the right, so be sure to check that your clubface is
squared properly to your aim club and target line (Fig. 8.3.5). This may look
slightly closed to you at first, but don’t worry, because when your chip shots are
struck crisply, roll solidly toward the cup, and stop close to the hole, you’ll learn
to think this setup looks great!
 Figure 8.3.4: Golfer’s view looking down. Chipping from back ankle
allows clubface to open at address, which is wrong

Figure 8.3.5: Always chip with clubface square

to swing line and aim line

8.4 Make a Stable Swing

The concept of stability, discussed at length in Chapter 4, is as important in

chipping as in any other part of the game. To remain stable, use an accelerating
swing but without trying to make it accelerate. By making a follow-through
about 20% longer than your swing back (shown in Fig. 8.4.1), and using a
rhythmic, smooth finesse swing (no “hit,” no hands, no wrists, no fingers), you
guarantee the clubhead will remain stable through impact.
 Figure 8.4.1: Chipping swing: follow-through 20% longer than backswing

But don’t overdo the follow-through, either. Forcing a normal backswing

to go all the way through to waist level, as pictured in Figure 8.4.2, will force the
use of some arm-and hand-muscle power that you don’t want or need. Get into
your rhythm as you execute your preshot ritual, make a rhythmic backswing, and
let your natural finesse swing motion carry you to a longer finish. Also avoid
starting your backswing take-away with your hands. We often see this happen in
our schools after instructing students to get rhythm into their chipping motion.
Starting a chipping swing with the hands leads to cocking the wrists on the
backswing (Fig. 8.4.3) and slapping at the ball through impact.
 Figure 8.4.2: Active hand-and wrist-power promotes unwanted chipping follow-
through

Figure 8.4.3: Chipping with hand-power leads to poor performance under pressure

At address, position your hands in front of your left thigh (ahead of the
ball) and set your weight 60% to 65% over your lead foot. This puts your left
side in the “pulling position,” which, as you keep everything together through
the swing, keeps putt forward (left) arm ahead of and pulling the club into and
through impact.

8.5 Chipping Recap

Always make a few preview swings through the same grass conditions that
surround your ball. Once you see the perfect swing, step up to the ball, execute
your preshot ritual, and go. Don’t think or delay: Trust that when you repeat that
swing your result will be fine.
You should be standing close to the ball, your stance narrow, and the ball
about three inches behind your stance center, on-line with your back ankle. As
you lean slightly forward—about 65% of your weight on your front foot-keep
your hands well ahead of the ball, aligned with the inside of your left thigh, your
wrists slightly bowed. Stand close enough (crowd the ball) to raise the heel of
your club slightly off the ground so the toe is down, and using parallel-left
alignment, keep the clubface aimed squarely down the target line.
Make your finesse swing with your upper and lower body synchronized as
you turn away and follow through. Keep your wrists firm but not tight; there
you turn away and follow through. Keep your wrists firm but not tight; there
must be no cocking or breaking down at any time. Use a light grip and dead
hands. Your follow-through should be 20% longer than your backswing; as you
hold the finish, watch your shot roll to the pin. Just learn to do this like Lee
Janzen (Fig. 8.5.1) and you’ll be excited about holing your shots often when you
chip.

Figure 8.5.1: Lee Janzen chipping from 30 feet

Shot Behavior
8.6 What Happens on the Greens

Now that you know how to make a good chipping motion, the next questions are
(1) How big a swing should you make? (2) What club do you use? and (3)
Where should you land the ball? I’ll discuss them in reverse order.
Every golfer has heard the advice to “get the ball on the green as quickly
as possible,” so it rolls toward the hole like a putt. That makes a lot of sense, but
trying to cut it too close to the edge of the green is a surefire way of finding
trouble.
Golfers are human, so there’s a great likelihood of not always striking the
perfect shot. This means you’ll often be landing the ball a little longer or shorter
than intended. For that reason, I recommend building in a margin for error by
trying to drop the ball on the green about three feet from its edge: If you’re a
little short, the ball will still land on the green and roll nearly as expected; land it
little short, the ball will still land on the green and roll nearly as expected; land it
a little long and the ball will run just past the hole (which isn’t bad, because you
can watch it roll by, which helps with the read of the green when you’re putting
back). Just be sure to get the ball safely over the fringe, because reading how a
ball will react through the fringe is less reliable than reading how it will react on
the smooth, evenly watered, well-maintained green. And you’d always rather be
putting than chipping your next shot. Always.
Which club should you use? Some golfers chip with only one, usually the
7-or 8-iron. But do yourself a favor and practice so you’re comfortable with a
number of different clubs, from the 4-iron to the pitching wedge. Then you can
make your club decision based on the shot you need and the conditions: The
worse your lie and the closer you are to the green, the lower the trajectory you’re
likely to produce. Experiment to find out how far shots roll with each club after
landing (see data on page 222) and how far they carry.
Remember that when you position the ball back in your stance, while
keeping your hands forward (over the inside of your left thigh), the effective loft
of a club drops. So your 8-iron will now play like your 6-iron. If you want a little
more height in any situation, go to a 9-iron or wedge and make a slightly longer
swing.
Another part of the equation is that golf balls bounce and roll different
distances when coming in and landing with different trajectories and differing
amounts of backspin (e.g., a low, running 7-iron shot vs. a higher flying chip hit
with a delofted wedge). That’s another reason to vary club selection, especially
near the green, where a lower-lofted club usually means less backspin.
How long a swing should you make? That’s actually the easiest question to
answer for yourself, because if you’ve committed to a dead-hands finesse swing,
making approximately a turn #1 backswing and following through to about a
turn #2 position (see Chapter 5 to review turn positions), the length of your
swing will be directly related to the length of the shot within the tolerances
around this average “reference” swing. Shorter swings for shorter shots, longer
swings for longer shots. With just a few practice sessions, your touch will tell
you “a little more” or “a little less” as you tune in to your practice swings.

8.7 Lower Is Straighter

To amass some data on how chip shots behave on the greens, several years ago I
enlisted the aid of Perfy, the mechanical robot (Fig. 8.7.1). I also use Perfy for
putting tests. This time, I mounted chipping clubs in his “hands” and tested to
determine the best chip shots under varying conditions. Starting with the ball 30
determine the best chip shots under varying conditions. Starting with the ball 30
inches off the edge of the green, I had Perfy chipping to the flagstick with every
club, from 4-iron through pitching wedge.
I programmed Perfy to repeat a “normal” chipping stroke: slightly
descending blow, clubface square, follow-through moving straight down the line
through impact. As the clubs (and lofts) changed, the trajectories, carry
distances, and roll distances changed systematically. By this I mean the more
lofted the club, the higher the ball flight; less loft, lower flight. Very much as
you would expect.

Figure 8.7.1: Perfy chipping from

the fringe

Two results are worth noting. First, and fairly obvious, the greater the loft,
the bigger the swing necessary to get the ball to the hole. And, of course, the
lower the loft, the shorter the swing to cover the same distance.
Second, and more important, the results consistently showed that the lower
the ball flight, the straighter the bounce when the ball landed on the surface (see
data in Fig. 8.7.2). This means that whether you face a normal green surface or
one with side slopes or minor inconsistencies in your landing area (but no
unusual up-downhill slopes that would make shot reactions difficult to judge),
the lower-lofted club will make the ball bounce and initially roll straighter on
the lower-lofted club will make the ball bounce and initially roll straighter on
your expected line than a higher-lofted club.

Figure 8.7.2: In chipping: lower flights for straighter bounces and smaller
scatter patterns
 Remember to give yourself a good margin for error. Even though you want
the straightest bounce, it’s more important to take enough loft to fly the ball at
least three feet onto the green so it doesn’t land in the fringe by mistake.

8.8 No Backspin

In another Perfy test, I gave him a pitching wedge and set him up to loft the ball
safely onto the green. Then I had him hit shots with the ball positioned in three
different places in his stance—the center of his stance, one ball-diameter
(slightly more than 1.5 inches) behind center, and two ball-diameters back. As
shown in Figure 8.8.1, the farther back in the stance the ball was positioned, the
lower it flew and the more backspin it had upon landing.

Figure 8.8.1: In chipping, less backspin produces more consistent roll

Initially, these results surprised me because I had assumed backspin was

the main factor controlling a ball on the green and was good. However, watching
the main factor controlling a ball on the green and was good. However, watching
Perfy, I learned a lesson: The greater the backspin Perfy put on his chip shots,
the greater the dispersion pattern of balls on the green.
This disparity in direction and distance seemed to have two sources. First,
the greater the spin on the ball, the more inconsistent the “action.” So from the
center-stance position, Perfy produced very little backspin and the balls rolled
almost the same distance every time. But from the two-balls-back position, there
was significantly more backspin, which produced a much wider range of
distances.
A similar, but perhaps more important, finding was that the greater the
backspin, the farther off-line the ball bounced. Put another way, more backspin
means more difference in direction. This surprised me at first, but again it makes
sense: The more backspin on your shot, the more its reaction depends on the
condition of the landing area. Put less spin on the ball and it will have a more
consistent reaction and be less dependent on what’s happening in the landing
area.
Both of the above reactions mean that good chipping calls for less
backspin. However, one result seems to fly in the face of the no-backspin
recommendation. Clubhead-to-ball contact was most consistent from the farthest
back-ball position, because that was when the least amount of grass got between
clubface and ball. So not only did that setup produce the most backspin but those
shots carried the most consistent distance.
What’s my conclusion? From good lies, chip the ball low with minimum
backspin: Take a lower-lofted club (as long as you can make solid contact) and
carry the ball onto the green without rolling it too far past the hole. However, as
the lie gets worse, move the ball farther back in your stance and use a more
lofted club to assure clean, solid contact. Because without good contact, your
shots won’t land near your projected landing area and you won’t produce good
shot patterns.
Of course, this data depends on your ability to execute the shot. Just
because Perfy proves one ball position is statistically better doesn’t mean that’s
the shot you must use. If you feel more comfortable with a different shot, it’s
probably the one you should hit. So give the different combinations of club and
ball position a try to see which are best for you and your game.

8.9 Keep the Face Square

Another Perfy test produced one more interesting result: Reactions on the green
are more consistent from chip shots when the ball starts with no sidespin. In
are more consistent from chip shots when the ball starts with no sidespin. In
other words, people who cut across or try to hook their chip shots are doing
themselves a disservice.
In this test, I set Perfy to roll three distinct sets of chip shots: one, a square
clubface traveling squarely along the line through impact; two, a swing line
aimed to the left and clubface opened 20 degrees to the right; three, a swing line
aimed to the right but clubface closed 20 degrees to the left.
The results (Fig. 8.9.1) were very consistent. The more sidespin Perfy put
on shots, the less consistent was their pattern of bounce and roll. Compare this to
previous tests that proved a lower flight produced a straighter bounce. With
sidespin, this effect was negated. Even the lowest shots, produced with the
clubface shut down (closed), produced slightly more scatter than those with less
sidespin.

Figure 8.9.1: In chipping, sidespin increases scatter

The cut shots were obviously less consistent, because they had not only
more loft but increased sidespin, both of which make the ball behave erratically
on the green. It was clear from this test that, all other things being equal, if you
can roll the ball with a square clubface, avoiding all sidespin, your results will be
can roll the ball with a square clubface, avoiding all sidespin, your results will be
more consistent.
So whenever possible, aim your clubface square to your aim line (the line
you wish to start the ball on) when chipping. Depending on the openness of your
stance, “square” actually might look slightly left of the line you want, but this
compensates for the ball-back position at address. And I assure you, square will
look just fine after a few good practice sessions.

Avoid the Humps, Aim for the Dips

Most pros try to land their short shots on a level surface,

because it’s much easier to predict the ensuing roll. When you
can’t hit to a flat spot, try to follow this rule: Avoid humps;
aim for dips. If this sounds familiar, that’s because I said it in
the last chapter when referring to pitch shots. What was true
then is true now, and for the same reasons.
Landing the ball on top of a hump or rise in the green
magnifies any error in your swing or green-reading judgment.
Underswing, so the shot is short, and you’ll hit into the
upslope of the hump: The ball will bounce up at double the
angle of the slope, slowing it considerably and leaving you
well short of your target. Hit the ball long and it will l and on
the far side of the hump, kick forward at twice the angle of the
downslope, and run well past the hole.
However, if you can land the ball in the middle of a
dip or depression in the green, go for it. If you land short, the
downslope will kick the ball forward, making up for your lack
of carry. Hit it a little long and you’ll catch the upslope on the
far side of the dip, slowing the ball’s progress. Total distance
of all three shots-off the middle, downslope, or upslope of the
dip—will be about the same, offering the largest possible
tolerance for error in your shot execution.

8.10 To Putt or to Chip?

How to play from the fringe of the green may be the most difficult decision in
golf, the reason being that there are so many options in clubs and shots. You can
successfully use any of the 14 clubs in your bag. From driver to putter, I’ve hit
every club from the fringe and have seen the Tour pros do the same.
You also can make many different swings. Because not much power is
required, you can hit hands-only shots, left-hand-low shots, even split-grip shots.
You can play the ball forward, center, or back in your stance, use sweeping or
You can play the ball forward, center, or back in your stance, use sweeping or
descending impacts, and the results will be reasonable at least some of the time.
So the important question when you’re standing in the fringe isn’t “What shot
can I get away with” but “What shot can I reliably get closest to the pin, or even
possibly hole?”
I have several general rules for playing from the fringe (or within three
steps of the green’s edge), rules I recommend to my students both in our schools
and on the pro Tours:

1. All other things being equal, simpler is better.

2. Commit before you hit.
3. See it (imagine the shot), feel it (practice the swing until you sense
the perfect preview swing), then do it (within eight seconds of the
preview swing).

I have several more specific rules, which give some order to the decision-
making process:

1. From inside 50 feet to the hole, if there’s no reason not to putt, then
putt using your putting stroke.
2. From outside 50 feet, if there is no reason not to use a putter, use it
with your chipping motion (see the “chiputt” in section 8.11).
3. If you’re not going to putt, and the landing area is predictable, use
the lowest-lofted club that will land the ball three feet onto the putting
surface.
4. If the landing area is unpredictable (and likely unforgiving), fly the
ball as close to the hole as you can.

If you are now slightly confused, don’t worry. All will become clear once
you start to practice these shots around the green.
Here are some examples of the sort of options you’ll face the next time
you have a chip shot. Remember, you want to choose the simplest shot that will
handle the situation. Since the putt is the simplest shot in golf, it should always
be your first choice, unless:

• You are so far from the hole, your distance perspective is poor and
you’re not sure you can putt it all the way there. Then chip using your putter (see
section 8.11).
 • The lie is bad, down in a divot, so the putter won’t roll the ball
forward but pop it up. Then chip with a somewhat lofted club.
• The grass between the ball and the green is too long so the roll
through it will be unpredictable. Then fly the ball over the grass, landing it three
feet onto the putting surface.
• The grain of the fringe grass is against your swing and the grass is
long enough to catch your putter. Then use the lowest-lofted club that will land
the ball three feet on the green with the least amount of backspin.

Never make a swing if you’re undecided on how to play the shot. You
must commit to doing your best every time. Choose the shot, imagine it (seeing
in your mind’s eye that it will work), feel the motion that will produce it (a
perfect preview swing), then make your real swing. You must hit the ball within
eight seconds of making your preview swing so you don’t lose the feel of the
perfect motion.
The key is to hit enough chips to learn which of your shots work best and
which are the easiest for you to execute well. All the shots described in this
chapter so far are from good lies, so good contact is easily achieved if you make
a good chipping swing.
The shots described toward the end of this chapter are from more difficult
lies and situations. However, most chip shots, even the tough ones, aren’t hard to
execute. What’s difficult is choosing the option that will work best. Most golfers
never take lessons on the unusual shots, and they certainly don’t practice them,
so they don’t know where to begin when faced with one. That means you’re
about to read instruction most golfers don’t even know exists. Read about the
different chips (several times, if necessary), then practice. Remember, whether
you’re on the practice green or the golf course, you must see it, feel it, and do it
within eight seconds of making your perfect preview swing. And simpler is
better, all other things being equal.

Chipping Variations
8.11 The Chiputt
Earlier, I said when you’re more than 50 feet from the flagstick and on a good lie
you should hit what I call a “chiputt.” This is nothing more than holding your
putter with your chipping grip, taking your normal chipping stance, positioning
the ball a little forward of the center of your stance (not back in your stance as
the ball a little forward of the center of your stance (not back in your stance as
for normal chip shots), and making your normal chipping motion (turn #1 away,
followed by a turn #2 through), with dead hands.
I’ve already said, and proven, that the most reliable way to play short shots
from good lies is putting. But from more than 50 feet, most golfers leave putts
short because their instincts don’t let them make a big enough stroke to get the
ball to the hole. The chiputt provides a more powerful swing and starts with an
upright posture that provides a better perspective for distance, yet still rolls the
ball like a putt.
The main difference from normal chipping is that you don’t play the
chiputt back in your stance. There’s no grass to get between clubface and ball,
and no need to be concerned about hitting the shot fat. In fact, your putter never
hits the ground. Other than that, and your choice of club, Figure 8.11.1 shows
that the chiputt is in every way a chipping swing. The longer the shot, the more it
runs uphill, or the more against the grain, the longer you make your chiputt
swing.

Figure 8.11.1: The chiputt: chipping with a putter

Don’t get confused and try executing the chiputt from your normal putting
stance, as the more bent-over putting posture limits the length of your swing and
leads to leaving the shots short.
Besides handling extra-long putts, the chiputt works from well off the
green, and on well-manicured courses with difficult slopes surrounding the
greens. For example, at Augusta National or Pinehurst #2, where the fringes roll
fast and true, it is often the most reliable shot. (Putting from off the green is
fast and true, it is often the most reliable shot. (Putting from off the green is
sometimes referred to as a Texas Wedge. What’s different here is you’re not
really putting, since that will probably leave the ball well short. You’re chipping
with a putter-chiputting. A crucial distinction.)

8.12 Get It Down and Rolling

As you move farther from the green and/or find worse lies, you need more loft to
reach the green on the fly, a more descending blow to make good contact, and a
bigger swing to supply more power. None of these are as much of a problem for
a good golfer as the uncertainties presented by unpredictable landing areas.
When it’s not the lie but the landing area that causes you difficulty in
reading what your shots will do, minimize your interaction with problem areas
such as level changes, saddlebacks, and double breaks. Most pros try to pick
their short shots based on landing on a level surface, because it’s so much easier
to predict the resulting roll. However, you can’t always hit to a flat spot, so when
you can’t, follow this simple rule: At all costs, avoid landing on top of humps,
but when you can, aim for dips.
Of course, you don’t need to worry about eliminating or dealing with the
effects of ridges, humps, and valleys if your ball is down and rolling on the
green before it encounters them. When a ball rolls over or through valleys and
humps, there is no net gain or loss of distance. What energy the ball loses going
up, it gains coming back down.
On the other hand, all chip shots will be affected by changes of level on
the green. While there is no way to completely avoid this, planning to fly a chip
onto a level-change area is one of the worst-planned shots you could come up
with. Because every shot will bounce differently off each different area of the
slope, this will maximize your uncertainty in the result in the same way as the
hump explained above. The key to minimizing the level-change effect is to get
your shot down and rolling purely on the surface before it encounters any slope
of the level change. As long as your shot is not bouncing as it changes level, the
effect will be simply the rolling energy lost or gained by the level difference,
which is very consistent and can be learned with a little practice.

8.13 Down Lies, No Problem

Let’s deal with some bad lies. When you find your ball sitting down in short
fringe grass, either in a bare spot between clumps of grass or in a divot made by
a previous incoming shot, don’t try to putt. Your flat-faced putter probably will
a previous incoming shot, don’t try to putt. Your flat-faced putter probably will
pop it in the air and leave it far short of the pin. The worse the lie and the farther
down the ball is sitting, the more loft you need at impact to get the ball up,
through the impediments in front of it, and rolling on the green.

Figure 8.13.1: All lies—good, bad, and awful—are part of golf

Look at the three lies in Figure 8.13.1. The three sequences in Figures
8.13.2 to 8.13.4 compare the initial behavior of three shots from the worst lie, as
they leave the fringe grass. Obviously, if three swings of the same power were
applied to all three shots, the putted ball (Fig. 8.13.2) would travel the shortest
since it started almost vertically and lost much of its forward energy doing so.
The 7-iron shot (Fig. 8.13.3), although better, still began significantly upward
because of the ground in front of it. The best performance was produced by the
somewhat delofted sand wedge (Fig. 8.13.4), which came down on a descending
angle, got the ball up more quickly (thanks to the club’s remaining loft), and
propelled it more forward initially.
Figure 8.13.2: Putting stroke pops ball up Figure 8.13.3: Seven-iron chip moves Figure
from a down lie ball forward but still up from a down lie 8.13.4:
Delofted
wedge
gets ball
out and
moving
 forward
best
from a
down lie

From down lies, the more lofted club sometimes produces the lowest
trajectory and the best roll. To simulate such lies, drop a few balls in the long
grass around a practice green and step on them (Fig. 8.13.5), creating a crater for
each one. Practice with many different clubs to learn which produce the best
results for you.

Figure 8.13.5: Chipping practice from bad lies prepares you

for bad breaks on-course

Expect similar results when the ball sits in Bermuda grass with its grain
growing into, rather than with, the path of your swing. Once again, practice with
different clubs including your putter, short irons, high-lofted fairway woods, and
wedges, and note the different results. Don’t get careless and start using your
hand and wrist muscles if your first few shots finish short of the hole. Be patient,
learn which club best handles the grass, and then practice rolling shots the proper
distance with your finesse chipping motion (20% longer follow-through swing,
stability through impact, and, as usual, dead hands).

8.14 Against the Rough—Or in It

When your ball is up against the rough (Fig. 8.14.1), a special shot is required.
When your ball is up against the rough (Fig. 8.14.1), a special shot is required.
Don’t use your normal 8-iron chip shot, with the ball off your back ankle,
because too much grass will get trapped between the clubface and the ball,
destroying the consistency of energy transfer-and control-to the ball (Fig.
8.14.2). You want impact that is clean (minimal grass between club and ball),
solid, and transfers a consistent percentage of the swing’s energy to the ball.

Figure 8.14.1: Ball tucked against rough line requires special chip
 Figure 8.14.2: Standard chipping
swing traps grass between clubface
and ball

The traditional shot from this lie is the bellied wedge: using a putting
stroke action to swing a wedge so its leading edge contacts the equator of your
ball (Fig. 8.14.3). A wedge is used because it has more weight, and is more solid
along its bottom leading edge, than most other clubs. By lifting the wedge off the
ground and aligning its leading edge with the ball’s equator, the club doesn’t
have to travel through much grass. Look for a wedge with a straight leading
edge: The straighter the leading edge, the easier it is to keep this shot on-line. If
the leading edge is rounded (Fig. 8.14.4), you’ll have to worry about the ball
squirting left or right.
Figure 8.14.3: Bellied wedge contacts ball at equator as wedge skims across top of
grass

Figure 8.14.4: Straighter (less curved) leading edge, on right, makes

bellied wedge shot easier
 Focus your attention on keeping your swing level and making solid contact
at the center of your ball. When you execute the bellied wedge properly—take
your normal putting posture and place the ball two inches forward of the center
of your stance (the exact bottom of your swing arc)—the shot will have very
little loft or bouncing (Fig. 8.14.5), and the ball will roll on the green like a well-
struck putt.
 Figure 8.14.5: Bellied wedge shot
rolls almost like a putt

When your ball is in heavy rough, it’s time for another nontraditional shot
—the wood chip. By “wood” I mean the 5-or 7-wood (okay, they are made of
metal) from long grass, and the 3-or 4-wood from lighter rough. As you can see
in Figure 8.14.6, a small wood head separates and slides through the grass,
unlike an iron, which has to cut through it. Stand very close to the ball and set
the wood on its toe (Fig. 8.14.7) to minimize the amount of clubface exposed to
the wood on its toe (Fig. 8.14.7) to minimize the amount of clubface exposed to
the grass. The club’s loft will start the shots slightly up and out, above the
surrounding grass (which is Figure 8.14.7: Set 5-wood on toe, bow wrists, and
then chip normally why you want more loft, like that of a 5-or 7-wood, from the
longer grass). These shots will come out without backspin, so they’ll roll like
mad.

Figure 8.14.6: Five-wood slides through grass,

rolls ball well from rough

Figure 8.14.7: Set 5-wood on toe, bow wrists, and then chip normally

In lighter, shorter rough, you have a choice of chipping with your 3-wood,
a 9-iron, or one of your wedges. If you choose one of your wedges, use your
standard finesse chipping swing. With the ball positioned on or just behind your
standard finesse chipping swing. With the ball positioned on or just behind your
back ankle, assume a narrow stance with your weight forward and your hands in
front of your left thigh (Fig. 8.14.8). This motion (Fig. 8.14.9) will deliver a
descending blow and make clean, solid contact. If your practice swing shows
that your downswing is not descending sharply enough, choke farther down the
shaft to assure clean contact.

Figure 8.14.8: Position ball on back

ankle for wedge chip from rough

Figure 8.14.9: Even with ball behind back ankle,

wedge chip lofts ball softly onto green
8.15 The Cock-and-Pop

One of the most difficult chip shots around the greens is the nesty lie (shown in
Fig. 8.15.1). What makes it so difficult is that it looks a lot easier than it really is.
Most of the ball is visible, and the surrounding grass is not too deep. It looks as
if the normal back-in-thestance chipping swing would produce clean contact.
But when you try it, the club catches grass first and impact is so cushioned it
feels like you hit the ball with a headcover on. Your shot doesn’t get even
halfway to the hole. The technical reason for the difficulty is that too much grass
is lying sideways around the ball, causing it to provide more cushion and energy
loss than expected.

Figure 8.15.1: The nesty lie

When you face this lie, forget any kind of chipping swing. Instead, I
normally recommend the blast shot, as described in section 6.15. However, if
there’s no room under the ball or you don’t have room to make a blast swing, the
“cock-and-pop” may be the best way out.
The cock-and-pop is a weird little shot that violates almost all the rules of
my finesse-swing theory. Rather than no hands, you must be totally handsy.
Rather than a finesse turn-away-and-through, there’s no body motion at all.
There’s not much arm swing, either. Since it is so weird, I don’t suggest
There’s not much arm swing, either. Since it is so weird, I don’t suggest
practicing it too often or using it much on the course. But it can come in handy,
so try it a few times before putting it into your on-course repertoire.
Set up by gripping well down the shaft, opening the clubface, and
positioning the ball just behind the middle of your stance (Fig. 8.15.2). Your
posture should be somewhat crouched so you get down to the ball, and your
stance should be about half your shoulder-width. Without moving your body or
arms, hit the shot by both cocking and collapsing your wrists, popping and
slapping through impact (sequence in Fig. 8.15.3). The shot works especially
well from nesty lies, because the small radius of the swing arc does the best job
of any technique in getting the club in and out of the grass quickly and
accurately.

Figure 8.15.2: Setting up

for the cock-and-pop
 Figure 8.15.3: The cock-and-pop is all hands and wrists, no body

The cock-and-pop is not a high-powered shot. If you need to swing your

arms for more power, you can’t count on making an accurate entry into the nest
at the back of the ball. Once you’re that dependent on timing, the shot becomes
too dangerous to use.

8.16 Flagstick in or Out?

A few years ago, I was asked by GOLF Magazine to answer an age-old question:
When chipping, should you leave the flagstick in the hole or pull it out? I
conducted a test and was surprised by the results.
It was impractical to hit shots from the fringe, fairway, or rough, because
no human (not even Perfy, my putting/chipping robot) could hit the flagstick
often enough or accurately enough to run the test in a reasonable amount of time.
However, by precisely rolling balls on a green from a short distance to the hole, I
could measure how the flagstick affected the results.
To guarantee measurable, reliable results, I used a putting machine called
the “TruRoller,” which I invented to roll balls precisely controlled directions at
carefully controlled speeds. For each test, I set the TruRoller about two feet from
the cup (Fig. 8.16.1) and measured (1) how far the ball rolled past the hole when
the hole was covered, (2) how many putts stayed in the hole when the hole was
not covered and the flagstick was out, and (3) how many putts stayed in the hole
when the flagstick was left in.
 Figure 8.16.1: TruRoller measures approach speed with hole covered, then rolls
balls to cup with pin both out and in

Each test was run at three different speeds: On a perfectly flat green, the
speeds were fast enough to send balls three feet past the hole, six feet past, and
nine feet past. Each test also included putts that approached the target at different
parts of the hole: dead center; left and right center of the pin; left and right edge
of the pin. Finally, the tests were run first on level greens, then on ones that
sloped sharply uphill and downhill. (The speeds remained consistent, but
because the slope changed, the balls, if they missed the hole, would finish
considerably farther away on downhill putts and closer on uphillers. But it is the
speed, not the final distance from the hole, that matters.)
All told, TruRoller launched thousands of “shots” at the hole, an equal
number with the flagstick in and out, on a number of different greens, at five
different parts of the hole. Once that was done, PGA Tour veteran Tom Jenkins
did his best to duplicate those tests with his own putting stroke. While Tom
couldn’t control his putts as precisely as the TruRoller could, I felt it was
important to compare machine and human results. Tom’s putting results
supported the TruRoller’s results in every testing category (with just a little more
scatter).
Of course, there were variables in conditions, including imperfect green
surfaces, the edges of some cups being ragged or worn, the hole being higher in
back than in front and acting as a “backstop” and so on. But after thousands of
putts, with pins both in and out, these variables were averaged out.
What did I learn? All the evidence points to one very simple rule: Leave
the flagstick in whenever the Rules allow, unless it is leaning so far toward you
that the ball can’t fit. Here are a few special cases:

• Perhaps most surprising, when the flagstick leans either slightly

toward the golfer or away, the odds of it helping to keep the ball in the hole
increase: With the flagstick leaning away from the golfer, the hole becomes
effectively larger; when the flagstick leans toward the golfer, the ball rebounds
downward, again helping shots to stay in the hole.
• Only in the most obvious case—when the flagstick is leaning so far
toward the golfer that there isn’t enough room for the ball—is leaving the
flagstick in a bad idea. Check the flagstick before you chip to be sure it is sitting
properly in the cup. (The Rules of Golf prohibit you from positioning a flagstick
to your advantage. But you may leave a tilting flagstick as is or else center it in
the hole.)
• Even if you don’t hit the flagstick dead center, it still will aid you.
This was true in every test I ran, and even on the off center hits, the flagstick
proved especially advantageous when chipping downhill and at faster speeds.

I even believe the flagstick should be left in when you’re putting from an
inch or two off the green in the fringe. The flagstick is going to help you make
more putts unless it is leaning severely toward you or it’s so windy the flagstick
is moving around and might knock your ball away.

8.17 Chip Yips

The “yips” are not purely a putting disease. They can attack your short game and
make a hash of your chipping. You can tell if you’re a victim by answering the
following: When you chip, do you regularly hit the ground behind the ball and
occasionally bounce your club over it, missing completely? Do you use a putter
even from ridiculously thick lies in the rough? Are you so awful from the fringe
that you’re afraid to take the club back? A “yes” to any or all of these means you
have the chip yips.
Like the other yips, these are caused by fear, an understandable reaction
after witnessing a long spell of bad results. But take heart: They can be cured.
Chip yips usually can be traced to one of three swing faults, all of which result
from poor setup and swing technique. Here are explanations of these faults,
along with quick solutions and a practice drill that will help rid you of them.

Fault #1: Poor Ball Position. If the ball is too far forward in your stance, even
just in the middle of your stance, then the club can easily hit the ground first
(Fig. 8.17.1). Fat shots and skulls result.
The solution is easy: Move the ball back in your stance as described
 The solution is easy: Move the ball back in your stance as described
earlier, so it is on-line with your back ankle (right ankle for right-handed
golfers). Now the club will for sure contact the ball before reaching the bottom
of your swing arc—and the ground (Fig. 8.17.2).

Figure 8.17.1: Ball too far forward: Figure 8.17.2: Proper ball position
encourages chipping fat (back ankle): encourages clean
contact

Fault #2: Zero Body Motion. If you’re not using a little body motion—a slight
turn away, followed by a turn-through, shifting your weight from the right foot
back to the left foot, the chip stroke becomes an all-hands-and-wrists action (Fig.
8.17.3). But as I’ve said over and over, a good finesse game comes from a free
rhythmic swinging of the arms, shoulders, and hips synchronized together; your
hands simply supply guidance and control.
Cure no-body motion chipping with the “left-arm-only” (LAO) drill (Fig.
8.17.4). Prepare to hit a chip, then put your right hand on your right thigh. Using
only body motion, with your left elbow touching your upper stomach throughout
the swing, swing your left shoulder back and through. Feel the club swinging
the swing, swing your left shoulder back and through. Feel the club swinging
along with your chest, shoulders, left arm, and hips, and feel nothing from your
left hand. You should be able to chip relatively well with the LAO.

Figure 8.17.3: Chipping with no body motion: forces hands and wrists into action

Figure 8.17.4: The left-arm-only (LAO) drill

Fault #3: Left Wrist Breakdown. After repeatedly hitting behind the ball (fault
#1), many golfers develop a swing in which the left arm stops almost
immediately after impact, with the club continuing to move as the left wrist
breaks down and the right hand supplies power. This action results in thin and
skulled shots, but at least you avoid the “fats.”
The easiest way to correct this fault is by finishing the through-swing,
keeping the left wrist firm. This, however, is easier said than done for golfers
who have ingrained a wristy stroke. They need the following practice aid:
The “ChipStick.” Practice chipping with a “ChipStick” (Fig. 8.17.5) attached to
your club to extend its length and help remedy all three faults cited above.
Fault #1: At address, with your left hand in front of your left thigh, the
angle of the shaft extension tells you if the ball is back far enough in your stance.
The ChipStick should angle forward, clearing the front of your body when you
position your ball properly on your back ankle (figure on far right, Fig. 8.17.5).

Figure 8.17.5: View from behind: Chip swing from address (far right) to follow-
through (far left) with “ChipStick”

Fault #2: Practice the LAO drill using the ChipStick. If you can keep the
long extension parallel to your left arm, your hands will stay out of the swing
and let your body learn the swing motion it needs.
Fault #3: Practice chipping with the ChipStick, making certain to swing
through 20% farther than your backswing. If you feel the ChipStick extension
hitting your left side, your wrists are breaking down. Practice until it no longer
hits you and your wrists remain firm through to your finish (far left of Fig.
8.17.5).

A Drill to Cure the Chip Yips

Here’s a four-step program to cure your chip yips. Understand

that it will take some time. It took many bad shots to convince
your brain to fear your chipping results, so it will take time to
restore your confidence in these shots.
1. To remove the swing faults that originally caused
the yips, get a ChipStick, and practice your finesse chipping
swing in front of a mirror. Chip for five minutes a day for
three weeks, with an imaginary ball positioned across from
your right ankle (see Fig. 8.17.6 ball position).
your right ankle (see Fig. 8.17.6 ball position).
2. In your living room, create a chipping routine in
which you make a practice swing, then step into the address
position you grooved in step #1 above, take one look down
the line, and chip a plastic (Wiffle) ball (Fig. 8.17.7). Don’t
aim at anything; results don’t matter. Just repeat your practice
swing, take your address position, and chip the Wiffle ball for
10 minutes a day for two weeks.
3. In the third week, add a real ball to your living-
room routine. Continue to chip 10 minutes a day, first the
practice swing, then the Wiffle ball chip, then the real ball.
Develop a rhythm for moving from your practice swing to
your Wiffle ball address-one look and swing. Then move
from the Wiffle chip to the real ball address, take one look
down the line, and swing.
4. After four weeks you are ready to go to the practice
green and begin chipping to holes. Don’t allow yourself to
change any of the routines and rhythms you’ve been
grooving. Good chipping rhythm must become a habit. Keep
chipping in your living room until you can carry the same
practice routine onto the course: practice swing, step into the
ball, take one look, and chip. Stay with it until it works,
because different people take different lengths of time to form
a habit. Once you form a good chipping habit, it will save you
strokes.
 Figure 8.17.6: ChipStick should never touch your back Figure 8.17.7: Chipping with a Wiffle
on follow-through ball

The Bump-and-Run
8.18 Bump-and-Run Mechanics
The bump-and-run is a shot all golfers should know how to play. It has been a
vital part of golf since the game began. Although many Americans have lost the
ability to play this shot, it doesn’t have to be gone forever. If you are enough of a
golf enthusiast to be reading this book, then I think you deserve to learn and
successfully use the bump-and-run. It is an asset to anyone’s short game.
First, a definition. The bump-and-run is a low, running shot that lands
short of the green with minimal backspin, bounces, and runs along the fairway or
rough up to the green and flagstick. The bump-and-run is largely unaffected by
wind, and is sometimes the only shot capable of handling a hard, fast green.
Unlike chip shots, which land on the green (or at least very close to it), the
bump-and-run lands at least two or three bounces—and sometimes many more—
short before running on. Bump-and-runs are much longer than chips, sometimes
covering 50, 60, or even up to 100 yards, but still land only about halfway to the
green before rolling the rest of the way. Yet, as you should have noticed, there is
no place on the scorecard for indicating where the shot landed. What matters is
whether or not the shot finishes close enough to the hole to let you make a good
score.
In truth, the bump-and-run is not a chip shot, but it’s in the chipping
chapter because its action is more similar to chipping than any other finesse
swing. And it has two characteristics also common to the chip:

1. The lower, the better (as long as it can bounce along the grass
without getting caught up in it and stopping short of the green).
2. The less spin, the more predictable the results.

The mechanics of the bump-and-run swing are similar to the finesse

chipping swing, except: the synchronized turn is longer both back and through; a
partial wrist cock is employed (to produce more power as required); and the ball
is positioned at the stance center as shown in Figure 8.18.1.
 Figure 8.18.1: Ball positioned at
stance center for bump-and-run

The swing requires a low, sweeping motion through impact, not a

descending blow. The shaft should be gripped at full length (never gripped-
down), to encourage the flattest angle of attack and minimum backspin. The 5-
and 6-irons are most commonly used for the bump-and-run, although any loft
from 3-iron up can be used.
Many people say the bump-and-run should be hit with overspin so it will
run a long way and not bite. However, any ball hit below center with a lofted
iron will have some backspin. What the bump-and-run requires is minimal
backspin and solid impact from a low-lofted club, swung with a normal release
through impact (see Fig. 8.18.2). Thanks to the low trajectory, that little bit of
backspin is gone after the first few bounces.
 Figure 8.18.2: Bump-and-run swing employs natural forearm release through
impact

8.19 Why Play the Bump-and-Run?

If you sometimes play on windy days, you need the bump-and-run. If you play
on courses with hard, fast greens, you need it. If you want to be good at match
play, you absolutely need it. And if you ever play in England, Scotland, Ireland,
or Wales, you really, really, really need the bump-and-run.
I remember when Corey Pavin beat Nick Faldo in the 1993 World Match
Play Championship after hitting only 17 greens in a 36-hole match (vs. 27 greens
hit by Faldo). The shot that set the tone for Pavin’s win was a bump-and-run. On
one hole, Faldo was on the green in two with a 12-foot putt for birdie. Pavin,
also lying two, was under a bush 30 yards short of the green.
Pavin walked up to the green, surveyed the contours, and slowly walked
back to his ball. He carefully studied his situation and took a number of practice
swings. Then he hit the most beautiful bump-and-run shot you have ever seen. It
stopped one inch from the hole. Nick almost fainted, and knew right then that no
matter what happened, Pavin would he in every hole. He saw how good Pavin
was from trouble spots, which made him very difficult to beat.
By practicing the bump-and-run, you learn a feel for distance, as well as
how your ball will react on fairways, approaches to the greens, and the greens
themselves. All of which helps you better read your short-game shots before you
hit them.
Then there is the bad-shot advantage of the bump-and-run. At a clinic a
few years ago, I ran a test comparing the average amateur’s ability to hit to a
few years ago, I ran a test comparing the average amateur’s ability to hit to a
green from 70 yards with two clubs—a sand wedge and a 5-iron. From that
distance, nearly every golfer had to make an almost-full swing with the sand
wedge, but only a half-swing with the 5-iron (Fig. 8.19.1 top and bottom
sequences, respectively). The data showed that the sand-wedge shots had about
40% greater “scatter” (dispersion) than the 5-iron shots. While the closest shots
were about evenly split between the two clubs, the worst shots definitely came
off the wedges. Since then, I’ve repeated this test several times, always with the
same results. From this I’ve concluded that amateurs find it is easier to make a
half-swing than a full swing. The data also shows that (1) in windy conditions,
(2) when water guards a green right or left, or (3) from uphill or sidehill lies, the
half-swing bump-and-run is often the highest-percentage shot, especially if you
practice it just a little.
 Figure 8.19.1: The scatter test: full sand wedge swing (top) versus half 5-iron swing
(bottom)

You should practice and use the bump-and-run so it’s there in your game
when you really need it—and you will need it!

8.20 Land on the Flat Spots

I’ve spent many days watching Tour professionals play in Scotland, home
of both golf and the bump-and-run. After many discussions about strategy on
those old courses, the pros taught me that the key determinant of bump-and-run
those old courses, the pros taught me that the key determinant of bump-and-run
success is choosing the best landing area and being able to hit it.
Landing the ball on a flat, firm area of short grass guarantees that the first
bounce is strong and straight forward. This produces a low, running shot that
will chase up a hill, around a slope, or through the desired opening between two
sand traps and onto the green.
So if you can’t make a half-swing and land your bump-and-run on a flat
area, then you probably should hit a different shot. Making a half-swing is key,
because a faster clubhead speed through impact will produce more backspin,
which you don’t want. It’s also important that the landing area he relatively
smooth and flat: If not, predicting and controlling the bounce and roll become
risky business.
Several of my players prepare to compete overseas by playing practice
rounds hitting bump-and-run shots to every green. Although heavily watered
fairways and trouble in front of many greens make this difficult on numerous
American courses, it’s still good practice to visualize where you’d land a bump-
and-run and try to hit it there. As you walk up to each green, pull a spare ball out
of your pocket, drop it somewhere 30 to 50 yards short of the surface, and bump
it up to the flagstick with your 5-or 6-iron. A few practice rounds like this will
help you acquire the touch for the power and swing you need. You’ll also
develop the confidence that’s necessary to use this shot in your game.

8.21 The Texas Turn-Down

The bump-and-run can be a real asset to your short game. But it won’t always
work, especially if you are trying to bump the ball through Bermuda grass or
really long ryegrass. Then you may have to take your shot creation to a new
level by executing the “Texas Turn-Down.” This shot was taught to me by Tom
Jenkins, who learned to hit it on the Bermuda grass courses in Houston, Texas,
where he grew up.
The Texas Turn-Down should be used only in emergency situations when
no other shot is available, when you can’t hit a high shot because of overhanging
trees, and when a normal bump-and-run won’t get through the rough between
you and the green (as shown in Fig. 8.21.1). You’ll be trying to remove all
backspin from the shot, giving it a chance to kick forward on its first bounce.
But be warned: Because you exaggerate hand action through impact, it is very
easy to hit this shot badly, smothering it at impact and possibly leaving yourself
in an even worse situation.
 Figure 8.21.1: The Texas Turn-
Down: your best chance to run
balls through high grass

Begin by positioning the ball in the center of your stance and lined up off
the toe of your club. On the backswing (Fig. 8.21.2), roll your forearms open and
to the inside of your normal swing plane. On the downswing, make a quick,
almost violent rotation of your forearms back toward the target so the club is
nearly back to square just before impact and “turned down” on your follow-
through (Fig. 8.21.3). Herein lies the problem: If you roll the clubhead over too
early, the shot will be smothered and the ball driven even deeper into the grass.
 Figure 8.21.2: Texas Turn-Down: backswing Figure 8.21.3: Texas Turn-
Down: follow-through

As seen in Figure 8.21.4, the ball should be struck far out toward the toe of
the club, as far out as you have confidence to hit it. This toe impact will
minimize backspin and also significantly reduce the power transmitted to the
ball. Therefore, you have to make a longer-than-normal swing for the distance.
 Figure 8.21.4: Texas
Turn-Down: ball position
at address

If you have fast hands, like T.J. or Chi Chi Rodriguez (the fastest I’ve ever
seen), you can reliably hit this shot and get away with some amazing recoveries.
However, the Texas Turn-Down is not an easy shot to hit, and I don’t
recommend trying it unless you are in dire circumstances and have practiced it a
few times first.

8.22 The World Game

One of the most enjoyable learning experiences I’ve had came during one of my
stays in St. Andrews, Scotland, home of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club and
the University of St. Andrews, which hosts the World Scientific Congress of
Golf every four years. I was presenting a research paper to the Congress in 1990,
a week before the Open was to be played on the Old Course. Every morning at
daybreak I walked the Old Course for my morning exercise. During these walks,
I closely studied the contours and hazards of the game’s original great layout.
Early the next week, I worked with several of my players. Then I stayed
on, hoping to watch one of them win the Open. What an experience! I spent
most of my time near the par-4 17th hole, the famous Road Hole, because it is
most of my time near the par-4 17th hole, the famous Road Hole, because it is
one of the game’s greatest tests. It was at that tournament, that week, that I
became a true believer in the value of the bump-and-run.
I watched every pro I worked with self-destruct on the Road Hole that
year. One of them would have won the tournament had he simply parred the hole
every day, but his scores ranged from five to seven. Several others played
billiards against the stone wall behind the green, flying beautiful 4-to 7-iron
shots onto the green—and watching them bounce over. A few others landed in
the Road Bunker short of the green and couldn’t make better than bogey or
double bogey.
Then I watched the British and Scottish pros play through, hitting half-
swing 3-iron bump-and-runs that flew quail-high toward the right side, landed in
the fairway 50 to 100 yards short of the green, and chased up and onto the
putting surface. No problem, thank you very much. The worst result I witnessed
for any of them was a short chip from in front of the green to save par. Most
two-putted for par, while one or two actually made birdie.
Not one American even thought about bumping-and-running a shot into
that green. Not one realized, as I had learned on my walks, that the contours of
the fairway would funnel such a shot from the right side into the green. The hole
was made for that shot, but the Americans never noticed because they never
looked for it.
By the end of that week, I had decided how to design my Scoring Game
Courses.

8.23 We Need More Short Courses

The Dave Pelz Short Course at the Club at Cordillera is not just a course that
plays short. Let me explain.
The Short Course is in Edwards, Colorado, on a plateau 1,500 feet above
beautiful Vail Valley. I designed it as an exercise in short-game shot execution
and experience (Fig. 8.23.1), and it turned out wonderfully. The Vail Valley is
perhaps the finest place to play summer golf in the United States. The weather is
perfect, the views are spectacular, the air is clean, and the course is not only
beautiful, it will improve your short game. (There are quite a few full-length
courses in the area, some quite challenging. But only my Short Course is set up
as a short-game learning experience.)
 Figure 8.23.1: Cordillera Short Course: hole #2

The Short Course invites and challenges you to use your short game (Fig.
8.23.2). It allows you to hit 80% of the shots of golf (everything but drives and
fairway woods); on 25% of the land needed for a normal course, in less than
25% of the time of a normal round of golf. Hole distances range from about 100
to 215 yards, with a variety of tees on every hole. The traps are large, the rough
is tough, and the greens are good-sized, undulating, and fast.
 Figure 8.23.2: Cordillera Short Course: hole #4

Every hole also has both level and uneven tees. Why? Because I want you
to be able to practice realistic iron and short-game shots. Every hole has been
designed to be played either through the air or on the ground with a bump-and-
run game (Fig. 8.23.3).

Figure 8.23.3: Cordillera Short Course: hole #9

If I had my choice on how you should practice to improve your short

game, I would put you on a schedule of practice drills (described in Chapter 12)
five days a week, and have you play nine holes on the Short Course on four of
those days:

Day one: Take all your clubs and play through the air from the level tees.
Day two: Take all your clubs and play through the air from uneven tees.
Day three: Take your 5-iron and putter only. Play on the ground, using
your bump-and-run game, from the level tees.
Day four: Take your 6-iron and putter. Play on the ground from the uneven
tees.
 If you could do what I suggest here, your entire game would improve. I
don’t want you to practice your full-swing game less. Rather, I want you to
practice your short game more. And I can assure you, if you both practice and
use your bump-and-run game on a regular basis, your scores will improve on
every course you play.
Chapter 9
The Sand Shot
Blast Shots from Sand
9.1 How Not to Do It: The Dig-and-Push

The fourth shot in the finesse game is the one most dreaded by the average
golfer—the sand shot. Early in my teaching career I didn’t understand why
amateurs were so terrified of sand play; after all, it’s the only golf shot where
you don’t actually have to hit the ball: You simply swing, move your club
through the sand, and the ball comes out onto the green. If anything, I thought
there would be less anxiety, since there’s no direct ball-to-club contact. But what
I didn’t know then was that average golfers didn’t understand how the club and
the sand interact, or how the blast out of the sand really works. As a result, they
were hitting poor shots, bad shots, horrible shots. And some of them were
swinging with paralyzing fear, swinging with all their might, closing their eyes
and “hoping” something good would happen!
This is the only chapter in this book where I’ll spend more than a few
words explaining how not to do something. Because what follows is an
explanation of what most people think happens in the sand (Fig. 9.1.1).
Remember as you read it—and nod your head in agreement—this is the
incorrect technique.
With your clubface aimed square at the target, your wedge enters the sand
about an eighth of an inch behind the ball. As the leading edge digs down two or
more inches, it pushes both sand and the ball out ahead of it.
Is that what you try to do? Because if that’s the way you think the sand
shot should be done, your mind will do whatever it can to make it happen. And
that’s a big reason there are so many poor sand players: misconceptions about
the shot that become self-fulfilling prophecies of disaster.
 Figure 9.1.1: Common perception of a sand shot: club digs and pushes ball plus lots
of sand out of bunker

I call the shot just described the “dig-and-push.” It may, occasionally, get
the ball successfully out of a bunker and perhaps, with some luck, get it to stop
not too far from the pin. But the dig-and-push has almost no margin for error, no
consistency, and leads to especially poor performance from sand under pressure.
Imagine how much energy it takes to get the ball out of the sand with this
dig-and-push technique: The club hits the sand a little fat (half an inch behind
the ball rather than an eighth), so the leading edge digs even deeper into the sand
before reaching the ball. Since the clubhead is pushing so much sand, the ball
can’t have much backspin. If the ball gets out of the bunker—and it may not—it
can’t be controlled or stopped consistently near the pin.
After leaving a few dig-and-push shots in the sand, you’re going to find a
way, consciously or subconsciously, to avoid hitting future sand shots fat. That’s
when you begin hitting them thin, catching the ball cleanly without ever
contacting the sand (Fig. 9.1.2). These home runs lead to very high scores—and
even greater anxiety the next time you’re in the sand.
 Figure 9.1.2: Skull-thin shot from sand: club hits ball first

So you can see the intolerance of the dig-and-push sand shot: It is very
unforgiving. Of course, if you manage to hit the sand precisely an eighth of an
inch behind the ball, you’ll produce lots of backspin (assuming you also make a
descending blow and drag the ball through sand), so the ball comes out and stops
quickly on the green. However, contact the sand a little too early or a little too
late and you can count on a disaster. Furthermore, when the clubhead digs deep
into the sand, it loses so much of its velocity (like a wedge being pushed rather
than pulled) that it loses stability. That leads to loss of control, improper
direction, and often even a shot left in the bunker.

9.2 The Right Way: Scoot-and-Spin Mechanics

You don’t have to get technical to master sand play. But if you don’t know how
you should be trying to swing, or where the ball should be in your stance, or how
your club should react in the sand, you won’t be successful.
Don’t lose heart. Because sand play is not all that difficult. If you can
master the distance-wedge techniques prescribed in Chapter 6, you will simplify
and improve your sand game. The finesse swing I’ve been describing up until
now works beautifully from a normal lie in the sand if you make three vitally
important adjustments:

1. You must set up and aim your body and swing line a little to the left
of the flagstick (Fig. 9.2.1). Not a lot—about 17 degrees (two or three steps) left
of your target—but with every part of your body, stance, shoulders, and swing
line. Everything.

Figure 9.2.1: Proper setup in

sand: your body and swing line
aim left

2. Set the clubface extremely open, more open than most golfers realize
is possible (Fig. 9.2.2). The face should aim 45 degrees to the right of your
swing-line direction (the clubface lines will pass directly in front of your left
toe), so it scoots through the sand without digging into it. Your club should
penetrate only about half an inch below the surface.
 Figure 9.2.2: Proper setup in sand: clubface wide open

3. Position the ball forward in your stance on a line at the inside of the
heel of your left foot (Fig. 9.2.3). If you don’t make any compensations, your
natural swing arc will have the clubhead contact the sand at about the center of
your stance, about five inches behind the ball.
 Figure 9.2.3: Proper ball
position in sand: on-line with
inside edge of heel of left foot

If you make these three changes at address, then all you need to do is make
a normal finesse swing parallel to your foot/body line (don’t steer the club back
toward the flagstick during the swing); swing back to a 9:00 o’clock position
(left arm straight out, parallel to the ground); and swing through to a full, high
finish (don’t ever leave your club in the sand). Finish with 99% of your weight
on your left (front) foot, the back of the right foot turned up and right toe
touching the ground for balance (Fig. 9.2.4).

Figure 9.2.4: Proper sand swing: club scoots under and past ball, not much sand
leaves bunker
 A Distance-Wedge Refresher

Rather than sending you back to reread Chapter 6, here are

the highlights of the distance-wedge swing, which, as of
this moment, becomes your basic sand swing from here on
out.
Your feet should be 14 to 18 inches apart, about
shoulder-width. Stand tall, with knees slightly flexed,
upper body bending forward slightly from the hips, and
weight centered on the balls of your feet. Let your arms
hang loosely, almost straight down from your shoulders,
leaving four to six inches of space between your hands and
legs.
Use your finesse (neutral to weak) grip and
reasonably light grip pressure. Your upper hand should be
about a quarter inch from the butt end of the club. You
should be able to feel the clubhead as you waggle and
swing.
Don’t crouch, as this pushes your arms away from
the body and flattens your swing plane, which is
determined by your size and posture. With short clubs
such as your wedges, your body is fairly close to the ball,
so your swing plane should be quite steep.
When you’re in the sand, remember to set up and
aim slightly to the left of your target, open your clubface
wide, and position your ball on a line with the inside of
your left heel.

We call this the “scoot-and-spin” blast shot. Your club will scoot under
and past the ball, blasting it out high, soft, and with a fair amount of spin. The
ball should bounce once or twice, check, roll slightly to the right (because of the
open face), and stop near the hole. All you have to remember is to aim left, open
the clubface, and play the ball forward on the inside edge of your left heel.
Now, will you be able to forget what you thought you knew about sand
play and learn the proper method? Yes, if I explain why. If I can get you to
understand exactly what happens with your club, your ball, and the sand on the
“scoot-and-spin,” you’ll be better able to learn it, internalize it, and realize what
was wrong with what you had been doing.
I want you to see a good sand shot, the “scoot-and-spin” shot, and what
actually happens through impact. As the club moves toward the bottom of its
arc, it enters the sand well behind (about four to five inches) the ball with its face
wide open. The back and bottom of the clubhead—called the sole—are all that
hit the sand. This causes the clubhead swing arc to flatten (bounce) and scoot
horizontally through the sand, never digging into the sand deeply (Fig. 9.2.5).
Most good wedges, when opened properly, are designed to bounce and scoot
about a half an inch below the surface. Then two things happen: (1) The club
passes under the ball, never actually touching it, and (2) the club continues out
and up, leaving the sand well before the ball and throwing only a little bit of
sand forward. The force that actually moves the ball is applied by the sand, not
the club.

Figure 9.2.5: The scoot-and-spin reactions of club, sand, and ball

Watching the world’s best sand players, I’ve noticed a key result of a well-
struck scoot-and-spin blast from a good lie: For the first few feet after impact,
the clubhead should be moving at least twice as fast forward (therefore, twice as
far) as the ball. This is demonstrated by Jim Furyk, one of the best sand players
on the PGA Tour, in Figure 9.2.6. Watch for this if you have a video camera,
looking at your sand shots as they leave impact in slow-motion replay on your
VCR.
 Figure 9.2.6: Proper action
through sand: clubhead scoots
under and past ball, club
leaves sand first, ball spins
upward

9.3 Blast Calibration

To learn and groove the scoot-and-spin blast shot, follow the eight-step
calibration test below. Not only will you learn how to execute the shot, but
you’ll also understand why you must make those three crucial changes in your
setup and alignment mentioned earlier.

1. In a practice bunker, draw a line aimed at a flagstick (your target).

This establishes your target line (Fig. 9.3.1).
2. Draw a line perpendicular to the target line, which will become the
ball line. Smooth the spot where the two lines intersect (Fig. 9.3.2), which is
where you will initially place a ball.
 Figure 9.3.1: To calibrate your sand Figure 9.3.2: Then draw a ball line perpendicular to that
setup alignment, first draw a line target line
directly at your target, the flagstick

3. Take your normal distance-wedge address, except position the ball

line just inside your left heel (raise your pants so you can see your feet and
ankles) and keep your hips, shoulders, and feet set up square to and parallel left
of the target line (left image in Fig. 9.3.3). Rotate your left toe 30 to 45 degrees
toward the target (center Fig. 9.3.3), and loosen your grip and rotate the face of
your club open so the grooves are at 45 degrees to your body line (right image in
Fig. 9.3.3).
 Figure 9.3.3: Position left instep at ball line (left), rotate left toe 45 degrees toward
flagstick (center) leaving heel on ball line, rotate clubface to wide open (right)

4. Keeping your body parallel to the target line, move back away from
the ball, keeping your left foot heel touching the ball line. Now picture an
imaginary ball positioned on the ball line, ready for you to blast out of the sand.
5. Make a perfectly synchronized 9:00 o’clock distance-wedge swing,
contacting the sand four to five inches behind the imaginary ball. Your swing
should take a divot out of the sand about eight to 10 inches long, starting in the
center of your stance, five inches behind where the imaginary ball was sitting.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 three more times, backing six inches away from
each previous divot before swinging. Stop and examine all four divots. If you
have a perfectly grooved distance-wedge swing, the divots will look like those in
Figure 9.3.4, each beginning at your stance center, scooting just under where the
imaginary balls were sitting and continuing another five or so inches forward.
Looking at the divots should tell you something else important about your
sand play. If your clubface is properly open through impact, the divots should
only be about a half inch deep. If they are deeper, it means your club is digging
in and, therefore, is not open enough.
 Figure 9.3.4: Four perfect
finesse-swing divots

7. With this new understanding, rake the sand and start over, but this
time after drawing the ball line, place six balls along it, each spaced six inches
apart. Without worrying where the balls go, keeping your left heel on the ball
line, make six more 9:00 o’clock distance-wedge swings. Every good swing
should hit a good-looking blast shot out of the sand (Fig. 9.3.5).
 Figure 9.3.5: Perfect swings down target line produce perfect shots angling to
right of flagstick

That’s the good news. The bad news is, these good-looking sand shots will
fly consistently to the right of the flag because your clubface was open. Never
mind. Rake the sand and hit another six good shots this way. Now look at the
average angle error your 12 shots missed to the right of the flagstick. This is
your “sand-aim-calibration” angle, the angle you must set up, aim, and swing to
the left of any target to hit your sand shots close to that target. Now you are
ready to blast perfect sand shots on the golf course to a flagstick, by aiming your
setup to the left of that flagstick by that angle.
8. It’s now simple to hit sand shots to any target. You know exactly
how far left of the target to aim your swing line (your sand-aim-calibration
angle), where to place the ball (at the heel of your left shoe), and exactly how far
to open your clubface (45 degrees) to your swing line (Fig. 9.3.6). Plus, you
understand that to execute a beautiful blast shot, you just have to make your
good distance-wedge swing. Don’t try to hit the sand a specific distance behind
the ball; instead, try to make good finesse swings, trusting that you were smart
enough to position the ball properly in the middle of where your sand divot will
naturally occur (Fig. 9.3.7).
Figure 9.3.6: Perfect sand setup aims Figure 9.3.7: Perfect swings produce
swing line left of target line perfect shots from perfect setup
positions

How Not to Grip an Open-Faced Sand Club

Many golfers, when told to open the clubface, do so by

maintaining their grip on the club and rotating their hands
and forearms clockwise. As a result, what they’re really
doing is temporarily addressing the ball with a stronger-
than-normal grip and an open clubface (Fig. 9.3.8). As
they swing through impact, their hands return to their
natural position, so the clubface is square when it hits the
sand (Fig. 9.3.9). The club digs in rather than scooting
under, and the results are a dig-and-push sand shot … not
good!
Figure 9.3.8: Improper method to open clubface: from normal finesse grip (left), Figure
rotate hands under and behind into strong position (right) 9.3.9: From
improper
strong grip,
clubface
returns to
square
through
impact

How to Grip an Open-Faced Sand Club Properly

1. Start with your normal finesse grip (Fig. 9.3.10), the

clubface square to your swing line.
2. Remove your right hand from the club and, without
moving your left hand, loosen its grip on the club.
3. Still without moving your left hand, use your right
thumb and forefinger (left side, Fig. 9.3.11) to rotate
the shaft until the clubface is opened the desired
amount (45 degrees). Retighten your left hand in its
original position.
4. Replace your right hand exactly as it was in your
original square-faced setup (right side, Fig. 9.3.11).
This grip position will let you swing the clubhead
 through impact while maintaining the clubface open, to
produce the proper “scoot-and-spin” blast shot.

Figure 9.3.10: Start with normal finesse Figure 9.3.11: Proper method of opening clubface in
grip (weak) sand: rotate shaft while maintaining weak grip

The eight-step calibration process is an excellent way to learn the scoot-

and-spin blast shot. Repeat it until you have it down. Every time you practice
sand shots, draw a swing line that aims the proper angle to the left of the pin,
draw a ball line perpendicular to the swing line, and be sure your setup includes
careful placement of your left heel on the ball line, keeping your shoulders, feet,
and body alignment parallel left of the swing line (Fig. 9.3.12). Keep drawing
lines and hitting shots until you get really good at it, until you can accurately
escape from the sand without drawing the lines but knowing where they would
have been.
 Figure 9.3.12: Proper setup for scoot-and-spin blast from sand (as seen from
golfer’s view looking down)

Before I end this section I want you to see some photographs of a few sand
setup positions we regularly see in our Scoring Game Schools. Houdini could
not have escaped from the sand using some of these. Combine these positions
with a generally poor knowledge of the sand swing, and you’ll understand why
so many people fear the sand (Fig. 9.3.13).
 Figure 9.3.13: Bad ball position promotes bad golf swings in sand

And a final point, when the ball is positioned perfectly on the inside of
your left heel with respect to your swing line, it will be five inches in front of
your stance center and will look to someone standing face-on to you
(perpendicular to the target line) as if you are playing the ball off the toe of your
(perpendicular to the target line) as if you are playing the ball off the toe of your
front foot, as it appears in Figure 9.3.14. Don’t worry; this is as it should be.

Figure 9.3.14: Perfect ball position

on left heel line relative to swing line
in sand

9.4 Margin for Error

A few years ago, I tested some features of my own sand game by measuring my
performance using both the scoot-and-spin and dig-and-push techniques. They
should provide you with some insight into how valuable the scoot-and-spin can
be. (I don’t expect you to measure these parameters for your own performance,
and the actual numbers are not important. What you get from my numbers is an
understanding of how the proper technique makes your sand play easier because
it is more forgiving and minimizes the consequences of making normal human
errors.)
In the test, I hit 10 consecutive shots with one technique, with an assistant
recording how far short or past the target flagstick each ball finished (Fig. 9.4.1).
I also stopped, measured, and recorded the positions of my sand divots to see
how far behind each ball my wedge entered the sand (Fig. 9.4.2). Then I hit 10
shots using the other technique, recording the same data. I alternated techniques
shots using the other technique, recording the same data. I alternated techniques
and repeated each sequence five times, then correlated the results, which are
summarized as follows:

Figure 9.4.1: I tested fifty shots with each of two techniques

1. Most of my best shots (those that landed softly, bounced once,

checked, and dribbled closest to the pin) were scoot-and-spin shots. On the best
10 of those—all stopping within two feet of the hole—my wedge entered the
sand almost exactly 4½ inches behind the ball.
2. A group of scoot-and-spin shots that flew a shorter distance but
rolled farther than normal ended up at almost the same place as the best shots on
the green. On these shots, my wedge had entered the sand about 5½ inches
behind the balls.
3. A third set of shots flew farther than my best ones but had more
backspin so they stopped quicker. They also traveled almost the same total
distance and ended near the pin. On these, my wedge had entered the sand only
three to 3½ inches behind the balls.
 Figure 9.4.2: Divot parameters and shot performance was recorded for every shot

4. On those shots when my wedge entered the sand more than five
inches or less than three inches behind the ball, all stayed on the green but were
also more than five feet from the flagstick.
5. Then there was the erratic scatter pattern of my dig-and-push shots.
Only three (out of 50) stopped within two feet of the hole; 14 missed the green
completely. On my best dig-and-push shots, the wedge entered the sand less than
a quarter inch behind the ball.
6. On those dig-and-push shots when my wedge entered the sand
between half an inch to one inch behind the ball, the balls finished from three to
17 feet short of the pin. On those shots when I hit the ball cleanly before entering
the sand, every one airmailed the green (traveling about 30 yards).

A very clear pattern emerged from the results. The scoot-and-spin has a
margin for error of about two inches (plus or minus one inch from the perfect
point of entry), for producing shots that finish where I want them to. On the dig-
point of entry), for producing shots that finish where I want them to. On the dig-
and-push, if I was not within a quarter inch of perfect entry into the sand, I was
in trouble.
Whichever method you choose is your choice. If your timing and
coordination are significantly better executing dig-and-push swings, then by all
means use that shot (as long as you can maintain that performance under
pressure). Or, as you’ll see in the next section, you can learn to chip (pick all
your sand shots clean) or putt from sand, but then you’d better not play courses
with high bunker lips. For my money, I’ll stay with the scoot-and-spin and its
large margin for error.

The Chip-and-Putt from Sand

9.5 Chipping Mechanics in Sand

Have you ever been in a bunker and thought the shot looked so easy that you
could pick the ball off the surface and roll it to the pin? Sometimes you can, and
if the conditions are right, it’s not a bad idea. I refer to this play as a chip, not a
pick. “Picking” the ball suggests that you might lift the ball with your hands, and
your hands are the last things you want to use in this shot.
Before you get all excited about having an alternative to the standard sand
blast shot, understand that the chip has almost no tolerance for error: You can’t
hit fat or thin and get away with it. But it is an easy shot to execute. There are
three fundamentals to worry about. If you can handle them, and the physical
circumstances of the bunker allow for the somewhat limited capabilities of the
shot, the chip may be a shot for you to try.

1. Because there is no tolerance for hitting fat or thin, you must

establish a fixed reference height for your swing during setup. I suggest making
this reference your sternum and/or your head. You must commit to keeping them
level, at a constant distance from the ground, throughout your swing.
2. From your fixed reference, establish a swing-arc radius—the length
of your left arm extended—and keep it constant throughout your swing. And
when I say constant, I mean precisely constant. Unlike most golf shots, where
perfection is rare and you have a reasonable margin for error, on the chip from
sand, the clubhead must contact the bottom quarter of the ball without digging
into the sand.
 3. You must execute a dead-hands swing on a ball positioned half an
inch behind your stance center. Don’t mindlessly put the ball “somewhere” back
in your stance and chip it: You’re likely to thin the shot because your swing
radius is holding the club a quarter inch off the sand to begin with. Likewise,
you have no chance if your ball is even slightly too far forward: Your club will
dig in if it hits the sand first. Any error in clubhead height through impact is
serious.

Even with these qualifications and warnings, the chip is still a good shot
under certain conditions because it is not too hard to learn. Its best application
comes when you can chip with a 6-to 8-iron over a low bunker lip to a pin a long
way from you. If you hit the shot cleanly, it will behave about like a normal chip
from grass from that distance, except it will have a little more backspin and stop
about 10% to 15% shorter than the normal shot.
You also can get good results from your pitching and sand wedges with
this technique if you learn to judge how high your shots will come out, and,
again, if you’re not looking at high bunker lips. But you’ll never hit this shot
high enough on the face to produce really high shots, no matter which club you
use. Always play for the ball to come out a little lower than you would normally
expect for the club you are playing.
From the standard chipping address posture (see Chapter 8 for details),
position the ball precisely half an inch behind your stance center (Fig. 9.5.1).
Keeping your club always a quarter inch above the sand, make your normal
finesse chipping motion, except swing as though you intended to roll the shot
about 15% farther than the distance to the flagstick (Fig. 9.5.2).
 Figure 9.5.1: Address position for
chip from sand

Figure 9.5.2: Maintain head level and swing radius constant to chip from sand
9.6 The Putt from Sand

If you haven’t already, please read about the chiputt in section 8.11. Because if
you are going to putt a ball out of the sand, the chiputt—nothing more than
swinging your putter with a chipping motion—is the shot to use.
The chiputt works well from the sand because of the increased power
generated by the chipping swing. But it will work only if the sand is firm enough
to let a ball roll through it; I’ve seen sand so soft that rolling balls stop short and
seem to sink. Most sand, however, especially if it has not been freshly raked, can
be negotiated by a fast-rolling ball, as long as there is no lip at the edge of the
bunker to stop it.
Start from a narrow stance and make a smooth finesse chipping motion. If
you position the ball two inches ahead of your stance center (Fig. 9.6.1), at
exactly the bottom of your swing arc, the ball will start above the sand by the
amount of loft on your putterface. Give it too much loft, by playing the ball too
far forward, and the ball will pop up and land, stopping in the sand. And if you
play it back and hit it down, the ball will go nowhere. So the initial launch
condition is critical. You must keep the ball moving almost horizontally
immediately after impact to have a chance of getting it out of the bunker (Fig.
9.6.2).
 Figure 9.6.1: The chiputt works Figure 9.6.2: Keep ball moving horizontally after
well from sand (if no bunker lip is impact
there to stop it)

Because you will almost always hit the chiputt solidly, it has none of the
precision requirements of the chip from sand explained in section 9.5. However,
it does have one major drawback: You can’t predict exactly how the ball will
transition from rolling in sand to rolling through the grass between the bunker
and the green. Even with no bunker lip, the ball may bounce and take off in the
grass, or get caught in the grass and die. That’s why I recommend putting from
sand only when the sand is firm and flat, there is no bunker lip, and the pin is 50
feet or more away (the greater the distance the better, to minimize the uncertain
efficiency of the ball’s roll through the sand and grass).

9.7 Accuracy Benefits

Many golfers will try chipping and putting from sand because they’re
uncomfortable hitting a blast shot. Specifically, they don’t know which club to
use, or how hard to swing, to blast long bunker shots close to the pin.
use, or how hard to swing, to blast long bunker shots close to the pin.
In fact, the scoot-and-spin blast is a higher-percentage shot than the chip or
putt, because it has a much greater margin for error. But if the golfer has any
anxiety about blasting normal sand shots, the long ones will make him terrified.
Many accomplished players don’t have a feel for the long blast shots. Even the
Tour pros who hit close behind the ball on their bunker shots fear the long ones
under pressure: They have to swing so hard to carry their shots the longer
distances that if they miss just a little and hit the ball first, it will fly way too far.
But if (and I stress if) the bunker lip is low enough, the golfer can be pretty
certain that a chip from sand will roll about the same distance (within 15%) as a
chip from grass. And a putt probably will roll about the same distance as if
putted through the fringe. That creates a level of comfort that, if the golfer hits
the shot properly, he knows approximately how it will turn out.

9.8 Disaster Is Close

The real moment of truth in sand play comes when you’re evaluating what shots
are possible, and then which of those leaves the highest probability of converting
the next putt. A final factor could be “Which shot makes you feel most
comfortable?” Of course, all of this has to be evaluated with your situation: Do
you need to sink the shot, or is out and two putts good enough? Is there a hazard
behind the pin and anything less than out and three putts is okay?
When you look at the options this way, the scoot-and-spin blast shot again
wins in most situations. It has the largest margin for error, and it produces the
most shots close to the pin, from all distances (see section 9.12). But this applies
only if you know how to hit the shot. Many golfers don’t.
Rule out the scoot-and-spin, and the chip and putt become viable options if
the bunker lip is low enough. Neither shot requires much touch for distance, but
the golfer must make a level swing and precise contact for the chip, or have no
lip to clear with the putt. On the chip, the club is moving so slowly that if it does
hit the sand it stops almost immediately, and the ball doesn’t get out. Or if you
skull it, the ball likely hits the lip and remains in the sand. Both of these shots,
when executed poorly, turn out far worse than a scoot-and-spin shot that is
struck poorly by plus or minus an inch or two.
The last choice is the worst of all, the dig-and-push. It offers almost no
margin for error, and its bad results are worse than bad—they’re terrible.
My advice is simple. Get into a practice bunker and learn the scoot-and-
spin blast shot. While there, try chipping a few, and if you have a bunker with no
lip, putt a few balls out, too. These three options will allow you to handle any
lip, putt a few balls out, too. These three options will allow you to handle any
situation.

Sand-Shot Behavior
9.9 Spin Controls Behavior on the Green

Unlike distance wedges, most well-hit sand shots land softly on the greens and
don’t make deep divots. The club that blasted them onto the green never actually
touched the ball. It’s the sand brushing past, carried by the passing club, that
imparts the spin and soft trajectory.
Because there is no deep divot to halt the forward momentum of a sand
shot, it needs lots of spin to stop it. Otherwise, it can roll a long way. And you
very well may not want that to happen.
I magine a two-tiered green. The hole is cut close on top of the second tier.
In Chapter 7, I explained how dangerous it is to fly a shot into a slope (it
magnifies whatever error you make): It is much smarter to land your sand shot
well short of the slope (where the levels change) and let it roll up the hill, rather
than trying to fly it just past the slope. However, most players don’t know how
to hit a sand shot that runs after landing.
Or how about a sand shot into a green that slopes sharply toward you? If
you put your normal full amount of backspin on this shot, it might come right
back at you, spinning off the green and back into the bunker. But you don’t want
to push a ball up past the pin with no spin, because that likely will leave you a
treacherous downhill putt. So put just a moderate amount of spin on your sand
shot. Do you know how?

9.10 Spin Mechanics

The sand is one of the few places in golf where I see great players allow their
left wrist to break down in the follow-through. This happens because when
playing difficult courses with difficult pin positions, they use lots of backspin to
help hold fast greens. Adding slap or zip through impact creates extra clubhead
speed, and spin, as the clubhead scoots under the ball.
To maximize spin on a 60-yard bunker shot, the best method is to strike
the ball first with a descending blow with your sand wedge, dragging the ball
along the top of heavy, damp sand (pinching, or trapping, it against the sand).
Under those ideal conditions, you’ll probably produce more spin than you want.
Much more useful is the maximum-spin shot from a greenside bunker,
 Much more useful is the maximum-spin shot from a greenside bunker,
which you have to do without hitting the ball too hard, since you usually want to
carry it only about eight to 10 yards. Scoot the blade of your wedge through the
sand very quickly and very close to the ball, so the sand that touches and spins
the ball is being dragged by the clubface. The faster and closer the club passes
the ball without actually touching it, the greater the spin.
There are two ways to hit this shot. First, you can take a longer backswing
and “zip” your hands and wrists through impact as fast as you can, then stop
them immediately. Paul Azinger is the best I’ve seen at this technique. The other
way is to hit a normal scoot-and-spin swing but, again, zipping the hands
through impact. Steve Elkington and Phil Mickelson are both great at this shot.
The clubface must be wide open through impact for both shots to maximize spin
while not transmitting too much forward power to the ball.
When less knowledgeable golfers try to hit the maximum-spin shot, they
often hit a “blocked-hands” shot instead. The leading wrist stays above the
trailing wrist after impact, so the club never releases. The club slows down so
much through the sand that stability and control are completely destroyed.
On the opposite side of the spin world, to minimize spin and produce a
shot that runs on the green, you must push the ball out of the sand. Your
clubhead cannot scoot past it. From your normal setup position, create the push
shot by positioning the ball two inches inside the heel of your left foot so it is
just short of the middle of your soon-to-be sand divot. Keep your clubface
square to your target line (which, in this case, is also your swing line) and turn
your grip under (to a slightly strong position, as on the left in Fig. 9.10.1). Make
an essentially normal sand swing, but consciously roll your hands back to square
through impact. This lets your clubhead (usually a pitching wedge or 9-iron)
enter and dig a bit into the sand, but then quickly roll over so it doesn’t get stuck
there (right side, Fig. 9.10.1). Be sure to follow through so you push the ball out
with low spin. This is a more dangerous shot than the face-open blast, because it
requires that the bottom of the swing be very level so the club doesn’t dig too
deeply into the sand. But you sometimes need your ball to roll, so practice
enough to have the shot ready (Fig. 9.10.2).
 Figure 9.10.1: The minimum spin bunker shot

Figure 9.10.2: The minimum spin shot will roll all the way across a green
 While you should know how to hit the above two shots, the most
predictable way to get out of the sand and stop where you want on the green is to
fly the ball most of the way there, stopping it after one bounce, a check, and a
dribble. Again, that’s the normal “scoot-and-spin” blast. It has enough spin to
stop the ball within about six to eight feet of where it touches down, plus
consistency in distance control, and a large margin of error (plus or minus one
inch on your entry point in the sand). If your practice time in sand is limited,
work until you own the “scoot-and-spin.” It will serve you well.

9.11 Generic Expectations

Not all bunker and green configurations are the same. You’re sure to face high
and low bunker lips, different types of sand, and elevated greens, as well as
lousy lies. Even though my data over the years show that almost 80% of all sand
shots actually begin with good lies (so you want to become good from good lies
before you worry about the bad), many golfers’ results from bad or unusual lies
are so bad that these shots also must be learned and practiced to save scores.
Here are a few tips and truths that may help you to play from different
sand situations. Try some of these suggestions in a practice bunker before trying
them on the course. As you’ll see, some require you to make rather significant
changes to my previqusly stated “standard” sand procedures.
Sand-shot height is controlled by:

1. The effective loft of your clubface as it passes through the sand. The
greater the loft, the higher and shorter the shot.
2. Clubhead speed as it passes the ball. The faster the speed, the higher
and longer the shot.
3. How close the clubhead passes to the ball. The closer it gets to the
ball, the higher the shot will fly, and the greater the spin.
4. How far left you have aimed and swung. The farther left you aim, the
higher and shorter your shots will fly.
5. The height of your hands on the follow-through. Just as with distance
wedges, the higher your hands finish, the higher the ball comes out; the
lower the finish, the lower the ball comes out. On most shots, finish with
a high, full follow-through to be sure of getting the ball out high and soft,
and controlling the overall distance.

If you stab at the ball with a punch-shot swing, there’s nothing lifting the
 If you stab at the ball with a punch-shot swing, there’s nothing lifting the
ball except the loft of the club. That’s why a swing without a follow-through hits
low shots. Also remember that to produce spin, the club must pass the ball
coming out of the sand, and that can happen only when the face is very open.
When the sand becomes harder, coarser, or wetter than normal, the ball
will come out quicker, because the club bounces and scoots through the sand in a
more shallow divot. Ultimately, the only way to handle these situations is with
experience, which tells you how much hotter the ball will fly from different
sand. From “hot” sand, don’t change your technique except to use a shorter,
more lofted club with less bounce on its sole. And whatever you do, if the sand
is so hard your club won’t penetrate (e.g., hardpan dirt), don’t try the blast shot.
That’s when the chip or putt will do better (as long as there is a low, or no, lip on
the bunker).
For fine, sugarlikesand, in which the ball sits down because of its own
weight, use a wedge with a bigger flange and more bounce (see section 9.13).
Use the same scoot-and-spin technique discussed earlier, but expect your club to
dig deeper into the sand than the normal half inch before it bounces and scoots
under the ball. These shots will fly shorter distances but roll farther with less
spin than shots from firm-sand bunkers.

Sand-Swing Variations
9.12 Distance Control for Blasting

I’ve already said that you want to restrict your backswing in the sand to about
the 9:00 o’clock length. So how do you control the distance of your shots?
Here’s how not to do it:

1. Don’t change the rhythm of your swing.

2. Don’t change how close you hit behind the ball.
3. Don’t change how hard you swing through the sand.

The easiest way to vary the distance of your sand shots is to use clubs of
different lengths and lofts, all the time continuing to use the same swing.
There’s a great misunderstanding in amateur golf that the only clubs
allowed for use in a bunker are those labeled “sand.” But the name of a club
doesn’t have anything to do with its performance in the sand or anywhere else.
I recommend that most players carry four wedges, two of which have more
loft than the traditional sand wedge. All four wedges can be put to excellent use
getting out of the sand, as can all the irons down to the 6-iron. Don’t be
surprised: All eight of these clubs (6-iron to fourth wedge) will handle the sand
if you position the ball forward in your stance, open the face so the bottom and
back of the club bounce and scoot through the sand, and keep the leading edge
from digging in.
Say your “normal” 55-degree loft sand-wedge (the one with “SW”
stamped on the sole) carries the ball on average a distance of 12 yards in the air
when you make your 9:00 o’clock backswing. That means if you take your
pitching wedge and make the same swing, the results will be a 16-yard carry.
Your 9-iron will produce a 20-yard carry from the same swing.
This steady increase in distance has two causes. First, even with the face of
your 9-iron open so it will bounce and scoot through the sand, it still has eight
degrees less loft than the sand wedge, so it will propel the ball more forward.
Second, each shaft is longer than that of the preceding club, so the same-rhythm
swing, with the same hand speed, produces more clubhead speed, which again
translates into longer carry. This progression continues as you go on up through
the irons.
I’ve seen Seve Ballesteros hit beautiful, high, soft sand shots with his 2-
iron. But I don’t think most golfers, including most Tour players, should hit
anything less lofted than a 6-iron (long irons just take more practice time).
The Tour pros are not afraid to choose the right club for the situation.
Table 9.12.1 shows the average distances sand shots should carry for the
different clubs (plus or minus a few yards for individual golfers’ swing
differences).

CLUB LOFT SHAFT CARRY

(degrees) LENGTH DISTANCE
(inches) (yards)
X-Wedge 64 34 8
L-Wedge 60 34.5 12
S-Wedge 55 35 16
P-Wedge 50 35.5 22
9-Iron 46 36 27
8-Iron 42 36.5 33

Table 9.12.1: Average carry distances for various clubs from

sand (9:00 o’clock swings)
 Combining your rhythmic finesse swing with your four wedges provides
you with a good range of carry distances, adequate for most greenside situations.
And although most bunkers are located near greens, not all are. Go to your
practice range and calibrate your 9-, 8-, 7-, and 6-iron distances from sand, too.
This will increase your yardage coverage and come in handy on many long par-5
holes, where the bunkers are not close to the greens.
What if you need a shorter shot—say, one to a pin cut very close to the
bunker? Take your most lofted wedge and grip down on it. Just as longer shafts
produce more carry distance through increased clubhead speed, so do shorter
shafts decrease head speed and carry distance (see Fig. 9.12.1). It’s an easy way
to hit soft short shots without trying to decelerate. Stand closer to the ball, but
other than that, the swing fundamentals and ball position remain the same.
Don’t be afraid to try this technique in practice: I’ve taught many fine
players, including Tour pros, to wrap their lower hand completely around the
metal of the shaft, below the grip, and hit shots that carry only three to four yards
out of the sand. It’s easy and requires only a normal, smooth, rhythmic, 7:30 or
8:00 o’clock bunker swing.

Figure 9.12.1: A short club produces short, soft shots from sand

9.13 Bounce vs. Conditions

Because I advocate using multiple wedges, I think the differences in loft, length,
flex of their shafts, and weight of the clubheads are very important to your game.
All can affect your wedge-shot performance and your ability to score. But there
is something else about these clubs that can have an even bigger effect on your
ability to hit shots. That something is the shape of the bottom, the sole.
You don’t need to understand much about a wedge’s design to hit good
shots with it. At least that’s true if your wedges have reasonably well-designed
bottoms. But if your wedges have bad sole configurations, then you’re in
trouble. That’s when knowing a little about design will help you determine if
your clubs are helping or hurting your game.
Wedge loft, lie, shaft length, and flex are detailed in Chapter 10, so I won’t
go into them here. But sole design is independent of those parameters, and
affects your wedge play in an entirely different way. While lies, lofts, and
lengths determine how far and in what direction your wedge shots go, the sole
determines how the head of your wedge reacts with the ground, or sand, through
impact. For example, sole design can determine if your club bounces into—and
skulls—your ball, or contacts the ball first, then tears through the turf, creating a
perfect shot trajectory.
Whenever I work with a player on wedge-game performance, I check the
soles of his or her wedges to make sure the equipment will allow that golfer to
play the game properly. They often don’t. I look for three qualities:

1. How much bounce is on each wedge, and is that the right amount for
the intended general use of that club?
2. How deep is the bounce? Is it a depth that will let the golfer play the
special shots he intends to play with that club?
3. Does the player’s set of wedges have the proper variation of sole
designs to handle a wide variety of lies?

Let’s define our terms. The amount of bounce on a wedge (or any club) is
the distance that the bottom of the sole extends below the leading edge of the
clubface (when the club is soled squarely in the impact position). Figure 9.13.1
shows the bounce for five different wedges, all of the same loft. In the golf
industry today, bounce is completely independent of a wedge’s loft, length,
weight, or shaft flex. This means there is no assigned bounce to a particular type
or loft of a wedge; the amount of bounce is the preference of the designer. It
might be nice to have a standard set of rules for bounce, but golfers swing so
differently, and teachers teach so differently, that no consensus has ever been
reached.
 Figure 9.13.1: Different bounces produce different play characteristics

Have no doubt, though, that there is an optimal bounce for each of your
wedges, one that will provide the best results for your swing and game. So it
behooves you to understand how to select your wedges.
Don’t run out and try all the bounces shown in Figure 9.13.1. First
understand that the depth of bounce also matters to wedge performance: The
depth of bounce, as shown in Figure 9.13.2, determines whether or not the
“effective” bounce—the amount of bounce at the moment of impact—changes
when the clubface is opened through impact.
 Figure
9.13.2:
Wedge
bounce can
be shallow,
deep, or
anywhere
in between

Effective bounce depends not only on how much bounce is designed into
the sole, but also how deep it is in the sole and how much the face is open. As
shown in Figure 9.13.3, shallow-bounce wedges don’t change effective bounce
much, if at all, as the face rotates open. However, deep-bounce wedges change
effective bounce dramatically.
 Figure 9.13.3:
Opening the
clubface usually
changes
the effective bounce
of wedges

If you never play open-faced shots, you need bounce specifications

different from those of the golfer who opens the clubface on many shots. For
example, the golfer who carries only one low-lofted wedge, and therefore must
open it to hit high shots, can’t afford to have it be a deep-bounced club, because
its bounce changes so drastically when the face is opened, and becomes so large,
that the club could never be used from tight lies.
that the club could never be used from tight lies.
I don’t want to make the discussion of bounce too confusing, but I must
say a few general statements about the way the amount and depth of bounce will
affect your wedge game. After you read them, examine Table 9.13.1 to
determine what will best serve your wedge game on your home course. Also
note that if you play other courses, with different short-game situations (e.g.,
tighter fairways or finer/coarser sand in the bunkers), you may want to take
different clubs to handle the conditions.
 Table 9.13.1: Amount and depth of bounce affects how wedges perform from
different lies

General rules about bounce:

1. The greater the bounce, the earlier in the downswing and the more
violently a wedge will bounce (reflect from the surface) upon hitting firm
ground. Always carry at least one wedge with a small and shallow-bounce sole,
allowing you to make contact on the third or fourth face line up from the leading
edge, even when open. You’ll need this wedge for hardpan and other hard-
ground lies.
2. Don’t carry wedges with either the same amount or depth of bounce.
You never know what lie awaits on your next shot. We all face hardpan sooner
or later, and you’ll need a small, shallow-bounce club to handle it. But on the
next hole you may find your ball sitting up in deep rough or on top of sugar-fine
sand, and that’s when you’ll need a large, deep bounce.
3. Don’t give up and select the maximum and minimum extremes of
bounce if your courses don’t call for them. Tailor your wedge set to fit what you
face most frequently. And own a substitute wedge or two that you can call to
duty on trips to other courses with other conditions.

9.14 Ball Position vs. Lie

I said earlier that 80% of all sand shots are hit from good lies. So why do those
other 20% seem to occur so often? (And why, you might ask, just to you?) You
know you’re going to face a bad lie some of the time, so do you know how the
ball will behave from them? Do you know what swings handle those lies best?
Three bad lies are the most common: the fried-egg, the completely buried,
and the one-third-buried lie. An example of a fried-egg and a one-third-buried
ball, along with how they compare to a perfect lie, is pictured in Figure 9.14.1.
To help you prepare for them, Table 9.14.1 lists my “all-other-things-being-
equal” rules of sand play. Table 9.14.2 is a matrix of setup parameters to handle
these lies.

Figure 9.14.1: The fried-egg, one-third-buried,

 and perfect lies in sand

As you can see in the tables, you can’t open the clubface very much when
the ball sits down in the sand. That means (because the club won’t scoot under
and spin the ball) you should allow for a lot more roll from bad lies once the ball
gets on the green. Bad lies also require a wedge with less bounce, which allows
the club to dig deeper and get down to the ball. Obviously, you don’t want to
scoot the clubface a half inch beneath the sand’s surface when the ball is half
buried; you’ll strike the ball in its belly and fly it across the green and into more
trouble.

THE BETTER YOUR LIE (the higher the ball sits on top of the sand), the
farther forward the ball should be positioned in your stance.
THE WORSE YOUR LIE (the deeper your ball is buried), the farther back
in your stance the ball should be positioned.
THE FARTHER FORWARD the ball is positioned in your stance, the
more you should open the clubface.
THE FARTHER BACK the ball is positioned in your stance, the more
you should close the clubface.
THE MORE YOU OPEN THE CLUBFACE:
• the more left you must aim
• the shallower the club moves through the sand
• the higher the trajectory of the shot
• the more backspin the shot will have
• the softer the shot will land
THE MORE YOU CLOSE THE CLUBFACE:
• the more square or right you must aim
• the deeper your club will dig into the sand
• the lower the trajectory of the shot
• the farther the ball will roll after landing
THE MORE COMPLETELY YOU FINISH YOUR FOLLOW-
THROUGH:
• the less likely you are to leave your ball in the sand
• the more consistent your carry distance will be
• the more “muscle-free” your club will travel through impact
THE SHORTER YOU STOP YOUR FOLLOW-THROUGH:
• the less forward momentum your shot will have
• the softer the shot will land
• the more likely you are to leave your ball in the sand

Table 9.14.1: Rules of sand play (all other things being equal)

A buried lie also demands gripping down on your club to produce a more
 A buried lie also demands gripping down on your club to produce a more
descending blow from a shorter swing arc. The “shorter” the club shaft, the
steeper the angle both into and out of the sand.
Completely
Perfect Lie Buried Lie Fried-Egg Lie
Buried Lie

Face Wide Halfway Slightly Square or

Angle Open Open Open Slightly Closed
Stance
Square or
and Square to Swing Line, 7° Left of
12° Left of Target Line Slightly Right of
Shoulder 17° Left of Target Line Target Line
Target Line
Position
Ball Inside 2” Behind Slightly Forward of Stance
Position Left Heel Left Heel Center Center
Zero Bounce,
Club Bounce at Some Bounce, Slight Bounce, Medium
Complete Dig 2”
Through ½”-Deep Scoot Some Dig Dig
Deep
Sand under Ball 1” Deep 1½” Deep
Push Ball Out
 Push Ball Out

Table 9.14.2: Setup and ball position vs. lie in sand

When a third of the ball is below the surface of the sand, open your wedge
only half as much as for a good lie, set your swing line only half as far left of the
target, play the ball a little less forward (two inches behind your left heel line),
and use a club with not too much bounce. Then swing and try for a full follow-
through. The ball will come out as shown in Figure 9.14.2, and run at least as far
as it flies, usually farther.

Figure 9.14.2: From a one-third-buried lie,

a full finish will produce a running shot

The more the ball sits down, the farther back toward your stance center
you play it, and the more you square the club (so it digs in). If you play the ball
forward, as on good-lie sand shots, the square face will dig so deep that by the
time the club gets there, it won’t have enough energy left to get the ball out.
For the buried lie, when the ball is visible but mostly under the sand, move
it back to the center of your stance, close the club so it’s square, maybe even
toed-in a little, and grip down on the shaft. Make sure to supply enough power to
get through the sand. A good rule of thumb says the more you are worried about
getting the ball out, the more you should try to make a full finish. Striving for a
finish guarantees that the ball will get out of the bunker, albeit with very little
backspin. From the completely buried lie (Fig. 9.14.3), the ball always comes
out low and will roll two to three times as far as it flies.
 Figure 9.14.3: From a buried lie, the full finish produces a low-running shot

The fried egg is the ball sitting in a little crater somewhat below the
surface (Fig. 9.14.4). Play it as if the ball were about one-third buried: Position
the ball about two inches ahead of your stance center and open the club half as
much as for the normal sand shot (about 20 degrees). The ball will roll a pretty
long way on the green. You’ll likely face quite a few fried eggs, especially when
new sand has recently been added to a bunker, so practice it. To create a realistic
lie, swirl a ball around in a small circle, pushing the sand away from the center,
as shown in Figure 9.14.5.

Figure 9.14.4: From a fried-egg lie, a full finish will produce a soft shot but not
much backspin
 Figure 9.14.5: Making a fried-egg lie

Always remember that the desired action of your club through the sand,
and the resulting behavior of the ball, are important choices you need to make
before choosing which club to use. But if you use the right club, and make a few
subtle changes in your setup alignment and ball position, you can execute all
these shots with relative ease, because they all come from the same swing
motion. I validate this statement by asking you to see how similar all of my
swings from these bad lies are, compared to the sand swing from a perfect lie by
Jim Furyk in the following sequence (Fig. 9.14.6). You see, the swings are not
so different. It is the setup, ball positions, and club selections that cause the
differences in ball behavior (by the way, Jim is a great sand player, and while his
swing plane doesn’t follow all the rules, his clubhead action through the sand
shows why he’s among the world’s best from bunkers).
 Figure 9.14.6: Jim Furyk: the scoot-and-spin blast

Now, if you want to tackle some difficult sand shots, try hitting from
sidehill lies. When the ball is above your feet, forget the scoot-and-spin blast
shot; it won’t work even if the ball is sitting up on top of the sand. You’ve got to
be careful and make a good swing, because you have no margin for error. Try
the dig-and-push blast, aiming slightly to the right of the target, the clubface
almost square (Fig. 9.14.7). If the ball is one-third down in the sand, aim still
farther right and square the blade completely. Play the ball three inches in back
of your left heel line. The ball will pop out without too much power or spin, so
expect it to roll a little farther than normal. Also, be firm through impact with a
little greater grip pressure than normal, to be sure the toe of the club doesn’t dig
in and get stuck in the sand.
If the ball is completely below the surface of the sand, aim farther right
and “toe-in” the blade to your target. Play the ball from the middle of your
stance and grip down on your shaft as far as you can. Be sure to swing in
balance, and expect more roll than normal. The toe of the club will definitely dig
in on this shot, so be sure the club enters the sand with enough energy to get the
ball out. Don’t worry about getting up and down: Just be sure you get the ball
somewhere on the green, take your hazard medicine, and move on. One last
thing: Practice this shot before trying it on the course.
 Figure 9.14.7: For ball-above-feet shots,
the dig-and-push blast is your only option

When the ball is below your feet, another tough lie, it is still important to
maintain your balance, so try to make the smoothest swing possible. Don’t open
the face all the way, play the ball just ahead of stance center, and be conscious of
staying down through impact (don’t come up out of the shot or sway toward the
ball as you swing). If you change your height during the swing—because you
lean forward—it will lead to skulls and shanks. Stand close to the ball, aim
farther left than normal (Fig. 9.14.8), and try to make a good finish despite the
fact that your knees are more bent than usual and it is difficult to complete the
swing.
 Figure 9.14.8: The ball-below-feet
shot is most difficult for me

9.15 The Cock-and-Pop from Sand

A still more difficult situation arises with the above three lies (one-third buried,
fried egg, and completely buried) when there isn’t much green between the ball
and the hole. In this case, try the cock-and-pop with all three lies.
Just as you do when playing from a nesty lie in the grass, the cock-and-pop
calls for violating most of the rules of a good finesse swing. You are most
concerned with supplying enough power to get the ball out, some of it must
come from a hand-and-wrist muscle pop, and you are going to have no follow-
through.
Play the ball from the normal positions for all three lies. The difference is
that you want to cock your wrists as much as you can early in the backswing,
which shortens the radius of your swing. This gives you the ability to make a
very descending blow into the sand, popping the ball up and out without too
much forward power, because of your abbreviated follow-through. Look at
Figure 9.15.1 for the cock-and-pop from a one-third-buried lie, then compare it
to the swing finish for the same lie but a full swing (Fig. 9.14.2).
to the swing finish for the same lie but a full swing (Fig. 9.14.2).

Figure 9.15.1: The cock-and-pop from a one-third-buried lie

Figure 9.15.2: The cock-and-pop from a completely buried lie

The same technique works on the completely buried lie, but you have to
supply even more pop, so a lot more sand comes out (Fig. 9.15.2). The more you
follow through with this shot, the more sure you are of getting the ball out and
onto the green, but the farther it will roll. Don’t get too cute, or exacting, with
this shot unless you have practiced it many, many times. I can’t tell you how
many cock-and-pop shots I’ve seen almost get out of the bunker. (If you want to
see the best at this shot, watch Paul Azinger practicing it before a tournament. I
don’t know why, but he loves the cock-and-pop from a buried lie and is
unbelievably good at it, which proves that it can be done.)
9.16 Downhill Lies

Most golfers—yours truly included—consider the downhill sand shot one of the
most difficult plays in the game. But some downhill shots are easier than others.
For example:

• If the bunker has no lip, a simple chiputt might do the trick.

• If the slope isn’t too steep, place the ball at the left heel position, tilt
your shoulders so they’re parallel to the sand, and make a normal finesse blast to
scoot-and-spin the ball out. This technique succeeds only when the slopes are
fairly minor (less than about 10 degrees from horizontal) and you can keep your
balance throughout the swing (see Fig. 9.16.1). And it helps if you’ve practiced
the shot beforehand.
• Gentle slopes also can be handled with a chip, but the tendency is to
hit these chips fat, and if you don’t hit them fat, they come out incredibly low
and roll a long way.

Figure 9.16.1: Be sure to stay with (swing through) the downhill bunker shot

It’s the steep downhillers that are real tough. By steep I mean when it’s
impossible to tilt your shoulders parallel to the surface and still keep your
balance during the swing. In this case, consider putting if the bunker has no lip
(but such bunkers are increasingly difficult to find). So, assuming there is a lip to
clear, here are a number of adjustments that may help you achieve a reasonable
result:
 1. Plant your left (front) foot solidly, deep in the sand, so it can support
nearly all of your weight during the swing. You’ll have to flex your knees
excessively, and doing so will limit body rotation during the swing.
2. Tilt your body so your shoulders are as nearly parallel to the slope of
the sand as you can get them, while not losing your balance. (I sometimes use
my wedge to help get my shoulders as close to parallel as I can and still get
steady, as seen in Fig. 9.16.2.)

Figure 9.16.2: On downhill sand

shots, set your shoulders parallel to
the slope

3. Grip down on the wedge at least three or four inches. Lower the right
shoulder so you can address the ball, which is positioned perfectly centered in
your stance.
4. Without any delay, hit the shot with an upper-body-and-arms swing.
The swing momentum probably will carry you down the hill after the shot. It
may look a little odd, but walking through this shot actually helps, since it keeps
the clubhead going downhill longer (see Fig. 9.16.3).

Figure 9.16.3: Walking through the shot helps you stay down through impact

On the steepest downhillers, move the ball a little farther back in your
stance, aim significantly more to the left than normal, and open your clubface to
the absolute maximum. You will hit closer to the ball than normal, take less sand
and keep the shot from coming out too low, and rolling too far (Fig. 9.16.4).
 Figure 9.16.4: Plan for a lower trajectory and more roll on downhill bunker shots

Fortunately, we don’t face many downhill bunker shots. Therefore, they

aren’t worth too much practice time. But when you do face one, keep your
expectations realistic. I tell my Tour players to forget performing a miracle from
truly tough bunker lies; you just want to be sure of getting the ball onto the
green. The worst result from a downhill lie is skulling the ball or leaving it in the
bunker, both of which lead to double and triple bogeys. So minimize your
penalty, keep it to one stroke, and try to get that shot back later on in the round.
One stroke can be handled. Two or three are a lot more difficult to recover.

9.17 Uphill Struggles

The uphill bunker lie can work in your favor. The key is to create forward swing
momentum, which will help you maintain your balance as long as you keep
moving forward during the through-swing, and don’t fall back or reverse pivot.
From gentle upslopes, aim slightly left of the target and tilt your shoulders as
near to parallel to the sand as you can. Use a normal, left-heel ball position, and
open the clubface relative to your swing line. Make a normal scoot-and-spin
swing. I suggest using one club stronger (less loft) than normal for every five
swing. I suggest using one club stronger (less loft) than normal for every five
degrees of upslope. This makes up for the higher trajectory and quicker stopping
on the green that result from the uphill lie. This concept works well on slopes
less than 15 degrees and distances less than 30 feet to the pin (Fig. 9.17.1). From
a good lie, you should be able to get close to the pin if you take enough club.

Figure 9.17.1: Uphill sand shots are much easier

When the uphill shots get longer, the scoot-and-spin technique provides
even higher trajectories, which begin to make deeper divots on the green, so the
ball spins back quicker and farther than normal. Take less-lofted clubs (try a 6-
iron) for long, uphill blast shots. Don’t take the normal-lofted sand club and try
to make a harder swing, as “rip” swings seldom work from the sand. Again,
these shots take practice, particularly to learn how much club you need to reach
the hole.

9.18 Deep Problems

What do you think happens when the ball sits down in the sand on uphill bunker
shots? Surprisingly, the shot gets a little easier, because the ball comes out
lower, with less spin, and will run farther once it lands on the green. That helps,
since the biggest problem with an uphill shot is getting the ball to the hole. As
long as the uphill slope is not too great (no greater than about 20 degrees, as
shown in Fig. 9.18.1), allowing you to make a balanced swing, this shot can be
accomplished safely and your up-and-down percentage can be high.
 Figure 9.18.1: Use the dig-and-push
on plugged uphill lies

But the scoot-and-spin will no longer work, which means you have to use
the dig-and-push, moving the ball back to only two inches ahead of stance center
and using a square clubface to dig through impact. If you can get your shoulder
line parallel to the sand, this shot isn’t too difficult.
Even when your ball completely buries in an uphill bank (Fig. 9.18.2),
don’t throw in the towel. This shot isn’t nearly as difficult as a bad downhiller.
Although the commentators on television like to say how the player got a tough
break, don’t believe it. Just change your technique.
 Figure 9.18.2: Swing hard when the
ball is plugged in the bank

When you can’t get your shoulders parallel with the surface of the sand
and keep your balance, go vertical. Stand almost straight up and down and forget
about a follow-through. While this may sound bizarre, the shot works very well
because your instinct is to hit the shot hard, and, for once, that instinct is correct.
The ball will come out with very little spin, so it will roll a long distance on the
green, again helping you get it close.
Set up to this shot by positioning the ball two inches forward of your
stance center and squaring the clubface, with your swing line aimed directly at
the target. Using your sand or pitching wedge at full-shaft length, take a long,
powerful shoulder turn going back. Then give it all the acceleration you’ve got
coming down (use your power swing, not your finesse swing), letting the square
clubface stick into the sand and stop. Don’t worry about a follow-through,
because you can’t move a mountain. You’ll like the results when your club
because you can’t move a mountain. You’ll like the results when your club
(because of proper ball position) enters the sand very close to the back edge of
the ball.
Don’t worry about hitting this shot thin or skulling it: I don’t think you
could skull it if you tried. But be sure not to hit it fat or the ball might not move
an inch.

9.19 Imagination Helps

A chapter on sand play is a good place to remind you that you can never prepare
too much or too well for what is going to happen in golf. That doesn’t mean you
must have practiced every shot 10,000 times. What it does mean—and I base
this on my experience working with some of the world’s greatest players—is
that the most successful sand play comes from those who understand the
principles of sand play and know how the shots will react if they do this or that.
Players like Steve Elkington, Tom Kite, Phil Mickelson, and Seve
Ballesteros understand their sand games very well. Of course, they have
practiced them a lot both to develop and refine that knowledge. But here’s a
story, told to me by PGA Tour professional Tom Sieckmann, which indicates
that success sometimes comes from something in addition to experience and
practice.
Playing a European PGA Tour event some years ago, Sieck was paired
with Seve Ballesteros, who hit a long iron over and left of a green into a deep,
bowl-shaped bunker. Seve’s ball plugged under the top edge of the back of the
bunker. The ball was plugged deep under the lip, and at the back of the bunker,
no less. What did Seve do next? He couldn’t take an unplayable-lie penalty and a
drop, because the ball would have been closer to the hole. He couldn’t hit it out
backward, because there was a hazard there. He didn’t want to go back to his
original position and hit another long iron, and there was no way to hit it toward
the hole.
Sieck told me he thought the only shot was to stand at the bottom of the
bunker, take a big swing sideways, dig the ball out with the toe of a club, and
hope it would come down to the bottom without hitting Seve (which would have
been a penalty). From there, he would then have a chance of getting up and
down.
Seve looked at the lie for about 30 seconds, went to his bag, and pulled out
his putter. He stood on the bank above and behind the ball, and to Sieck’s
absolute amazement turned the toe of his putter down, drove it through the grass
of the bunker lip, and hit the ball. Seve didn’t hesitate, or seem surprised, as the
of the bunker lip, and hit the ball. Seve didn’t hesitate, or seem surprised, as the
ball ran through the bottom of the bunker, back up the other side, hopped onto
the green, and rolled toward the pin. The ball didn’t go in, but Seve holed his
putt for par, as Sieck almost had an “amazement” heart attack.
Now, for the interesting part of the story. When Sieck could speak again,
he asked Seve how in the world he had learned that shot. Where did he learn it?
How did he know how hard to hit it? Did he have any other shots he hit with the
end of his putter? Seve looked at him and said, “No, I’ve never tried it before. I
just imagined it might work.”
So, my friends, I suggest that you keep your brain in gear when you
practice. What you learn while practicing just might help your imagination. That
was how Seve built his imagination, and it has definitely helped him.
Chapter 10
Short-Game Equipment
Generic Equipment
10.1 Generic-Set Design

In my opinion, there is a problem with most generic sets of golf clubs sold today:
I don’t agree with the way they have been designed for the job they are supposed
to do.
When I say a “generic set,” I mean the off-the-rack clubs sold in pro shops,
off course golf shops, sporting-goods stores, discount stores, and mail-order
catalogues. It’s the same, basic set of clubs everybody is familiar with,
beginning with a driver and going down through the long, medium, and short
irons, plus a pitching wedge, a sand wedge, and a putter.
This is the standard in golf, the set almost everybody buys. Yet, despite
their widespread acceptance, I cannot for the life of me understand why these
sets are designed the way they are. Not my education in physics, my 15 years of
space research at NASA, my 24 years in the golf-research business (including 12
years designing and developing clubs), or all my years playing and studying the
way the game is played, help me understand the design principles behind this
generic set.
I believe a set of clubs should be designed to let you hit your shots and
play the best you can. They should help you score your best and enjoy the game
to the max, from your longest drive to your shortest putt. The distance range of
those shots is from roughly 300 (Tiger-drive) yards to near zero (tap-in putts).
Within that range, the generic set provides 12 clubs, including a driver, a fairway
wood or two, and irons (usually 3-iron through pitching wedge) for distances
between 300 and 100 yards: That’s 12 clubs for a range of 200 yards. From 100
yards to about 15 yards, most sets provide you with one club, usually a sand
wedge. For the last 15 or so yards, when you’re on the green-where nearly half
the game is played—you get one club, the putter.
Look at that lineup on a distance scale (Fig. 10.1.1). Twelve clubs for 200
 Look at that lineup on a distance scale (Fig. 10.1.1). Twelve clubs for 200
yards, one club for 85 yards, and one club for 15 yards. Does that seem well
balanced? Okay, put it another way: Twelve clubs for the power game, one club
for the short game, and one club for the putting game. Not a lot better, is it?
There’s something very peculiar about this, particularly since you now know that
it’s the shots inside 100 yards that control your ability to score.

STANDARD GOLF-SHOP SET

(AS DESIGNED)
 Figure 10.1.1: Yardage gaps between
clubs (men)

Maybe we’re looking at this all wrong. Let’s look at generic-set design not
by distance but by the frequency of shots hit (Chart 10.1.1). Does that make
better sense? The wood clubs hit 20%–25% of the shots; nine or 10 power-swing
irons hit 15%–20% of the shots; one wedge hits about 15% of the shots; and one
club, the putter, hits 43% of the shots.

Chart 10.1.1: Club-use frequency

Looking at these figures, it’s clear to me that the generic set was created
by someone who loved hitting the ball a long way. Why else would it include 12
clubs for the one-third of the game that involves power, and only two clubs for
the two-thirds of the game that determines your ability to score? And does this
change for women or Tour pros? No, absolutely not! We are all given two clubs
—a sand wedge and a putter—to handle 55%–65% of all our shots in golf. And
if you’re concerned with scoring, the percentages are even worse, since these
two clubs account for almost 80% of all your shots lost to par.
I think this set design is bizarre. Actually, biased might be a better
description. I was taught that the challenge of golf is to shoot the lowest score
while playing within the rules. I deeply believe that the joy of golf competition
stems from the incredible challenges it presents to posting a good score. Take
away scoring and the game that remained wouldn’t be nearly as much fun or
exciting. So when I see today’s clubs being designed almost exclusively to hit
the ball farther, to the detriment of your ability to score, it bothers me.
Stay with me in this chapter and I’ll show you why using generic-set-
design clubs hurts your game, and what you can do about it.
10.2 The Standard Way

When you pull your 7-iron out of your bag, you have a pretty good idea how far
you are going to hit it. Say, 140 yards: That’s the distance you expect if you are
the “average” American male, make a good swing, and hit the ball solidly. For
the most part, golfers associate a distance with each club, and they base their
club and shot selections on these expectations.
If you hit your 7-iron 140 yards, your 6-iron likely goes about 150 yards.
So what does that mean for the yardages in between? Making a full swing, you
have control of the 140-and 150-yard shots. But what do you do when your ball
is 145 yards from the flag, halfway between your 6-and 7-iron full-swing
distances? You learn to “finesse” each club, to cover the distance gaps between
them. You cover these differences by “laying off” a little on the longer club or
“leaning on” (swinging harder) the shorter one.
If the gap between two clubs is 10 yards, then the distance that must be
finessed is five yards extra for the shorter club and five yards less than the
normal full-swing distance for the longer club. With the distances I’ve just used,
that means you normally hit your 7-iron 140 yards but can finesse it from about
135 to 145. And while you normally hit the 6-iron 150 yards, you can finesse it
from 145 to 155.
So if you have a 147-yard shot, you ease up a little on your 6-iron. And if
you’re halfway between the two, at 145, you choose whichever shot is more
comfortable, either leaning on the shorter club or laying off on the longer club.
(You should have practiced, or at least noticed over the years, which option suits
you better.) And if there is a slight breeze, you probably play the club that
produces the lower-trajectory shot.
Such is the way golf is played, and it solves the distance problems, right?
Well, yes, it is the way golf is played. But does it solve the distance problems? It
sounds reasonable, and most golfers, even Tour pros, believe it. But I don’t.

10.3 Sets in the Field

Look at Figure 10.3.1 and check the distances and yardage gaps I measured for
real sets of clubs played by real golfers at the famous Medinah Country Club in
Chicago. The gaps between most pairs of clubs are even less than 10 yards, and
everything looks under control-until you look inside 100 yards, where the gap is
enormous!
To have to hit all your shots inside of 100 yards with one club is, to my
way of thinking, absurd. But, in fact, the real world is the way it is.
way of thinking, absurd. But, in fact, the real world is the way it is.

STANDARD GOLF-SHOP SET

(AS TYPICALLY MEASURED
FOR AMATEURS)

Figure 10.3.1: Yardage gaps between

clubs (amateurs)

If you do a marketing study of golfers, you learn that they want to hit the
ball better and farther, and to shoot lower scores like the pros. It’s difficult to
make clubs that hit the ball better, but it isn’t hard to make some clubs that hit
the ball longer. So companies redesign their sets to let golfers hit the 7-, 8-, and
the ball longer. So companies redesign their sets to let golfers hit the 7-, 8-, and
9-irons and the wedges farther, while giving them some marketing “sizzle” to
convince them that all the clubs in the set are longer. And you know what?
Golfers buy the stories and these sets.
Please don’t think I’ve got it in for marketing people. They’re just doing
their jobs. But I don’t think they should control golf-club design, which, in some
companies, they do.
How else do you explain that since I started playing golf, the average loft
on a pitching wedge in the marketplace has decreased from 51 degrees to 46
degrees, while the standard shaft length has increased one inch? Both of these
changes mean golfers are hitting their pitching wedges farther. And it isn’t only
wedges: 8-irons have become 7-irons. Today’s club may have the loft, lie,
weight, and length of an old 7-iron, but there’s an “8” stamped on the bottom.
The public is told that if they’re hitting the ball farther, then the clubs must be
better.
These new sets have stronger wedges that we hit farther, but the same old
long irons that we can’t hit farther. (If the loft of long irons is decreased, the ball
won’t stay in the air as long and actually will fly shorter distances.) Then we buy
these new sets, shoot the same old scores, and blame ourselves for not playing
well.
Here’s a fact. When you hit your short irons farther, your scores get worse,
not better. Hitting wedges farther hurts your ability to hit them precise distances,
which is the crux of the scoring game. Hitting wedges farther also increases the
size of the yardage gaps in your short game, which leads to higher scores. The
numbers are real, measured for golfers who’d bought new clubs that promised
longer shots (which they got from their short irons) and lower scores (which they
didn’t get). I guess some would say that’s progress!

10.4 A Better Set Design

Forget marketing, forget distance, forget stronger lofts and longer shafts made of
some never-heard-of-before material. What you really need from a set of golf
clubs is help in scoring. No matter where you are on the golf course, you’d like
to hit the ball as close to the pin as possible. You’d like your clubs to help you
do that in the fewest possible strokes and as consistently as possible. So how do
you do that?
Figure 10.4.1 shows what I believe is a better design for a set of golf clubs
for women, men, and pros. Two clubs (for men the 2-and 6-irons) have been
for women, men, and pros. Two clubs (for men the 2-and 6-irons) have been
removed, and the gaps between the remaining irons have been adjusted so they
are consistent 15-yard intervals. By eliminating two longer irons, there is room
for more wedges while still fitting under the 14-club rule. Why do you need
more wedges when you already have two? Because more wedges let you shrink
the gaps in the scoring game, inside 100 yards, where your current set now gives
you only one option, the sand wedge.

PELZ-RECOMMENDED SET DESIGN

Women Men Tour Pros

Figure 10.4.1: Yardage gaps between clubs

(women, men, and Tour professionals)

In this new set, the gaps between the long clubs are greater than those in
the generic set, and you have two fewer long irons. But that won’t hurt your
game. It may make you uncomfortable at first to take the 2-iron from your bag,
game. It may make you uncomfortable at first to take the 2-iron from your bag,
but it won’t hurt your ability to score. I know, because I’ve measured in so many
rounds, that golfers (including PGA and LPGA Tour professionals) seldom hit
their long irons straight enough to make their next putts. No matter how many
long irons are in the bag, no golfer averages getting up and down from outside
100 yards more than 10% of the time. Most amateurs don’t convert (make the
next putt) from outside 100 yards even 5% of the time. So the fact that you
remove a long iron and degrade distance accuracy by a small amount is
insignificant. It won’t affect your scores.
Put another way, no human can get up and down consistently from 150
yards. No one can hit 5-, 6-, and 7-irons that straight. So losing a little yardage
accuracy in the long irons (if in fact you do; it hasn’t been proven) won’t bother
your game a bit.

Prove It to Yourself

If you don’t believe my gap theory on irons, prove it to

yourself. You know the last 10 scores you turned in for
handicap purposes. For your next 10 rounds, remove the 2-, 4-
, 6-, and 8-irons from your bag. Carry only 10 clubs in your
bag and make all your power swings with your 3-, 5-, 7-, or 9-
irons. If you need a perfect 6-iron shot, lean on a 7-iron or
take a little off a 5-iron. Make no other changes in your game,
and keep track of your next 10 scores. I bet you won’t see any
difference from those made with all 14 clubs. They won’t
change because you wouldn’t have hit the perfect 6-iron
sufficiently closer than the soft 5 or strong 7 to make the next
putt.
I’ve done this and have had many of my students
perform the same test, always with the same result: no
measurable change in the ability to score with four fewer
clubs. You don’t miss those long irons because you never
could hit them straight enough to make the next putt anyway.

However, it is absolutely critical that you maximize distance accuracy

inside 100 yards, where you can consistently hit the ball straight enough to have
a chance to make the first putt. By adding wedges, you optimize your chances of
saving a stroke after every shot from inside 100 yards. The cost to you is the
slight sacrifice in distance control from longer yardages that doesn’t matter to
your scoring.

You Need Four Wedges

You Need Four Wedges
10.5 Why Four?

Very simple: You will score better.

Why? Because having four wedges (each with different specifications)
will let you hit more shots of consistent, repeatable distances in the most
important area of golf-the short game. If you learn to make the three finesse
swings described in Chapter 5, the four wedges will produce 12 surefire
yardages (three swings times four wedges), which are sure to improve your up-
and-down percentage. And that will improve your scores.
This is usually when I hear, “Come on, Pelz. You can’t really mean you
want me to carry four wedges all the time!” My answer is always the same:
“Only if you care about scoring!”
Go back to the chart of the improved set design (Fig. 10.4.1) and look at
the last four clubs. I’ve called them the pitching, sand, lofted, and extra-lofted
wedges, but the names aren’t important. What is important is that they’re all just
golf clubs, designed to hit short shots. With full swings, they still create 15-yard
gaps like the rest of your set, so you’re producing four times as many known
short-game distances as you used to when you had only one wedge in your bag.
By adding two wedges, you’ve become a better player.
And remember this: If you hit your sand wedge 85 yards with your full-
finesse swing (a 10:30 backswing), that means you can also make that wedge
throw the ball 64 yards from a 9:00 o’clock swing (75% of the 10:30 swing), and
43 yards (50%) with your 7:30 swing. It’s a great system. The whole range is
shown in Figure 10.5.1:
 Figure 10.5.1: Time your wedge swings for distance control (longer backswings
produce longer shot distances)

These distances might not be the exact yardages you hit each club, but I
think you can see what I’m driving at. Every golfer will have his or her own set
of distances, and the more different wedges in the bag, multiplied by the three
finesse swings, the more distances accurately covered inside the scoring game.

10.6 The Male Ego

Even with all the advantages, all the scientific and statistical reasons I have for
enhancing your finesse game with more wedges, I am the first to admit that there
is a very serious drawback in doing so. I run into it in every school, seminar, and
clinic I teach. I run into it with pros and amateurs. I can’t escape it: the male ego.
It’s the “real men don’t carry four wedges” syndrome. The male ego wants
to be hitting long, high, penetrating shots with a plutonium driver. If the male
ego designed sets of clubs (and sometimes I think it does), then everyone’s bag
would feature a driver, 2-wood, maybe a 3-wood, then a driving iron, followed
would feature a driver, 2-wood, maybe a 3-wood, then a driving iron, followed
by the 1-, 2-, and 3-irons. The male ego thinks it can emulate the swings of the
best golfers in the world, the Tour pros, who can rip perfect 225-yard long iron
shots into the teeth of a ferocious wind. Consequently, sets of clubs continue to
be designed to stroke that ego, because that’s what sells more sets.
Before giving you more equipment details, let me tell you about two tests
my players ran at a time when they were intellectually convinced adding wedges
made sense, but still emotionally tied to their full set of long irons.
When Jim Simons, a very intelligent player who since has won three times
on the PGA Tour with this system, first heard me recommend dropping the 2-
iron from his bag, he was stunned. He said, “But what will I do when I have a 2-
iron shot?” He just couldn’t bring himself to add a wedge and lay down his
beloved 2-iron. After about six months of his procrastination, I convinced him
that since I might be right, in which case his game would improve, he should run
a test. He finally agreed to the test.
I convinced him to substitute his 6-iron for his 2-iron, which would show
how unproductive the 2-iron really is. He said, “How can I do that? I can’t get a
6-iron to the green from 210 yards. I only carry my 6-iron 165 yards.” I agreed,
then explained, “That’s exactly the point. I want you to miss the green every
time, then see if you can get up and down. We’ll see how it affects your
scoring.”
With some trepidation, Jim agreed to play every pro-am event for six
weeks without his 2-iron. During those rounds, every time he was faced with a
2-iron shot, he would hit his 6-iron. After six weeks and six pro-am rounds, he
gave me all the scores he had made on his “6-iron-for-2-iron” substitution holes.
His average score was 4.25 strokes, or 0.25 strokes per hole over par (he hit a 6-
iron short of the green four times, and got up and down three out of those four).
Then, from all the data I’d collected, I showed him his average score on the Tour
for the previous two years on holes where he hit a 2-iron to the green. His Tour
scoring average was 0.46 over par after he hit with a 2-iron. He had averaged a
better score with his 6-iron from 210 yards than with his 2-iron.
Some of his 2-iron shots plugged in greenside bunkers, or flew over the
green into trouble, or went left into water. He seldom, if ever, hit 2-iron shots
close enough to the pin to hole the next putt. But during the time he was
conducting the 6-vs.-2 test, he converted 16 up-and-downs with his replacement
for the 2-iron, his third wedge.

High-Handicappers Need the Short Game, Too

It’s a fact: High-handicap golfers need the short game more
than low handicappers do.
A popular misconception is that the worse you play
golf, or the higher your handicap, then the less you need a
short game. Actually, the exact opposite is true. Which is why
I say, “The poorer your game, the more wedges you need.”
The players on the PGA Tour hit, on average, 12.5 to
13 greens a round. This means they miss five, maybe six
greens each round, and a missed green usually means they’re
hitting a short shot of some kind—pitch, chip, or sand. They
also normally play four par 5s a round, which account for a
few more short-game shots. So seven to 10 times a round, the
Tour players make “finesse swings” onto the green.
If you’re not a Tour-quality ball-striker, then your
number of short-game shots per round is higher (Chart
10.6.1). The average 10-handicapper hits four or five greens
in regulation, so he’s hitting short-game shots to 10 greens
plus the par 5s. That’s 13, 14, sometimes 15 wedges, chips,
pitches, and bunker shots every round. So if you miss more
greens, your short game is more important to your scores.
Ahhh… yes, the scoring game!

Chart
10.6.1:
The
higher
the
handicap,
the more
short-
game
shots per
round
 That’s what it took to convince Jim Simons that a lofted wedge is more
valuable than a 2-iron to scoring. With the proof in front of him, he removed the
2-iron from his bag and played every round thereafter with a third wedge.
Tom Jenkins couldn’t break the emotional ties to his long irons at first,
either. “How can I possibly give up my 3-iron?” T.J. asked. “I use it so often and
it means so much to me. It’s one of my better clubs.”
My response to T.J. was: (1) You don’t hit the 3-iron as often as you think,
and (2) a 3-iron is incapable of being one of your better clubs in terms of
scoring. It can be one of the better clubs for your ego, but they don’t pay for ego
on Tour.
T.J. agreed to keep his statistics on the clubs and shots he used in
tournament play for the next eight rounds. It turned out he hit his 3-iron only
seven times in eight rounds, while hitting 55 wedge shots. T.J. didn’t hesitate:
He recognized the value of his wedge game to scoring and hasn’t played with a
3-iron since. He’s now playing the Senior Tour with great success, still without a
3-iron.
Jenkins’s approach was different from Simons’s. T.J. simply dropped the
3-iron and didn’t change anything else about the rest of his set. He determined
from his test that he used the 3-iron the least of any club in his bag, so he just
removed it. He kept the 2-iron (which he often used on par 5s) and 4-iron,
creating a big distance gap between them. But since he used the 3-iron so rarely,
he reasoned that it would be an easy gap to cover. From 200 yards, his normal 3-
iron distance, he learned that he could either rip a 4-iron or feather a 2. And
since he knew he probably wasn’t going to make birdie anyway, putting the ball
anywhere on the green was fine.
These examples should convince you that it isn’t the end of the world to
drop a long iron or two from your bag. In fact, if you’re already carrying more
than one fairway wood, you’ve probably got the long-iron distances covered,
especially if you learn to grip down on the shaft of your 5-or 6-wood by three
inches (cutting the carry distance 10 to 15 yards). Still, you should conduct your
own test. Take the 2-and/or 3-iron out of your bag and see if you’re suddenly at
a loss. Keep track of the shots and clubs you hit over your next 10 rounds, and
see which you use least. If you play most of your golf at the same course, you
probably don’t even need to chart your shots to know the club, or clubs, that
never get dirty.
Remember, more wedges means better distance control around the greens,
which means shorter putts, which means lower scores. If you can learn to turn
which means shorter putts, which means lower scores. If you can learn to turn
three shots into two from off the green, you can transform your game, your
handicap, your winning record, and sometimes even your outlook on life.

10.7 How Should They Perform?

You no doubt noticed few unusual changes in the makeup of my revised set. I’ll
start at the top and work down, ending with what I consider the most important
change: adding wedges.
To fill the holes left by the extraction of your 2-and 6-irons, and to make
your gaps consistent, you need to alter the yardages you hit with some of the rest
of your clubs. The 3-iron, for example, needs to hit the ball 190 yards rather than
176; and the 9-iron needs to drop to 115 from 124 yards. How do you
accomplish that? You have your golf pro or a custom clubmaker strengthen or
weaken the lofts, add or reduce headweight, lengthen or shorten the shafts, and
so on. These changes aren’t difficult to make, and are readily available around
any club or through your golf professional.
Many golfers find these changes intellectually hard to handle. All they
think is that two clubs, the 2-and 6-iron, are missing from their game. “Now,
wait just a minute,” you cry. “I hit those clubs all the time. I can’t give them up:”
That may be true with the set you now have, and the way you now play. But
when you standardize the gaps between clubs, the 2-and 6-irons won’t be doing
the same jobs they used to, so you can, indeed, give them up. Remember, the
typical and revised sets used here are simply illustrations of the concept. It may
make more sense for you to give up your 3-and 7-irons, or your 2-wood,
depending on the courses you play and your game. I say drop any club you like
(except the putter), as long as you make room under the 14-club limit for more
wedges.
Most of the PGA Tour players I worked with didn’t think they could give
up even one club—until they proved to themselves that it made sense. After I
had a few notebooks and computer disks full of data, I held a meeting with six of
my favorite players. I presented my data to them: I showed them the correlation
among the finesse game, lower scores, and money earned; I showed them the
beginning of the 3 × 4 wedge system; and I told them to drop a few long clubs
and pick up more wedges.
They were impressed. Every one of them said, “Pelz, you’re right, that’s
incredible. I never realized how my short game and the distance inaccuracy in
my wedge game were tied to my scoring ability.”
 So five of the six left the room … and changed absolutely nothing. Only
one player reacted the way I recommended. Tom Kite, who already was the best
wedge player of the six, left the room and immediately added a third, more
lofted wedge to his bag. To make room for it, he dropped his 2-iron. To get over
that loss, he changed his 3-iron, strengthening its loft, removing a little weight
from the head, and lengthening its shaft. He turned the club that said “3” on the
bottom into his 2-iron distance club. He also strengthened his 4-iron by two
degrees, his 5-iron by one degree, and his 6-iron by half a degree; he didn’t
touch his 7-, 8-, or 9-iron. He covered his complete long-distance range with one
fewer club by adjusting the remaining clubs to provide slightly larger gaps, then
went out and became the greatest wedge player in the history of the game.
Think about the implications of this new set design for your game. How
often do you hit a 2-iron on the green and make the putt for birdie? Almost
never. How often do you hit your 2-iron on the green and two-putt for par?
Maybe sometimes. Now remember (perhaps painfully) the 2-iron ground balls
you hit, the ones that went left into bunkers, those hit right into trees. And do
you remember the one you flushed, that landed in front of the green but bounced
over, down the hill, and into the creek? I’ve even known golfers, although I’m
sure not you, who have hit 2-irons out-of-bounds.
What about you pros? You should do the same “game-searching”
evaluation. My data proves that for club pros, and even Tour professionals, a
good result for the 2-iron (roughly a 225-yard shot) is anywhere on the green and
not in trouble. Why? Because you probably wouldn’t have made the next putt
even if you had hit your 2-iron shot 10 feet from the hole. So aim your 2-irons at
the largest safe area around the pin (even including some fringe areas around the
green), take your par, and move on to the next hole. Don’t flirt with disaster.
Now here’s the real shocker: Giving up the 2-iron is a blessing in disguise.
Your scoring average will probably go down, not up, even if you don’t replace it
with a wedge! But when you learn to use your L-wedge and add it to your bag,
your game—and scores—will improve. Then, someday, the X-wedge will come!

10.8 Are There Any Negatives to This?

Adding two wedges forces you to do two things: (1) drop two other clubs from
your bag; (2) learn to hit higher-lofted wedges.
While eliminating long irons is emotionally difficult for established
players who are used to their ways and resist change, it is the right thing to do
for their scoring game. Even though many great players—more than 50 PGA
for their scoring game. Even though many great players—more than 50 PGA
Tour and 40 LPGA Tour players have paid to come to my schools—have been
using this system, and more wedges, for years, I still get questions from golfers
sniffing around the edges of this concept. Golfers who haven’t read this book or
haven’t come to one of my Scoring Game Schools have heard something about
leaving out clubs, adding others, and higher-lofted wedges, but they don’t know
the specifics. They don’t understand why, how, or what they should do to
improve their ability to score.
Some ask me, “If so many good players are doing this, why haven’t I
heard of your 3 × 4 System?” Or “Why don’t manufacturers promote sets of
clubs the way you describe them?” And “What’s the downside of your system?”
Let me answer all three. First, why should Tom Kite or any Tour player
say something about this to you, anyone in the press, or anyone else on the
Tour? All that will do is make it harder to win the money out there. In fact, while
I have worked with Kite on his short game for more than 20 years, you probably
haven’t heard him say a word about me. Not after he won any of his 19
tournaments, not after he became the leading money winner in the world, not
after he won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average on the Tour. And
why should he? He paid me for my time and I never hit a shot for him. He
deserves the accolades. As a competitor, he asks no favors of, and gives none to,
the competition. He does his job, I do mine; he is my friend, and that’s good
enough for me.
Second, do you really expect the manufacturers to de-emphasize the long
ball so they can sell fewer clubs? I can’t expect them to promote the short game
at the expense of their income. I am thankful that they aren’t lying about the
virtues of the short game. They largely ignore it, and I don’t expect them to
change their minds anytime soon. (However, many are now making a variety of
wedges you can add to your bag. These wedges are almost never included in a
full set of clubs, since the manufacturers would rather sell you a set and then
have you buy a few additional clubs, making them a little better profit.)
Third, is there a downside to the system? All I can answer is, “only if your
1-iron mentality can’t see the benefits of shooting lower scores.” In all honesty, I
can’t think of a downside to the 3 × 4 wedge system or the “finesse-swing-for-
the-scoring-game” theories. But if you find one, let me know.
One example might dissuade some doubters. In 1990–91, Tom Sieckmann
played the PGA Tour with four wedges and without a 3-or 5-iron. He won more
money than at any other time in his career, and finished third on Tour in birdies
on par-3 holes. Understand that the Tour doesn’t set up many par 3s to be hit
with wedges. Sieck made more birdies while finessing with his 2-, 4-, and 6-
with wedges. Sieck made more birdies while finessing with his 2-, 4-, and 6-
irons than other pros made with twice as many clubs (1-through 6-irons).
Sieck did say one thing to me then that’s too funny to be considered a
downside. He said he kept getting odd looks from his fellow pros as they peeked
into his bag to see what he was hitting on par 3s. (They aren’t allowed to ask or
touch his clubs, but the Rules allow looking.) How surprised do you think they
were when he was holding his 4-iron and all they saw in the bag was a 2-and 6-
iron, with nothing in between?

10.9 Is This Set Practical?

The primary consideration for deciding what shot and what club to hit is
distance. It isn’t until you know how far to hit a shot that you can think about
trajectory, spin, carry, or anything else. So maybe clubs should be designed for a
particular distance and identified that way.
Your caddie would say, “The yardage is 148 yards. Here’s your 155 club.
There’s no wind, so take a little off of the shot.” There wouldn’t be much chance
of a misunderstanding. Or how about “You’re 68 yards from the pin, the wind
will hold it up a couple, and the ball will stop dead on this green, it’s so soft.
Here’s your 70-yard club. It should be perfect:” Hearing that you were holding
the perfect club would clear your mind to make a smooth 70-yard swing.
Building each club to produce the distance needed for perfect coverage
and gap balance, based on your swing speeds, would create the ultimate set. But
since all golfers have unique mechanics and swing speeds, this is impractical. No
one set would fit all golfers. However, it is surprising how many golfers hit the
ball similar distances, which makes it relatively easy to modify an existing set to
suit your game and cover your specific gap distances.
Let’s consider how to modify your existing set so you can score better.
The first and most important change: Learn how to make consistent 9:00
o’clock and 7:30 finesse swings with your existing wedges. Once you can, and
know the approximate distances produced by your pitching and sand wedges, it’s
time to optimize the rest of your clubs. There are a few ways to go:

1. Drop one long iron and add one wedge, without changing the specs
of any clubs. (This is what Tom Jenkins did.) If you add a wedge with the proper
loft and length specifications, you have a 3 × 3 system—three swings (10:30,
9:00 o’clock, and 7:30) and three wedges, for nine distinct, consistent distances.
This is the simplest option, and leaves just one large gap in your long-iron game.
 2. Drop two long irons, add two wedges, and play a 3 × 4 System.
Many students drop their longest two irons (usually the 2-and 3-) and learn to
grip down on their 5-wood. Again, it leaves a gap, but it’s a gap that can be
covered without losing strokes.
3. Drop two clubs and alter the specs of the others to produce consistent
distance gaps. This is what some pros do (see the Tom Kite example on page
322). They tend to go with 15-yard gaps between clubs.
4. Create a 16-club set by adding two wedges, dropping nothing, and
picking the 14 you’ll use each day according to the course you’re playing.

Don’t get overly concerned about trying to decide which club(s) to drop.
You can always bring one back and drop another. But I’m convinced that most
amateurs can drop all their even-numbered irons and shoot the same scores
anyway. (By lightening their bags, it might encourage more golfers to walk, too.)
You also shouldn’t worry about hitting the “in-between” shots now that
some clubs are missing. The truth is:

• You don’t have to make a perfect swing. You probably wouldn’t have
made the next putt even if you had all the clubs in your old set. Just make a good
swing and put the ball safely on the green.
• You’ve already been making finesse decisions, covering the 10-yard
gaps (and five-yard finesse distances) between clubs in your old set. Now that
the gaps are 15 yards, do the same thing. Now your club can hit the ball within
7.5 yards of perfect (rather than the five yards you used to have).
• You usually would rather be long than short (to avoid bunkers). So if
you’re not sure, play the shot that, if it isn’t perfect, will still get there. Of
course, long can also spell disaster, so check out all the options, and all the
trouble around the green, and make the smart choice.

It’s not important which, how, or how many long irons you drop. What’s
most important is adding the wedges. You could put 115 clubs in your bag, one
for every yardage between 100 and 215 yards, and you still wouldn’t shave one
stroke off your score. But add a wedge and learn how to use it, and you can
lower your scores by three, five, even 10 shots a round. Add two wedges, plus
your 9:00 o’clock and 7:30 swings, and you have created the almost perfect way
to play the game.
Look at your old distance gaps inside 100 yards (Fig. 10.3.1). It’s the size
of those gaps that helped prevent you from becoming a good wedge player. Now
of those gaps that helped prevent you from becoming a good wedge player. Now
look at those same wedge distances in Figure 10.9.1, showing the shots that can
now be in your bag, shots all produced with just three swings. With this set, you
can hit your wedge shots within a yard or two of the perfect distance by making
reasonably good swings. Then there is a good probability of converting the next
putt, saving par or making birdie.

PELZ-DESIGNED SET
WITH 7:30 AND 9:00
O’CLOCK SWING
TIME ENHANCEMENT
 Figure 10.9.1: The 3 × 4
System produces the
ultimate small yardage gaps
(men)

Once you’ve practiced enough times to learn your 7:30 and 9:00 o’clock
distances, and marked them on your shafts, you’ll find a comfort and confidence
you never dreamed possible. Because when you know your short game is good,
you know you can score.
Set Designs for the Future
10.10 Club Specifications
Here are the four wedges mentioned earlier (Fig. 10.10.1), with the approximate
loft ranges I recommend for each:

Figure 10.10.1: Four wedges that will help most golfers

Your pitching wedge (PW) loft should not be less than 50-51 degrees. This
is weaker than some of the new PWs offered by manufacturers trying to get you
to hit the ball prodigious distances. Resist the distance temptation. Also, be
aware that some manufacturers, having decreased their PW lofts, offer a “gap”
wedge to fill in between the pitching (which they made into a 9-iron with “PW”
stamped on it) and the sand wedges. Is that great marketing, or what?
Your sand wedge (SW) should be 55-56 degrees. Don’t confuse this with
the new “strong” sand wedges in the 52-54-degree range, which aren’t as useful.
Your lofted wedge (LW) should be either 60 or 61 degrees, no more, no less.
This third or L-wedge has become popular thanks to the success of Tom Kite,
the harder, faster greens in vogue the last few years, and maybe, just maybe, a
few of my articles stressing short-game shots in GOLF Magazine (because I
often get letters and e-mail messages reporting improved scoring and lower
handicaps as a result).
handicaps as a result).
Your extra-loft wedge (XW) needs about 64 degrees of loft. This club
makes life around the greens very easy, because it hits high, soft shots without
having to open the face.
Besides different lofts, other specifications of your wedges should change,
too. As the loft of each wedge increases, make the following adjustments:

• Shorten the shaft by at least a half to three-fourths of an inch

(whatever the length difference is between the other irons in your set as each
club’s loft increases). With shorter shafts, the resulting smaller swing arcs also
help to hit shorter shots.
• Make the lie of each more-lofted wedge marginally (approximately
half a degree) more upright. This allows the club to be soled properly as it gets
closer to you (as the shorter shaft length demands). If you buy one of the
multiwedge systems some manufacturers sell, be aware that the lengths and lies
of the wedges may be the same; have your pro or a clubmaker make the
necessary adjustments (usually cut down the successive shaft lengths and add
headweight).
• The greater the loft, the heavier the clubhead. Adding weight to the
clubhead of a wedge usually reduces the shot distance, which, again, is what you
want.
• Weaken the shaft flex as loft increases, because gentler, smoother
finesse swings require being able to “feel” the clubhead for better timing and
rhythm.
• Every wedge should have a different amount and depth of bounce, to
provide options for playing different shots from different lies (see Chapter 9).

For the X-wedge, with the most loft, I recommend a fairly small bounce
flange that is only medium-deep. This lets you use the club from tight lies
around the green as well as normal lies when you need a high-lofted shot that
lands softly and stops quickly. Add a little more bounce to the L-wedge (but be
careful not to add too much), and more still for the sand wedge, because you
occasionally need a lot of bounce for fine, sugar-soft sand and high rough.
Don’t put too much bounce on your pitching wedge, so it can be used from
tight fairway lies and for longer, full-swing shots, when a big flange inhibits
contact.
There are thousands of clubs to choose from that will satisfy your wedge
needs. But as I’ve pointed out, you may want to take them to your pro or custom
club shop for tweaking. The object is to build a set to help you create the most
club shop for tweaking. The object is to build a set to help you create the most
consistent, repeatable distances, and that might require customization in loft, lie,
headweight, shaft flex, length, bounce, and so on.
A final note about crafting your set as closely as possible to your game.
When you buy a wedge, it’s likely that you’ll pick it first and foremost for its
loft. Be sure to check that the bounce is acceptable and fits into your set without
duplication. If possible, before buying you should take it to the range and
measure how far you hit it. You have no use for a wedge that hits shots the same
distance as one you already have. If you’re unsure about loft, bounce, and the
other specifications, have the clubs checked by your golf professional or a
knowledgeable club fitter.
If the bounce and loft specs are right but the distances are still off, don’t
buy it! Keep shopping. I know from experience that if you buy a 60-degree L-
wedge “off the rack,” the true loft could be anywhere from 58 to 62 degrees.
And who knows what the length will be? Don’t go blindly into a store expecting
the specifications given with any club to be correct.
Table 10.10.1 gives you the average specifications of the wedges I’ve
hand-built or modified for PGA Tour players over the years. Again, don’t make
your set conform to these numbers or values if you don’t hit them the right
distances. In the short game, distances come first, so test them yourself. Once
you know the actual yardages for all your wedges, write them down in one place
and compare them to be sure that they provide you with balanced coverage and
gaps inside 100 yards.

Loft Lie Shaft Bounce Bounce Shaft Flex

Wedge
Angle Angle Length Amount Depth Code letters
Type
(degrees) (degrees) (inches) (inches) (inches) (frequency)

R
PW 50–51 61–63 35–36 .20–.40 .30–.50
(6.0)

R
SW 55–56 61½–63½ 34½–35½ .45–.75 .45–.90
(5.5)

R
LW 60–61 62–64 34–35 .20–.55 .20–.40
(5.0)

33½– L
XW 62½–64 62½–65 .20–.40 .35–.60
34½ (4.5)

Table 10.10.1: Wedge specifications (average)

 If some distances overlap, don’t worry. That can be good, as you will see
in the next section.

10.11 Optimizing Your Set

When it comes to optimizing the equipment in your set, a properly fit putter is a
top priority. Putting is the most frequent shot in golf (43%, according to my
data), and a putter’s specifications can have dramatic effects on green success.
Since your short game does more to determine scoring ability, fitting your
wedges also counts as a top priority. But wedges are rarely as “out of fit” as
putters, and short-game results are more affected by a lack of knowledge and
finesse-swing skill than by club fitting.
The third priority, by the way, is the driver—because if you can wedge it,
putt it, and drive it, you can play this game.
All that said, making the most of your wedges is still of the utmost
importance. As explained earlier, you can—and should—tape to the shaft the
distances that each wedge flies shots from your 10:30, 9:00 o’clock, and 7:30
swings. Be sure to do this when you’re beginning to adopt the methods in this
book. You don’t want to read all this advice and then be so distracted trying to
remember your distances that you forget to make good, rhythmic swings.
Write all three yardages on a self-adhesive dot, tape it to the underside of
the shaft (Fig. 10.11.1), and don’t be embarrassed to check it before every wedge
shot. It’s easier to make a good swing if you’re confident that the wedge in your
hand and the swing length in your mind are right. Even after learning the
yardages, look at the dot every now and again to be sure.
 Figure 10.11.1: To avoid mistakes, keep yardages on your shafts

Don’t assume that once you know your yardages they’ll stay the same
forever. Recheck your distances at least once a season to be sure they haven’t
changed as a result of a change in your swing (conscious or unconscious) or
equipment (such as a different brand or type of ball). Periodically hit at least two
dozen or so solid shots with each wedge and pace them off.
Some students get confused when they see the yardages produced by
different wedge-swing combinations overlap. But it makes sense that if you take
a high-lofted wedge and make a fuller swing, it might go the same distance as a
less-lofted wedge with a shorter backswing. (For example, in Fig. 5.13.1, the
10:30 swing with the X-wedge flies 55 yards, while the 9:00 o’clock swing with
the L-wedge flies 53.) This overlapping is good, because every player develops
preferences in both wedges and backswing lengths. Most of my students find the
9:00 o’clock swing the easiest to visualize and repeat, the 7:30 the most difficult,
and the 10:30 somewhere in between. When you have to select between
overlapping distances, choose the shot you’re most confident with.
Also, while the distances may be the same, the trajectories will not be.
Shorter backswings produce a lower ball flight than do longer swings. A 9:00
o’clock pitching wedge may fly the same distance, but lower than, the 10:30
lofted wedge. This can matter depending on weather and green conditions. In
windy conditions, you might want to use shorter backswings and less-lofted
wedges to minimize the wind’s effects. However, remember it will also
make shots bounce and roll farther after impact.
As you learn and ingrain your wedge performance and distances, consider
using an electronic rangefinder (we use the Bushnell Yardage Pro in our
using an electronic rangefinder (we use the Bushnell Yardage Pro in our
schools). During practice and casual rounds, it will supply accurate feedback to
measure or verify your yardages. Say you think the yardage is 77 yards. You
take out your 74-yard club—a 9:00 o’clock pitching wedge—make the swing, it
feels great, and you know it’s going to fly 74 yards, bounce once, and stop by
the pin. But when you look up, the shot has landed short of the green and
stopped well short of the pin. With a rangefinder, you can measure the distance
to within one yard and learn what went wrong. (“Shooting” your distance with a
rangefinder also is faster and more accurate than walking it off.)
That’s when you learn that your distance estimate was off; you really
needed to carry it 84 yards. Or you might learn that your distance was accurate
but your shot didn’t carry. Checking distances and performance will help you
learn while keeping your judgment system based in reality. As you mature in this
system, good feedback will help both your knowledge and your confidence, and
let you become the best you can be in the scoring game.

10.12 Scoring Considerations

Sets of clubs that help you score should be designed by yardages, not by the
numbers on the clubhead sole or someone’s ego. What you call a wedge is not
important, nor is how many wedges you “think” are in your bag.
If your ego won’t let you carry more than two wedges, then rename your
51-degree wedge your 8-iron, and your 56-degree club your 9-iron. Then your
60-and your 64-degree wedges become your two wedges. The problem with this
solution is you’ll be hitting the 8-and 9-irons fairly short distances. But then you
could always use the excuse of having a sore wrist, and ask your competitors not
to squeeze too hard when they shake hands and pay you at the end of the round.
Another approach is to rename your 60-degree wedge “Tom.” Then you
could still say you carried only two wedges, plus a Tom. It might help some
golfers if they could say, “Come on, Tom. We need a great 56-yard shot here.
I’ll make a perfect 9:00 o’clock finesse swing and you put the ball close to the
pin.” Maybe the association with Tom Kite or Tom Watson, two of the greatest
wedge players ever, would help. Giving your wedge a friendly, talented name
might remind your subconscious what a great short-game player you are
becoming.
Also, think about the long irons in your new set by the distances they
cover. As soon as you know how far you hit your newly bent 4-iron, begin
thinking of it as your 170-yard club, knowing that with a little finesse you can
fly it between 162 and 177 yards, depending on the situation. If you always think
fly it between 162 and 177 yards, depending on the situation. If you always think
of your clubs by their distances, and remember that direction is a real problem
with long irons (play away from hazards left and right), your approach to
achieving proper results will be optimized for your skill level.
I’d also like you to consider assembling a 15-, 16-, or 17-club set. No, I’m
not suggesting that the USGA and Royal and Ancient expand the current 14-club
limit. But if you have other clubs you can hit with confidence, which also
provide extra shots and extra distance coverage, you can put together the perfect
set for the course you’re playing that day. There are many courses where a 5-, 6-,
or 7-wood is more useful than a 1-, 2-, or 3-iron. Or if the winds are up, you
might keep the 1-iron. Depending on the rough, the thickness and type of grass,
the width of the fairways, the green speed and hardness, the sand … and on and
on, you can tailor the clubs you choose to optimize your performance. Expand
this idea to include choosing different clubs to play the same course at different
times of the year.
One thing you should not change is your approach to decision making on
the course. Everything I suggest in this book is meant to improve your odds of
shooting a lower score. So if you’re not likely to get up and down after your next
shot, avoid taking chances. Trying to get close to the pin from 200 yards doesn’t
make sense, because “close” from that distance is 24 feet (4% error), and you’re
not going to convert many 24-footers. Don’t risk trouble or a penalty when there
is no reward for success. Make the choice that keeps you out of trouble.
Play the percentages, evaluate the consequences of your different options,
choose the right club, and play smart. Always remember: We’re into scoring
here!
Chapter 11
Everyone Has a Short-Game
Handicap
What Is Your Short-Game Handicap?
11.1 The Overall Handicap

If you really want to understand how a golfer plays the game—and therefore
begin to understand how to improve his or her ability to score—don’t simply
look at his USGA handicap index. That number is an “overall handicap,” a
measure of a player’s entire game, and gives no indication where their strengths
and weaknesses lie.
In my evaluation system there isn’t one handicap but five, one for each of
the five games I mentioned at the beginning of this book: the power game, short
game, putting game, management game, and mental game. By carefully studying
these, I have found that a golfer’s scoring ability is primarily determined not by
his strengths but by his weaknesses in these areas.
As mentioned back in Chapter 3, Jack Nicklaus in his prime was not the
best at the power, short, or putting games, but he was good in all of them. He
was the absolute best in the management game, which let him avoid his only real
weakness, sand play, and become the best overall player, by far, of his time.
During the same period, Lee Trevino was the best ball-striker, and excellent in
the management game as well. Ben Crenshaw made up for a less-than-great
handicap in his power game with a fine short game and a great, close to the best
ever, putting game.
You’ve already read my opinion of Tom Kite, Mr. Short Game. I spend
much of my time and energy studying and teaching the short game because my
research has proven that it is the area that most closely correlates to lower scores
(and in the case of the pros, fatter wallets). My studies also show that the short
game can be drastically improved by golfers at all skill levels, because anyone
can learn to control distances, mental understanding, practice time, and using the
proper clubs. It is not just a game that requires massive doses of talent, strength,
or athletic ability.
If you are going to improve your short game (and I hope that’s why you’re
reading this), you need a method for measuring your progress. That would be
your short-game handicap. It will let you know how good a short-game player
you are now, and help you see improvement as you work on the skills discussed
in this book. So whether you’ve already begun work on improving your finesse-
swing mechanics or not, begin right now regularly measuring your short-game
handicap.

11.2 Your Short-Game Handicap

Every golfer has a short-game handicap. If you learn and master both the finesse
swing and 3 × 4 System as described in this book, your short-game handicap will
get lower, and, in turn, your overall handicap will drop. How much? From
measuring my students’ abilities around the green, I’ve learned that almost 80%
of the average golfer’s handicap is determined by the scoring game. While this
includes both your short game and putting, we can isolate the effects of those
shots between 100 yards and the edge of the green.
What does that 80% mean? If the average 10-to 12-handicap golfer
developed a “scratch” scoring game, his overall handicap would drop to between
2 and 4. Put another way, if Tom Kite hit all the scoring-game shots for a 10-
handicapper, their combined score probably would be near par. Tom would save
almost every up-and-down, as well as make a couple of birdies on the par 5s.
Give the 20-handicapper a scratch scoring game and he’d drop to between 4 and
6. Give golfers scratch short games without changing their putting and they
would still reduce their overall handicaps by a little more than half the
difference.
“Scratch” generally means consistently shooting par golf. If you can
develop a scratch short game, playing your up-and-down game “up to par” on
every hole, 40% to 50% of your scoring ability would be at scratch. Then you’d
have to look at the power, putting, management, and mental games for the rest of
the strokes you lose to par.
What about putting? While I would like all golfers to improve their
putting, and it is definitely important, the short game has a larger effect on your
scores. There’s nothing that affects the average number of putts per round more
than a golfer’s ability to chip, pitch, and blast close to the hole—specifically, to
than a golfer’s ability to chip, pitch, and blast close to the hole—specifically, to
get the ball close enough that it is consistently inside the critical “Golden Eight”
feet on the putting conversion chart.
By the way, I’m certainly not the first person to make this observation.
John Henry Taylor, who won the British Open five times and was runner-up
another six times between 1894 and 1914, is quoted as having said, “The man
who can pitch doesn’t need to putt.” While I think this might be a slight
overstatement, there is no question that besides being a tremendous golfer, Mr.
Taylor had the right idea.
Another way to look at the importance of the short game to your handicap
is that you can’t do much to recover after hitting a bad pitch or chip shot, while
you often can recover from poor longer shots. Just like a poor putt, a poor pitch,
chip, or sand shot is usually another whole shot lost to par.
You will begin to understand all this as you take the short-game tests
presented on page 337. And when I say take them, I don’t mean just once; you
should return to them time and again to chart your progress, isolate your weak
areas, and provide yourself with invaluable practice time. I recommend
executing the complete set of tests once a month to move your game to its
optimum level. It’s also fun to record your scores to stay aware of how you are
improving.
If after all my exhortation and explanation you still don’t put yourself
through these tests on a regular basis, at least keep track of your up-and-down
percentage when you play. If you work on your short-game and distance-wedge
skills, there is no question that you’ll get up and down more often.

11.3 How to Measure It

You need to find a good practice area or a deserted, quiet spot on the course to
take these eight tests. If it’s difficult to find a practice area with a green and
realistic short-game conditions, then you begin to understand one of the inherent
problems of the short game. Check out golf facilities around the world and I’ll
bet 90% of them don’t offer a good place to practice your short-game shots.
Most putting greens have little signs around them saying “No Chipping” or “No
Pitch Shots.” And it’s rare to find a practice range with target greens closer than
100 yards for conveniently practicing, or testing, your distance wedges. This is
just one more reason people spend most of their practice time on the power
game. However, to really improve, you must get around this problem and find
suitable practice areas. We can help you with some learning aids to make “at-
home” practice beneficial, but it will still be worthwhile for you to find a good
home” practice beneficial, but it will still be worthwhile for you to find a good
short-game area at a nearby course or range.
The directions for each test (Fig. 11.3.1) are straightforward and simple.
Hit 10 shots for each test and score yourself as instructed. I strongly suggest you
record your scores over time so you can see your skills improve. You also can
translate your score into your handicap for each shot category. Accurately
learning and being aware of your short-game strengths and weaknesses will help
you manage your game better on the course, too.

Instructions: Hit 10 shots in each test. Use Scoring:

scoring system to determine points. Use chart Shots outside 6 feet = 0,
at bottom of each diagram to calculate between 3 and 6 feet = 1,
handicap inside 3 feet = 2, in hole = 4
 Figure 11.3.1: Short-game handicap tests

Figure your short-game handicap by totaling the points from all eight tests
and finding the corresponding handicap on the short-game handicap chart below.
No matter what it is, as you improve it, you will improve your ability to shoot
lower scores.
Periodically take these tests (once a month during the golf season—it
should take you less than 45 minutes), measuring your short-game handicap and
recording your scores. If you haven’t started working on your finesse swing as
outlined in the earlier chapters of this book, take the test before making any
changes. Be very careful not to let your ego take control as you take the test. It’s
changes. Be very careful not to let your ego take control as you take the test. It’s
easy to cheat on yourself. However, it will help you much more if you can be
realistic and honest recording your scores. You don’t have to discuss the test or
your handicap with anyone else, although you might try a little harder if
someone is watching or competing with you.

Figure your overall short-game handicap by totaling the points from all eight tests and finding
the corresponding handicap on this chart.

Chart 11.3.1: Short-game handicap chart

I know from experience that if you practice the way I recommend in this
book, your short game will improve and your scores will drop. You’ll see steady
improvement, not only in your short-game test scores and handicap, but on the
course. It will motivate you and help you keep going over the long haul more
than almost anything else you can do for your golf game.
11.4 How You Compare

If you want to know how your overall short-game skills stack up against other
golfers’—LPGA or PGA Tour pros, any given golfer, or to the golf world in
general—the easy way is to look at your relative short-game handicaps. By
taking the eight tests of short-game skills and documenting your scores, you can
see both where your skills stand now and how much improvement you can
expect in the future (assuming you are going to go after that improvement with a
consistent, dedicated program).
In particular, I think it is both interesting and instructive to compare your
short-game ability relative to the Tour pros’ because they set the standard.
Simply measure your short-game handicap (as described on page 337) several
times, maybe over three weekends in a row, and compare your average scores to
the Tour players’ scores in Chart 11.3.1. Don’t get too excited or upset about
your scores in the short term. This short-game-handicap comparison is meant to
provide you with a yardstick, a way to measure and evaluate your progress and
improvement, evaluating your relative weaknesses vs. strengths over time. It’s
like having a scale in your bathroom that keeps you up-to-date on how your diet
is going. I mention this because many golfers have the wrong goal when
practicing. Most players practice to improve their ability to hit great shots more
often; I think they should learn to hit better bad shots first.
My point here is, if you see your short-game handicap falling, you know
your practice is being effective, and you should keep at it. If your short-game-
skills test scores are not going down, you’re not practicing enough, or well
enough, to improve, and you need to “get after it.” Remember, improvement on
the course is what is important, but it won’t be measurable until you become
good enough to make your first putts. If your short-game handicap is going
down, you are getting there, you are becoming a better player, and you can see,
feel, and measure that it really is happening.

11.5 Missemall

As discussed earlier, an important ingredient of any playing strategy is knowing

the strengths and weaknesses of your game. Measuring your short-game
handicap on a regular basis will keep you updated on what shots you can pull off
and those you’d better not try. There’s another way, a game I want you to play to
help identify how good your short game is relative to the golf course.
When the pros I work with are out on Tour, I suggest they occasionally
play a game we call “Missemall.” That’s short for “miss every green in the
play a game we call “Missemall.” That’s short for “miss every green in the
regulation number of strokes,” or “miss them all.” Play it as you’re working on
your short game because it will show you very clearly where you need the most
practice. My pros play Missemall on the Monday or Tuesday before a
tournament. There are two simple rules:

1. You are not allowed to hit your ball onto any green with your first
shot on par 3s or your second shot on par 4s or par 5s. If these first or second
shots inadvertently finish on such greens in regulation, you must putt them off
into the sand, rough, or fairway before proceeding. This means you will have 18
chances to get the ball up and down from near the green (assuming you can get
near enough on par 5s in two to have a short-game shot left).
2. You must miss the greens in a specific distribution of locations, such
that you play six short-game shots from the sand, six from the rough, and six
from fairway lies. (It’s your choice on which hole you play which type of short-
game shot-sand, rough, or fairway.)

This game will show how good your finesse game is at preserving your
score. Say coming to the par-4 last hole that you’ve already hit the required
number of rough areas and fairways but you haven’t played from your sixth sand
bunker. Under the rules, you must hit to the green from the sand. So if your
second shot finds the rough, you must use a shot to chip into a bunker, then play
from the bunker to the green. This rule proves quite difficult, because, believe it
or not, bunkers are hard to hit when you’re aiming for them: They are, on
average, much smaller than greens.
PGA Tour pros playing Missemall have scored as low as 69. Several
players regularly shoot between 71 and 73, and all the pros can shoot 75 or better
just about whenever they play. On the extremely difficult courses, with nasty
rough around the greens, they on occasion have a hard time shooting much
below 75.
As for amateurs, most of you won’t be able to break 80. If you think your
short game is pretty good, Missemall will show you just how good. If you
regularly bogey after missing a green in regulation, then you are definitely not
yet a Tour-quality player. But if you can consistently save par and occasionally
do better after missing a green, that’s a short game to be proud of.

How Your Short Game Relates to Scoring

11.6 The Bad vs. the Good

Earlier in this book I made the observation that golfers like to practice most what
they do the best. That is true of both the power game and the short game, and it
is something to avoid. The weaknesses in your short game are far more
important to your scoring than the strengths in your power game. And like the
proverbial chain, your golf game is only as strong as its weakest link. It isn’t the
good shots that determine what you shoot, it’s the bad shots. So pay special
attention to the weak parts of your short game, as determined by your test scores,
and practice them more than the stronger parts.
Some examples will help you understand.
Years ago I analyzed the game of Tom Weiskopf (unbeknownst to him),
who was always known as a great ball-striker. I found that he did, indeed, hit
many more “great shots” than most other players (a “great shot” defined as one
with less than 2% error). When I compared him to Tom Kite, I found Weiskopf
hit more great shots in one month (four tournaments) than Kite did in a whole
year (27 tournaments). But I also learned that Weiskopf hit more “bad shots”
(greater than 14% error) than Kite over the same time periods, they putted about
the same, and, on average, Kite scored better. Why? Because hitting bad shots
hurt Weiskopf more consistently than hitting great shots helped him. Because he
too often hit his bad shots with wedges, meaning he didn’t convert his next putt
for birdie or to save par often enough. And when he hit great shots with his long
irons or fairway woods, he usually didn’t convert or hole the next shot either
(which, while perhaps unfair, is understandable, as his great shots from 225
yards still left him with 12-to 15-foot putts).
What about Kite’s game? My analysis showed the opposite. His great
shots helped him more than his bad shots hurt him. Which you now know means
his great shots were usually from inside 100 yards, allowing him to make his
following shot, a short putt. Even when he hit a bad long iron, it cost him only
about .15 of a shot, because he got up and down 85% of the time to save par.
Compare this to Weiskopf, who converted less than 10% of his putts after great
long-iron shots, and lost more than half a shot every time he hit a bad wedge,
which he did all too often.
How does this apply to you? Just like Weiskopf, your score is less
dependent on great shots in the power game than on great shots in the short
game (while the exact opposite probably is true for your ego). Furthermore,
you’ll suffer greater punishment from bad shots in the short game than from bad
power-game shots. (The farther from the hole you make a mistake, the greater
power-game shots. (The farther from the hole you make a mistake, the greater
your chance of recovery. Remember that.) So all other things being equal, it’s
better to be great in the short game and just good in the power game, than the
other way around.
If you still don’t believe it, look at money. Kite has won $10.4 million,
Weiskopf $3.9 million. Weiskopf hit the ball longer, straighter, and more
accurately, but Kite had the better (some would say best) short game.
(Don’t shed too many tears for Tom Weiskopf. If he had had a better short
game, we might never have discovered how good Jack Nicklaus was, or what a
fine golf-course architect Tom is. If you haven’t yet played any of his courses,
you are in for a treat, as he is one of the best.)
Something else about Kite. His “bad” drives usually find the edge of the
fairway, or at least stop in the first cut of rough. Over all these years, I’ve never
seen him hit a ball out-of-bounds. He could almost always still play his bad
shots.
Statistically speaking, no golfer’s play from tee to green is as important as
the quality of their short game, unless his ball-striking consistently gets him into
trouble. That doesn’t mean you have to hit the center of every fairway, but you
do have to keep the ball in play. The rough is not out of play, the first cut is O.K.
(in some ways better than the fairway, since the ball often is sitting up), and, of
course, any part of the fairway usually is just fine. It’s the trees, bunkers, water,
and O.B. that lead to the big numbers.
But note once again, with everywhere from the center of the fairway to the
rough qualifying as “good,” that the power game is the most forgiving aspect of
golf. The least forgiving? Putting and the short game. Hit a bad chip and you
have a much smaller chance of making the putt. You’ve penalized yourself by a
large part of a stroke. From 30 yards away, if you pitch to 14 feet, you’re likely
to hole the putt only about 10% of the time; pitch it to six feet, and you’ll make
it half the time, gaining .4 of a stroke. Don’t think about this as just numbers.
I’m talking about your scores. If you hit 10 chips to 14 feet from the flagstick
instead of 6 feet, your scores will be almost exactly four strokes higher. Try it:
You’ll see.
And all this is, as I can’t stop repeating, more reason to learn, practice, and
master your short game. You can aid that process by keeping track of your
strengths and weaknesses with the handicap tests in this chapter.

11.7 Strategy
Mention strategy to most golfers and they think “Should I go for this par 5 in
Mention strategy to most golfers and they think “Should I go for this par 5 in
two?” or “How close can I cut this dogleg?” It’s true that gambling on par-5
holes is part of golf strategy. But it’s actually only a small part. Besides
managing the course, you have to manage yourself and your game. And a lot of
this management involves your short game.
Is there strategy to the short game? Absolutely. As in every other part of
golf, the smart way to play isn’t always aiming straight at the flag or flying your
ball all the way to the hole. You’ve got to play the course, the conditions, and,
more important, your personal percentages. That applies whether you’re lining
up a shot of 200 yards or one of 20 yards.
In fact, I think strategy is more important on the shorter shot. The shots
inside of 100 yards, the scoring game, account for 60 to 65% of all the shots in
golf, and as you’ve heard over and over, especially in the early chapters of this
book, it is what you use to score. So the smarter you are in managing this part of
the game, the better your chances of writing low numbers on the card.
The first ingredient of short-game strategy is much the same as that for the
long game: knowing your strengths and weaknesses. But knowing them is not
enough; you also must know how to play to the strong parts and away from the
weak. That comes primarily with experience and thinking.
After I became friends with many Tour players and they were comfortable
having me around during their competitive rounds, I spent a lot of time studying
how they managed their games around the greens. I’m not exaggerating when I
say I was amazed by what I saw. There are significant differences in how each
player tries to play and work shots, to his or her advantage, around the greens. In
my experience of 24 years watching and working with the pros, I have found
several of them who, in my opinion, managed themselves rather poorly.

11.8 The Architect’s Way

What I noticed was that many of these very good golfers play by somebody
else’s rules, usually those of either a great player or a course architect. For
example, if Jack Nicklaus proclaims “the hole should be played like so—I
designed it that way, it is meant to be played that way,” many of the players
believe him. These pros, experienced and talented though they may be,
sometimes don’t consider their own skills in that decision. They play the course
in a way that fits another player’s strategy, then complain that Jack, or whoever
the architect is (particularly if that architect is, or was, a Tour player), designs
courses to fit one of his own game strengths, such as Jack’s high fade.
 You must realize that from the strategic point of view, golf is played in
quantum steps. That is, you make either a 3, 4, 5, or 6; there are no one-half or
partial-digit scores. You either get it close enough to make the next putt, or you
don’t. You either make the putt, or you don’t. There is no in-between in scoring.
You save the stroke, or you don’t. Therefore, you should choose the shot
strategy that produces your lowest score the highest percentage of the time. And
your highest score the lowest percentage of the time. If you can choose a shot
strategy that satisfies these criteria, considering your game skills (not, say, Greg
Norman’s), you’ve got the right shot. I don’t care what the architect says.
If you play safe and depend on your short game, but then don’t perform
well near the hole, your scores will go up. Remember, you get no credit or
recognition for “almost” or “close” to making a score of one stroke less. If you
have the ability to “turn three strokes into two,” getting up and down a high
percentage of the time, then you have the opportunity to use all kinds of strategy
in the other (non-short-game) parts of the game. You can play the smarter shot,
lay up to avoid trouble, play away from hazards, even take some high-risk
chances when the rewards are there, knowing your short game will cover you if
you don’t pull it off.
Your short-game skills can have an enormous effect on the rest of your
game strategy.
For example, facing a 150-yard shot from the fairway, your options are
fairly limited. Unless it’s windy or there’s some kind of trouble in the way,
you’re going to make a normal full swing with your 150-yard club, maybe a 6-
iron. If 150 yards is between clubs, then you have to use a little smarts and
decide whether you want to lean on your 7-iron or swing easy with the 6. This
isn’t game strategy, it’s shot strategy, and it’s important.
However, there is a lot more shot strategy when you get close to the green,
such as when you have a 30-yard shot to the pin. You can pitch or chip it, throw
it high and make it stop, throw it halfway to the pin and let it roll, or you can
bump-and-run it up. Plus, you probably have the option of using four or five
different clubs.
You’ve also got to consider your skill and ability to execute the different
swings, and whether or not you can control the flight and roll of the ball. You
also have to know the types and grain of grasses you’re hitting from and how
they react, as well as the grasses you’re hitting to. The firmness, moisture
content, and detailed terrain of the landing area are also critical to your result.
You need to understand how these factors affect the height of your shot, the spin
your ball will have, how fast it will stop, and how likely it is to take breaks on
your ball will have, how fast it will stop, and how likely it is to take breaks on
the first bounce versus bouncing straight and rolling like a putt.

11.9 Play the Probabilities

Most golfers think there is “the right way” to play all short-game shots. In
reality, there is no one right way to play a 35-yard approach, any more than there
is a right way to play a 550-yard par 5 with water 15 yards short of the green. In
both cases there is a “best-strategy” way to play, and it may be different for each
golfer, every time he plays the hole. The best way for Greg Norman to play the
par 5 after his 310-yard drive onto a perfect lie in the fairway is to hit his
“normal” 240-yard 1-iron directly over water at the pin. For Tom Kite to
consider a 270-yard 3-wood shot at the pin after his 280-yard drive into a
slightly down lie would be silly. But this is an obvious decision, because Kite
can’t hit a 3-wood 270 yards from a bad lie (over 250 yards in the air), as this
play would require. So this strategic decision is easy, because it is based on what
the players can, and probably would, do.
Short-game strategy is different and generally much more complex to
assess because it almost never depends on what a player can do. All golfers
“can” hit a short shot around the green. Short shots don’t require strength or
tremendous physical ability. All golfers know they physically “can” hit the shot,
so in many—far too many—cases, they try it.
What I want you to understand is why short-game strategy comes into play
far more frequently, and in a significantly more complex way, than does long-
game strategy. Because short-game strategy is in play in every round for every
golfer in all weather conditions on every green missed in regulation.
Very simply, short-game strategy should depend on the probability of a
golfer executing a shot successfully, not the possibility of doing so.
Obviously I can’t tell you which shots you’ll most probably execute well.
As your finesse game improves, you will develop favorite shots in which you
have supreme confidence because you have seen and proven that you are good at
them. However, most students in my short-game schools don’t even consider
their probability of hitting a shot well before they try it. Instead, they attempt the
shot that “should” be hit in that situation (“should” being determined by
watching the pros on television), and experience anxiety during their swing
because it is a shot they probably won’t hit well.
The probability of success and the consequences of failure are factors you
must weigh when planning your short-game strategy. I hope you are beginning
to appreciate that there are many more options, possibilities, decisions, and
to appreciate that there are many more options, possibilities, decisions, and
judgments to make in the short game than in any other part of golf. Many golfers
have poor short-game skills, not because they have such bad technique, but
because there are so many shot options to develop, which they have never taken
time to learn. Then they practice poor short-game strategy because they consider
only what they “possibly can” do instead of what they “probably will” do.
It would be terrific if you had the ultimate skill, and could choose to
always hit the smartest combination of shot and club for any given situation. But
we both know that’s not realistic. Even great players favor certain clubs and
shots, which means they have performed successfully with these given sets of
trajectories, spin tendencies, and so on in the past, and they have confidence in
knowing what they probably will do with them.
I can’t tell you which shots to hit. But I can tell you how various
conditions will affect your shots, and this will ultimately help your shot
strategies. There is a lot of detail to follow, and if you study it and think about it,
the information will help you.
First, a few words of caution: Good short games take years to develop, so
don’t expect too much of yourself too soon. It’s easy to overthink the grain of
the grass, the closeness of the lie, the effect of backspin, and other variables,
none of which matter if you can’t execute shots from good lies that land where
they are supposed to and have the trajectory, spin, and speed appropriate to
finish close to the hole.
Also, please don’t spend so much time and energy thinking about strategy
that it screws up the rest of your game. Do, however, spend the time to develop a
good short game from good lies over the next few years. Once you master both
the mechanics and strategy from good lies, the tougher lies won’t present such a
problem. You’ll enjoy the game more than ever. You’ll be amazed how easy it
makes the game, and you can empathize with your friends and playing
companions who are still struggling with scoring worse than they think they
played (since they still think playing is all about striking the ball, when ball-
striking has very little to do with it). But you know, if you scored well, you
played well; if you scored poorly, you played poorly.

Learn to Read the Shot

11.10 Reading Your Lie
The way your ball lies in the grass, or nongrass, is more important in the short
The way your ball lies in the grass, or nongrass, is more important in the short
game than in any other game of golf. This is partly because, in the short game,
you don’t swing hard enough to minimize the effects of grass on your trajectory
and spin rate, as you often do in the power game. And, of course, your lie is
always good in the putting game (I’m assuming you’re on the green, not in the
fringe).
The other reason lie is more important on short shots is that what happens
after your shot lands is a large part of the total result. Full shots usually fly most
of the way, then stop fairly quickly. Short-game shots often bounce and roll for
more than half their total distance. Experience in knowing how the grass is going
to affect your short-game shot, before you hit it, is a vital part of being able to
make the ball finish near the hole.
The grass effects you need to predict are twofold. First, you need to know
how it will influence the clubhead passing through the impact zone: Will it slow
the club, grab the hosel and turn the face left, create an energy-absorbing pad
between the clubface and ball, or spread apart and have no effect? Second, after
estimating, or guessing, how the clubhead will react through impact, you have to
imagine how such behavior will influence the trajectory and spin characteristics
of your shot, and the ball’s likely performance on the green.
For these reasons, it is absolutely essential that you take several, and
maybe more, practice swings before hitting every short-game shot. Find an area
of grass similar to that around your ball, and make practice swings that you
believe are appropriate for the shot you intend to hit. Simulate the lie—uphill,
downhill, sidehill—you will be standing on for the shot. Then, as you make
practice swings, watch carefully how the club travels through the grass. It is this
vision that will help turn practice swings into the perfect preview swing that will
make your shot fly precisely the way you want, to finish in or very close to the
hole.
If the grain of the grass you’re hitting from is lying against the direction of
your swing, and the grass is strong, take much larger practice swings, because
you need more power than normal. Watch and feel the club go through the grass.
The more resistance you encounter—the more the club gets hung up—then the
quicker and/or more powerfully you have to get in and out of the grass to be
successful.
As a general rule, as grass gets thicker, stronger, and deeper, you should:

1. Grip farther down the shaft. A short swing-arc creates a steeper,

more vertical entry into and out of the grass. This gets the club into and out of
the grass more quickly, and through the shot with minimal resistance.
2. Make a bigger, more powerful swing. The more powerful the swing
(while keeping clubhead speed down by gripping down the shaft), the less the
club’s behavior is dependent on the thickness or strength of the grass.
3. Move the ball farther back in your stance, and use a more lofted club
to produce the loft you want.

Of course, when you face a delicate shot, it’s difficult to make a long,
powerful swing and not have the ball go too far. This is when gripping down
helps the most.
There will be times when the grass is so nasty and the grain so against you
that the only way to get the ball out, and not hit it too far, is to open the blade
and play the equivalent of a sand-explosion shot. Having the blade open, and the
hosel leading into the grass, helps in this “against-the-grain” shot (as
demonstrated by Vijay Singh in Fig. 11.10.1).
Let me end this section with a final, overview thought. Put it in the back of
your mind, and someday when you can’t decide how to swing on a shot, maybe
it will help. From the low-running bump-and-run to the high-loft cut-lob shot,
there is a sliding scale of forward energy transferred to the ball: On low-running
shots, almost all of the swing energy transferred to the ball makes it run forward;
on high lob shots, most of the swing energy lofts the ball high, and very little
makes it move forward.
The result of this is that the bump-and-run shot roll is most sensitive to the
length of your swing, while the cut-lob shot is the least sensitive. So whenever
the lie allows it, consider the low-running shot. But if the lie is so bad that you
can’t figure out what it will do, open the blade and hit a big, high cut-lob shot. If
contact is better than you expect, the ball will go a lot higher but not much
farther. If club-ball contact isn’t that good (because of too much grass), the ball
won’t fly so high while forward distance won’t change very much (as illustrated
in Fig. 11.10.2). Most important, the ball will be out of the mess and somewhere
on the green.
 Figure 11.10.1: Vijay Singh blasts from rough

Figure 11.10.2: Cut-lob shots vary in height more

than in carry distance

11.11 Reading the Green

If you are going to play a short shot into a Bermuda grass green, landing with a
lot of backspin and a shallow pitch mark, and it lands against the grain, it will
stop far more quickly than if it’s flying in the same direction as the grain (Fig.
11.11.1). That means you should know how the grain runs even when you’re not
on the green. While this is usually a relatively small effect on bent grass greens,
on the green. While this is usually a relatively small effect on bent grass greens,
it can be a major consideration on strong-grass greens, like Bermuda and
Kikuyu. The stronger the blades, the greater the effect. In fact, I’ve seen many
instances where grain has a greater effect on finesse shots than it has on putting.

Figure 11.11.1: Grain can affect chipping results dramatically

I recommend to all my Tour players that they note in their yardage books
the grain on every section of every Bermuda green—not just where the holes
will be cut. I encourage them to scrape the green surfaces with their putters (not
during competition—that’s illegal), so that when they miss the green and need to
pitch to it in competition, there is no doubt in their minds as to whether they’ll
be pitching to the green with or against the grain.
In addition, hitting against the grain with a pitch or chip shot is like driving
into the wind: Any error in direction will be exaggerated, and you need to play
more break for the roll because the grain pushes the ball away from the line of
travel. When an incoming shot is coming into heavy grain, I often recommend
flying the ball all the way to the hole rather than trying the bump-and-run; it’s
just too difficult to judge distance and direction against the grain. Another reason
to hit the high-lofted shot is that the ball will stop more quickly when hit into the
grain: You can throw it at the pin and know it will stop there.
Approaching with the grain, the opposite is true. Just as driving with the
wind results in straighter tee shots, so pitching and chipping downgrain usually
result in straighter roll. Play less break and your errors will be minimized. But
it’s also more difficult to stop a high-lofted shot downgrain, so I often bump-
and-run these, figuring the expected extra roll into my mental calculations.
As described in Chapter 7, I like players to be aware of humps and valleys
on the greens and how they affect both pitch and chip shots. The upshot is that
you should always avoid having to land a shot on a hump and, when you can,
you should always avoid having to land a shot on a hump and, when you can,
select shots where you are trying to land in the bottom of a depression.
Another green-reading consideration is the location of the flagstick on the
green (this keeps showing up in the data). As you develop your short game, you
probably will notice varying degrees of success when the pin is toward the front,
middle, and back of the green. While every golfer has personal swing tendencies
and weaknesses (even great players; they just have smaller, more subtle
weaknesses), and because the short game is less athletic ability and more
acquired skill, your finesse tendencies occur more consistently day after day. Be
sure to take note of them. For example, if you have more success with the hole
cut up front (using high-lofted shots that stop quickly) and less when the cup is
in back (where you tend to use bump-and-run shots), use this knowledge two
ways: When the pin is forward, you should be brimming with confidence; and
practice harder on the shots you tend to hit to pins in the back, the ones that give
you trouble.
Finally, while my research suggests always leaving the flagstick in the
hole when chipping or putting from off the green (see Chapter 8), you also
should commit to playing a little more break than you “read” on these shots.
Only one in 10 approach shots finish above the hole, while nine end up below.
Although you might say you’d rather face an uphill putt, I don’t think you’d
rather face an uphill 12-footer than a one-foot downhill putt. Most holes are not
cut on sidehill slopes, so don’t worry too much about up-vs. downhill putts: It’s
more important to leave yourself a putt that is short. The percentages say that
shorter, easier putts follow from playing more break.

11.12 Choosing Your Equipment

The quality of the grooves on your wedges is important, because grooves affect
backspin, a critical element of short-game shot control. You should know what
kind of grooves you have so when you get new clubs, you can specify the same
type and quality groove. Keep grooves clean of dirt and grass and be sure they
don’t get too worn.
Although numerous parties (including the United States Golf Association)
have claimed that square versus V-groove shape is not important and that players
don’t have enough control of backspin to have much influence on their
performance, I think they are wrong. These naysayers have contradicted
themselves anyway.
On one hand, they say that even if box (square) grooves do produce more
backspin, it doesn’t matter because players are not capable of taking advantage
backspin, it doesn’t matter because players are not capable of taking advantage
of them; on the other hand, they acknowledge that if the conditions of the greens
are soft and the pros can “throw darts” on the course, they will score better
(which is true). If you check scores over a period of years, you will know that
lower-scoring rounds are played when the greens are soft, and the pros can throw
the ball at the flag knowing it will stop. This is the same as giving the pros more
backspin from their wedges, so they know their shots will stop quickly on
greens, just as if they were wet and soft. When the pros can accurately predict
the behavior of the ball, because their execution is already so good, they can
perform at their best.
Along this same line, it should come as no surprise that one way the
USGA makes a course play tough for its championships is by firming up the
greens. This makes it more difficult for players to throw darts and predict what
will happen afterward. If you can’t have precise control over how much the ball
rolls after it lands, it is much more difficult to score. This is the same result you
see when hitting wedges with worn-down grooves.
I conducted the extensive “Box vs. V-groove” test for the PGA Tour a
number of years ago. From that data I learned that:

1. Square (or box) grooves put more spin on wedge shots than do V-
grooves (a little bit more on fairway shots, significantly more on rough shots,
and a lot more on shots from wet rough).
2. […] (Fig. 11.12.1).

Average
Forward
Roll on
Green
(feet)

Figure 11.12.1: Ninety-yard wedge shot from 2-inch wet rough

by 13 PGA Tour players
 3. The worst performers of all, in both stopping-distance control and
shot-scatter patterns, were worn-down grooves (Fig. 11.12.2).

Average
Shot
Scatter
Pattern
Size (feet)

Figure 11.12.2: Average scatter-pattern size for 90-yard wedges

from dry fairway lies

So if you want to get your shots to stop more quickly, get box grooves on
your short irons and wedges. But beware, more spin on most modern balls
makes shots fly shorter (Fig. 11.12.3). This can be a real problem if you have
box grooves on all your irons, especially the 6-and 5-irons you need to hit from
rough when you want to hit “flier-shots,” which run up to the greens. Groove
shape gets less important as club loft decreases, so this effect can cause strange
gaps between clubs set strictly by loft specifications (which most manufacturers
do).
 Average
Shot-
carry
Distance
(yards)

Figure 11.12.3: Shot-carry distance for box vs. V-grooves

(7-iron shots from 2-inch rough)

11.13 Using the Right Ball

The type of ball you play is another factor. There used to be no question that
balata-covered, three-piece balls (also called “wound” balls because of the
rubber windings within) stopped more quickly with more backspin than did two-
piece (solid center), Surlyn-covered balls. But this is no longer true. Some of the
new two-and three-piece blended-cover balls have very high spin rates. Lower-
spin balls are unquestionably longer off the driver and long irons, and there’s no
reason not to play them if distance is your problem, you’re good around the
greens, you play slow greens, and you don’t have trouble stopping the ball near
the hole.
But if you play on lightning-fast, Oakmont-, Pinehurst #2-, or Augusta-
type greens, and have trouble controlling shots on those surfaces, then consider
the slightly shorter but faster-stopping high-spin balls.
Don’t be misled about how different balls feel. Two-piece balls were
originally reported to feel harder and resist being worked, curved, and
controlled. I don’t believe feel has anything to do with any of this. I ran a test a
few years ago that showed the main differences among balls that golfers could
detect were the sounds made at impact, the distance they travel, and their spin
rate. There is no question that low-spin balls both fly and roll farther, and that
rate. There is no question that low-spin balls both fly and roll farther, and that
high-spin balls fly shorter and stop faster on the greens. But feel has absolutely
nothing to do with it, so don’t worry about it.
Weather is a definite factor. Hitting out of wet grass reduces spin, while
wet greens will be softer and help the ball stop more quickly. Cold balls fly
shorter, hot balls fly farther.
Despite the emphasis on spin in this chapter, I want you to remember what
I said earlier about golfers who are the most successful around greens, often
controlling their shots with trajectory. Wound balls will fly lower off the
clubface on pitch shots, while two-and three-piece balls with large, rubber-
compound centers tend to fly higher. Remember, a ball that is coming in low and
hot, even if it has a lot of backspin, may or may not stop on the green, depending
on the hardness and/or wetness of the surface. But a ball coming in high and soft
is going to stop fairly quickly every time, no matter what the surface is like—
wet or dry, soft or hard. If the ball is coming straight down—the ultimate, high-
lofted shot—it will bounce straight up and down no matter how hard the surface,
and stay just about where it landed.
Now a warning. You can’t possibly think about all these things I’ve just
mentioned while preparing to hit a shot. It would be too much, it would take too
long, and it would paralyze your brain. You can’t be worrying about trying to
remember all the information presented in this book. I simply want you to read
and understand the game, so that when you play it, it makes more sense. Over a
period of time, your brain will work out how to incorporate many of the things
you read. Till then, make your practice swings, feel free to experiment when
you’re practicing, and let the skills come to you. Play the game the best you can,
every time you play it, and practice a little in between. The more you
understand, the better you will practice, and in the long run, the better you will
score.

Playing Your Own Game

11.14 Bad Mistakes Are Bad
What makes a golfer good? The good ones don’t hit only good shots, they don’t
manufacture magical recovery shots, and they certainly don’t all have more
physical talent than others. What they do, what separates them, is they avoid
mistakes they can’t cover with their short games.
Good players tend to mishit thin, not fat: You usually can play thin shots,
 Good players tend to mishit thin, not fat: You usually can play thin shots,
saving the par or even occasionally getting away with birdie. But fat shots rarely
get lucky, and more often cost a full stroke. Good players don’t mishit into spots
from which they can’t recover, and they don’t hit the wrong shot at the wrong
time. While all golfers make mistakes, it is the kind of mistake made and how
you recover from it that determines your score. Good players know enough
about their full-swing and short-game skills and tendencies that they avoid the
really costly errors and play the safe shot. When they do err, they can still
recover and save par.
In my years of teaching the short game, I’ve witnessed all kinds of
mistakes. Here are some of the most common ones, and the ways to deal with
them, so they don’t keep you from becoming a “good” golfer:

1. Backswing too long. This is the most common mistake in the short game.
When the backswing is too long, the only compensating move is to slow the
downswing motion, and decelerate into the ball. This is a disaster, leading to all
kinds of bad results, caused by unstable club motion through impact. If your
backswing is too short, you may have to “get after” your follow-through; that’s
not good, but at least the club is stable through impact. If you find yourself
hitting at the ball, flinching as you hit it or getting “yippy” (jumpy) during your
finesse swing, make sure the ball is back in your stance, then imagine a second
ball on a tee about a foot closer to the target than your real ball (Fig. 11.14.1).
Make a backswing you know is shorter than your follow-through will be, and in
your mind’s eye imagine that the center of your swing arc (the point of
maximum clubhead velocity) will occur at about where the second ball is sitting.
 Figure 11.14.1:
Maximum clubhead
velocity should occur
past impact

2. Ball too far forward. When hitting from grass, the ball must be positioned
prior to (or behind) the point where your club reaches the bottom of your natural
dead-hands swing arc, to ensure solid contact. Playing the ball a little too far
forward produces fat shots; playing it too far back produces very playable shots,
but on a slightly lower trajectory. If you are unsure about your ball position,
move it a little back, not forward. It’s always better to err on the safe side, and
that’s back.

3. Not holding the finish. When you don’t hold your follow-through and
finish position on a chip, pitch, sand, or distance-wedge shot, you lose the
feedback of what your effort produced, so you don’t learn anything from the
results. I evaluate practice sessions based on what I think the student learned.
Players who learn from their practice sessions improve; players who beat balls
and don’t learn are wasting their time. So hold your finish as if you are posing
for a photograph after hitting a great shot. This will give your brain both the look
and feel of the swing, fresh in your memory, as you watch the result. The
correlation of swing feel with outcome is what learning is all about.
4. Poor transfer of weight. You’ve got to transfer your weight from the right
foot (for right-handers) to the left side through impact in the finesse swing.
Many golfers never move any weight and their lower bodies remain stock-still.
Others reverse pivot, transferring their weight forward during the backswing and
backward coming through, the exact opposite of what’s correct. This is a
disastrous mistake.
Concentrate on the synchronization of your upper and lower body, with a
rotating turn, which is vital if you want to make a rhythmic swing. (Please note, I
don’t refer to this as a weight shift, because the transfer of weight should come
from a turning of your body, a rotation around your spine, rather than a sliding
or shifting motion.)

5. Not enough lower-body turn-away. The average golfer in our schools

turns his hips only about 30 degrees from the top of the backswing—where they
are almost in the same position as at address—to the end of the follow-through.
The proper hip rotation on anything longer than a 15-to 20-yard shot is more like
100 degrees, and for a 50-yard shot as much as 140 degrees. Remember, you’re
not trying to produce power, but simply trying to keep your rhythm consistent. I
don’t see one golfer in 100 who turns too much, so make sure you rotate your
lower body away from address, keeping your lower body synchronized and
moving with your upper body.

6. Grip too strong. Taking too strong a grip with the left (or upper) hand is a
mistake. A strong grip leads to swinging back inside and low, below the desired
plane, and sticking the club too far back behind the body. Without vicious
rerouting on the downswing, the shot won’t have the proper trajectory. A strong
grip also gives control to the hands and small muscles, which flip the club at
impact in an attempt to lift the ball up. Even if contact is made with such a swing
(a big if), the results are inconsistent. When in doubt, again, make the safe
mistake: A finesse grip that’s a little too weak won’t hurt your short game (but it
can mean trouble if you take it to your power game).

7. Shanking. Believe it or not, if you start shanking as you begin working on

your new finesse swing, you’re on the right track. It often happens because the
lower body is working with the upper for the first time; this creates more
centrifugal force with less effort coming down through impact, which swings the
club a little farther out and away from the body. To correct this, stand slightly
farther from the ball and keep making your improved “finesse-lower-body turn.”
If you are a shanker for reasons other than a better finesse turn, however, order a
“Shanker’s Delight” learning aid (Fig. 11.14.2) and you’ll have no further
problems. Hit enough shots with the Shanker’s Delight and it will prevent you
from making either of the body or hand manipulations that lead to shanking.

Figure 11.14.2: The

Shanker’s Delight

8. The “styler” finish. While a low-hands-coiled-around-the-body “styler”

finish (Fig. 11.14.3) occasionally gains popularity with younger players, and
may look cool and different, it’s a surefire way to ruin your short game. A low
follow-through requires muscle and hand control, which means it will prove
inconsistent, especially under pressure. It also creates a lower trajectory than
does a high finish, again meaning less consistency in how shots react upon
landing. My advice is to stay with the dead-hands swing, and let the club finish
high and long (Fig. 11.14.4) when the shot-carry distance allows you to do so.
 Figure 11.14.3: The styler finish Figure 11.14.4: The higher your
indicates unwanted hand control hands finish, the higher your shot will
fly

9. Block through impact. Some players insist on holding the clubface

“blocked” through and after impact. That means they never rotate or release the
club or their forearms, so shots are blocked, sometimes out to the right but often
with extra loft (Fig. 11.14.5). Trying to inhibit the release is an unnatural action
that involves the muscles of the hands, wrists, and fingers, which makes it a
difficult shot to hit under pressure. Stay with the natural, dead-hands finesse
swing, which gives the club a complete release as it comes down through impact
and swings up into a full, high finish.
 Figure 11.14.5: Blocking through impact requires hand control

10. No distance. As players work on their finesse games, they are sometimes
surprised that their shots don’t go very far. But they do go high, so high they
don’t reach the target. There are several possible reasons:

a. A decelerating swing. Instead of accelerating through impact, the

hands slow down, letting the club actually pass them. This can add 5, 10, even
15 degrees of loft to the club, causing the club to slide under the ball at impact.
b. Deceleration also causes instability at impact and excessive loss of
energy, and, again, causes the shot to fall short.
c. Blocking past impact. As described above, the golfer doesn’t release
his arms, so the clubface is open through impact, sending the ball high and short.
d. Ball position too far forward in the stance. This position adds
unwanted loft to the clubface, even if you don’t hit the shot fat.

For all these problems the solution is a short backswing followed by

smooth acceleration through impact, releasing the club, all after making sure the
ball is properly positioned in your stance. The hands, arms, shoulders, and lower
body should turn together (synchronized) throughout the swing, pulling the club
through impact, and finishing with a “longer-than-the-backswing” follow-
through motion. The club must be in the process of releasing as it meets the ball,
and must be accelerating as a result of the centrifugal force generated by the
body’s synchronized turn movement.
11.15 Commit to Your Shot

You can’t, and shouldn’t, try to learn every shot in the short game. Tom Kite,
David Duval, Tom Watson, and Seve Ballesteros have been working on their
short games for so many years that you’ll never catch them. While there’s a lot
of fun and creativity to be had in the short game, you can overdo it. As I said
before, you don’t want to think yourself out of a shot. I recommend practicing
only two “specialty” shots for any given situation, if your normal finesse swing
won’t work: one with minimum backspin, the other with the maximum backspin
you can routinely put on it (routinely means not the ultimate, all-time, most
spectacular move to produce spin). On the course, you then decide which shot to
use based on the lie, green conditions, pin placement, and so on. Then commit to
that shot, practice the swing until you produce a good preview of it, step up, and
hit it.
To avoid confusion, I use two slightly different preshot rituals for my two
maximum-and minimum-spin swing motions; the difference lets my
subconscious know which shot I’m going to hit, well before I do it. I use my
normal preshot ritual, with my normal waggle, for my normal medium-high
backspin shot. I change the waggle, but keep the same rhythm, when I’m hitting
either of the other two spin-option shots. This way, if I haven’t fully committed
in my mind which shot I’m going to use, I can’t waggle. This commitment check
is good, because if you’re not ready to waggle, you’re surely not ready to swing.

11.16 Conservative Strategy, Aggressive Execution

I can sum up my thoughts on generic golf strategy in eight words: Conservative

Strategy, Aggressive Execution, Know When to Go.
If you plan conservatively, you will never hit shots into the killer areas of
the course and you will minimize the impact (or penalty) of your bad shots on
your score. If you execute aggressively (by which I mean positively and
optimistically, not forcefully), you will optimize your mechanical-swing skills
by giving yourself the chance to make the best move you can. And knowing
when to go means gambling at the right times.
Most amateurs think the man who makes the most birdies will be the
winner. In reality, it’s usually more likely that the man who makes the fewest
bogeys wins. If a PGA Tour player could eliminate bogeys, I can’t imagine how
much money he’d make. All the players, even those not near the top of the
money list, make lots of birdies. But they throw them away, cancel them out,
with bogeys. The way to protect against bogeys is with conservative planning, so
with bogeys. The way to protect against bogeys is with conservative planning, so
that not only do your average shots turn out okay, but your poor shots don’t hurt
so badly that you can’t still make par.
You can’t protect yourself from the really awful shots in golf-the shank or
wild slice or hook that occasionally puts you out of play or in deep trouble. But
you can protect against your “not-great” shots that aren’t hit perfectly. When
evaluating shot options, give yourself a safety margin-say, 10 to 15 yards on
either side of your intended target. Be sure that if the shot doesn’t come off
within 10 to 15 yards of perfect, you’ll still be okay. If you can’t make that
guarantee, hit a different, safer shot.
Having chosen a conservative strategy, make the most rhythmic, beautiful
move you can through the ball. Be very positive in your mind’s eye: Visualize
the perfect shot; visualize and internalize the feeling and the vision of the move
(or swing) that causes the shot; and while you have these images fresh in your
mind, execute the shot and watch your ball fly to its target. Not having a clear
image and feel of the swing you want to make, before you make it, is another
mistake good players avoid.
As important as visualization and preparation are, I also believe you need
to understand the mechanics of the swing you’re trying to make. You need to
know, as I’ve explained in detail over the last few chapters, what it is about the
swing that makes the ball fly higher or lower, with more or less spin, longer or
shorter. If you know the swing requirements for the shot you are trying to
produce, you can practice, improve, and turn your short game into a
subconsciously controlled, automatically performed “feel” game. But you can’t
get to that point without basing it on something sound and reliable, without
understanding intellectually what it is you have to do to make a shot happen.
Then you need to know when to gamble.
Because I know my game, I can tell you that I never gamble and try to hit
a 3-iron to a flagstick near water. But I always go for that same flagstick when I
have a wedge in my hand. The reward is much more likely, the penalty much
less so. I like the odds.

11.17 The 90% Rule

That’s the physical side of strategy. What about the mental side? I can deal with
that with one comment: Never hit a shot if you have any anxiety about its
outcome. If you haven’t practiced the swing sufficiently, if you don’t have the
confidence to pull it off at least 90% of the time, then it’s the wrong shot and
you shouldn’t try it.
you shouldn’t try it.
That’s right—90% of the time. I’m going to put 10 balls down and you’re
going to bet me your paycheck that nine out of 10 will land near (or somewhat
near, and safe) the target. If you can’t make that bet, don’t try that shot. Ten safe
shots to the fat of the green or 10 safe shots short of the bunker in the throat of
the opening to the green are much better than 10 shots aimed at a dangerous pin
placement, six of which end up on the green (you won’t make some of the next
putts anyway) and the other four of which finish in serious trouble buried in the
bunker or worse. These shots lead to double and triple bogeys.
Here’s what happens when someone attempts a shot with less than 90%
confidence. I call it golf’s version of the anxiety attack: The player is worried as
he thinks about the shot; worried a little more as he addresses the ball; takes
extra time to think and make sure he’s not going to do whatever it is he’s
worried about doing. But then the subconscious anxiety attack occurs at the top
of the backswing. The player thinks, “Ohmygod, don’t let this happen,” which is
the worst possible thought any golfer can have as he moves down toward impact.
Here’s a saying I use with my players: “Trust is a must, because to bail is
to fail.” If your subconscious doesn’t trust you, it will “bail out” in the middle of
your downswing, guaranteeing a poor shot. You can’t change your motion in the
middle of the downswing; there isn’t enough time and you don’t have enough
hand strength to override the centrifugal forces that have built up. If your
subconscious bails out on you in the middle of a swing, you will fail!

11.18 Don’t Be Too Conservative

If you have developed a solid short game, one that you trust, then play to it. Use
it for all it’s worth, because it will help you score better. When you have a good
short game, you can gamble more profitably with your long game. You can try
to get close in two on more par 5s (as long as you stay out of sand around the
greens). You’ll know you can always save par, and the closer you get, the easier
the birdie putt your finesse shot will leave.
On a short, tight par 4, if you are a reasonably good driver you can go for
it with full confidence. Even if you blow an occasional drive into the trees, you
know you can chip it out into the fairway in front of the green, pitch it on, and
save par. And you can make many more birdies from near the green with your
wedge than you can if you lay up off the tee and have to hit an 8-iron into the
green.
Playing to the strength of your short game can have a tremendous impact
 Playing to the strength of your short game can have a tremendous impact
in a tournament. In fact, I think not gambling in your area of strength is as much
an error as gambling (hitting poor percentage shots) in your area of weakness.
For example, on that short, tight par 4, you might make two birdies and two pars
teeing off with a driver during a four-round event. That gives you a huge
advantage over the rest of the field, which is hitting 2-or 3-irons off the tee and
7-or 8-irons into the green, making three pars and a bogey.
While I encourage you to play aggressively when you play to the strength
of your short game, there is need for some caution. When you hit into trouble,
play safe coming out. Make sure you never hit two bad shots in a row—again,
that’s when double and triple bogeys come into play.
When you’re in trouble, the smart policy is to give yourself a good chance
for par (maybe a 60% likelihood of getting up and down), but a 100% chance for
bogey. Never let a double bogey onto your scorecard. Don’t try hitting a miracle
shot out of the woods, low under the trees, then rising and turning left up and
over a bunker, onto the green, then biting. That shot is just asking for a big
number. Play smart, punch the ball out toward the front of the green, trusting
that you can get it up and down to save par. That way, the very worst you’ll ever
make is bogey. Another smart bit of self-management is to never gamble when
there’s a penalty such as water or out-of-bounds nearby. Penalties can’t be
erased from the scorecard, so avoid them at all costs.
Identify the “disaster areas” on your course (they don’t have to be out-of-
bounds; a particularly bad patch of rough will do). Treat them like penalties—
and manage your game to avoid them.
If you’ve really worked at your short game, then by all means go for the
par 5s in two. But forget trying for eagles. Trying for extra distance or hitting
extra-difficult shots in order to chase eagles will cost you more strokes than
you’ll gain. If you never make another eagle, fine. What you want are birdies on
par 5s, and lots of them.
Play to get as close as you can in two shots to all par 5s without finding the
sand, problem rough, or hazard. This will allow you a third shot from close
enough to the green to stop it in the “Golden Eight” range. You can make a lot
more birdies from short range than if you lay back and hit full shots into the
greens. There is no great full-swing player who, from 110 yards, can beat a good
short-game practitioner from 40 yards at getting the ball close to the pin.
Forgetting eagles and maximizing birdies is smarter, safer, and you’ll be
pleasantly surprised if a few eagles come your way.
Finally, whenever you have a wedge in your hands, fire at the pin. Don’t
play conservatively unless there’s a potential penalty—water or something
play conservatively unless there’s a potential penalty—water or something
similarly severe—guarding the pin so tightly that your wedge skill can’t match
up to the 90% rule.
And while you’re firing at the pins, enjoy it. Make a lot of birdies while
thinking that this is your aggressive move. “Conservative strategy, aggressive
execution, know when to go” will pay dividends over the long run.
Use conservative strategy to eliminate penalties and minimize bogeys.
Forget eagles on par 5s and forget trying to make birdies on long par 4s. Use an
aggressive attitude to execute every swing as perfectly as you can. And take no
prisoners with your short game on easy or short holes and on par 5s. Go after
every chance to make birdies with wedges. See how the game will come to you.
This is the way the game is meant to be played. It also optimizes your scoring
potential.
Chapter 12
Secrets of the Short Game
I haven’t yet met a golfer who isn’t looking for the secret that will unleash
success in his golf, that elusive something that’s going to make him or her a
better, or even great, player. We all know it’s out there, and we have been
searching for it as long as the game has been played. No matter what we do or
say, the search goes on. No matter how well he plays, in the back of his mind
every golfer still wants to know the extra little “secret” that will unlock his
ability to play even better. “But what’s the real secret for me?”
I’ve noticed that no one asks, “Is there a secret?” Golfers are convinced
there is one.
Well, they’re right, there is a secret; that’s the good news. The bad news is,
there is more than one. In fact, there are many. And the worse news (if you
choose to see it that way) is that these many secrets apply to all golfers.
And one more piece of news: The secrets aren’t really secret. Many people
know them, so perhaps they really shouldn’t be called secrets. In any case, they
are important “truths of the game.” And I promise that if you believe in them and
act upon them in the right way, you definitely will improve your ability to score!

12.1 Secret No. 1: The Secret of Feedback

As a teacher, a scientist, a physicist, and a player, I believe the “Secret of

Feedback” is at the top of the list. Because if you don’t receive, internalize, and
benefit from the feedback provided by your shots—if you don’t both consciously
and subconsciously correlate your shot results with your actions and learn from
your experiences—then you will never improve.
But you can’t just practice. You must do “intelligent practice.” My five
rules for intelligent short-game practice with feedback are:

1. Never “rake and beat” balls.

2. Never hit a practice shot with bad alignment.
 3. Know your precise yardage.
4. Watch the trajectory of each shot.
5. Hold your finish while you learn.

Rule No. 1: Never “Rake and Beat” Balls

Practicing with feedback means that you must be careful, you must be patient,
you must work at a somewhat slower rate than what you otherwise might do.
You can’t beat balls, simply rushing from shot to shot, club to club. You must
never rake over a second ball and hit that shot until the first one has landed—and
you’ve watched it land. You must take the time to back away after each shot,
then approach the new one and get into your setup the same way every time, just
as you intend to do on real shots that count on the course. Getting into your
address position is as important as, and can be more important than, the swing
itself. Because if you’re set up incorrectly or differently on each shot, there is no
way to make or learn to groove a good, repeatable swing. So practice carefully,
taking enough time to make proper setup a habit.

Rule No. 2: Never Hit a Practice Shot with Bad Alignment

Nothing is more ridiculous than standing at address in a poor position, with your
shoulders, feet, or hips aligned in the wrong direction, trying to hit a good shot.
Because with poor aim even a good swing will make the ball go to the wrong
place. Your subconscious will always fight against that and will prohibit you
from learning a good swing.
Your natural instincts, guided by your desire to hit the ball to your target,
will force you to make a compensating swing, to try to make the ball go where it
is supposed to. It is these subconscious compensations that make the swing so
difficult for so many golfers. On the other hand, from a perfectly aligned
position, a good swing results in a good shot.
It is very easy to practice with good alignment.
First, before hitting even one shot, take the club you are going to be hitting
and place it on the ground, aiming exactly at your target. The butt end of the club
should just touch the first ball (Fig. 12.1.1). From behind, make sure it is aimed
exactly at the target. Then put your 2-iron (which isn’t good for much else) in
the “aim-club” position of parallel-left alignment.
And finally, pick up your hitting club, set your feet and body parallel left,
and without lifting your left (front) heel, turn the toe toward the target 30 to 45
degrees. Now you are ready to practice (Fig. 12.1.2). Be sure to hit all your
practice shots this way. If you change your target, reset your hitting and aim
practice shots this way. If you change your target, reset your hitting and aim
clubs on the ground.

Figure 12.1.1: Aim your hitting club Figure 12.1.2: Always practice with
precisely an aim club

While setting up with an aim club is simple and takes no time, it is still
ignored by almost all amateurs. PGA and LPGA Tour pros, however, are much
better about this and work with aim clubs all the time. They know what an
advantage it is to make perfect aim a habit. The more practice shots you hit with
perfect alignment, the better perfect setup and alignment will feel to you on the
course.

Rule No. 3: Know Your Precise Yardage

What matters with your distance wedges is the flight distance of your shots
(hence their name). Yet when most golfers hit wedges on the practice tee they
note only the shots’ direction. And they usually hit to targets off in the distance,
farther away than the club they are hitting can handle. So most golfers have no
idea how far each wedge shot travels, which means they aren’t learning or
idea how far each wedge shot travels, which means they aren’t learning or
gaining in their ability to control yardages.
If you’re hitting a wedge toward a distant target and you don’t know how
far it’s flying, then all you are doing is warming up your muscles. You’re not
practicing your wedge game or finesse swing at all.
For valuable distance-wedge practice, you need a known-yardage target
(or targets) that you have either accurately walked off or measured with a laser
rangefinder (Fig. 12.1.3). You also need good enough visibility of the landing
area to accurately evaluate—at the moment the ball hits the ground—whether
you’ve hit it long, short, or the perfect distance. I try to have my students hit to
nets that are sloped toward them so it is easy to see within inches of where the
ball hits: on the net, short, or over it. To clearly see a shot’s landing spot, it helps
to be hitting to a slight uphill slope. If you don’t have nets, lay down a towel as a
target on a slight slope, shoot the distance, and you are prepared to practice
distance wedges with accurate, reliable feedback for the distance each shot
carries.

Figure 12.1.3: Shoot your practice

distances to one-yard accuracy

Whenever you practice distance wedges, don’t be distracted by worrying

about their flight direction; you’ll note that instinctively. Focus on how far the
about their flight direction; you’ll note that instinctively. Focus on how far the
shots fly. In practice, distance should be your sole criterion of a good wedge
shot. The more you think that way in practice, the better your shots will fly on
the course.

Rule No. 4: Watch the Trajectory of Each Shot

Watch most golfers hitting wedge shots on the practice range and what you see
are people beating balls. They think they’re working on their wedge games, but
all they’re really doing is making a wedge swing, striking the ball, taking a quick
glance to see whether or not it’s airborne, then looking back at the pile of balls
and raking another into place for the next swing. They don’t watch how far the
ball flies, they don’t notice how high it goes, and they sometimes don’t even
have a target in mind. They have no idea what they—or their shots—are doing.
Whenever I see a “raker-and-beater” in one of my schools, I wait until he’s
hit a ball and begun looking for the next one to hit, then I say; “Joe, look at me,
please.” Once I have his attention, I ask, “Without looking back, what did that
shot just do? Where did that ball go?” Most of the time they can’t tell me. They
have learned absolutely nothing, so they have wasted the time it took to get ball
and body into position and make the swing. This isn’t practice, because they
aren’t learning anything. It’s just exercise.
Not that I’m against exercise. I just prefer exercise with good feedback,
which is just as much fun, just as healthy, and has the added benefit that it helps
you become a better golfer. So I want you to learn to notice and care about the
height and character of each shot’s trajectory, and make it a habit to watch your
shots in flight (Fig. 12.1.4). If you are making a true finesse swing, with no
hand-muscle control and no hitting action, you will create consistent trajectories
and a consistent, repeatable amount of backspin on the shots as they land. (To
evaluate backspin, you occasionally must hit to a well-maintained green surface
for feedback on your shots’ bounce and roll behavior, particularly on shots
inside 30 yards.)
 Figure 12.1.4: Watch your shots, internalize their feel

These are the questions you should be answering after every shot you hit:
Did it land the distance you wanted? Or was it too long or too short?
(Instinctively you already know if it was right or left of the target.) Did it have
the trajectory you wanted? Did it have the same trajectory as the previous shots
you’d been hitting, and if not, why not? Finally, would it have behaved as
desired on the golf course, to a real green with a real pin?

Rule No. 5: Hold Your Finish While You Learn

If you want your short game to be the best it can be, you must be able to see and
feel the swing you need (to produce the shot you want) before you need it. This
“mind’s-eye visualization” must happen before you swing so it can help you
make the perfect motion.
The only way to achieve this ability is with experience, seeing and feeling
how different swings cause different golf-ball behaviors. You can’t learn this by
watching someone else hit, from videotapes, or from books. Those can teach you
why and what to do and how it is done. But you must make the swings yourself
so you can add feel to the swings you’ve observed, giving your mind’s eye the
complete correlation between actions and results. Once the feelings and images
are internalized and accurate in your mind’s eye, make enough practice swings
until you see and feel the one that will produce the result you want.
What do I mean by “holding your finish”? Remain in the completed
follow-through position of the swing, without moving, so you have the feel
(kinaesthetic awareness) of that swing as the ball lands (Fig. 12.1.5). This
simultaneous experience of shot result and swing feel is what enables a golfer to
learn and internalize the swing mechanics/ball-flight correlations for future use
in the short game. If you hold your finishes (maintaining swing feel) until your
shots land, you learn these correlations. With continued practice you will
develop great touch. If you don’t hold your finish, as soon as you stand up, step
back, look away, or turn your back, you lose the feel of the swing and with it the
chance to learn another swing/result correlation. Unfortunately, this is exactly
what most golfers do and why their practice doesn’t help them when they get to
the course.
The secret of feedback can be summed up this way: If you are raking and
beating balls; if you’re not set up with good aim; if you’re not getting good
distance feedback from your shots; if you’re not aware of the trajectories of your
shots; and if you’re not forming a habit of holding your finishes, then you would
be better off lying on your back, looking at the sky, and daydreaming about a
good short game.
 Figure 12.1.5: Make holding your
finish a habit

The other way to think of it is this: Bad practice is worse than no practice.

12.2 Secret No. 2: The Secret of Productive Time

The most valuable, most irreplaceable asset we have in this world is time. We all
start with the same amount of time each day, and at day’s end we’ve spent it all,
never to have it again. What you have to ask yourself is “How productive is the
time you spend trying to improve your game?” The time you practiced yesterday
either made you a little better, made you worse, or left you the same. No other
choices. It is not the person who practices the most or the longest who wins: It is
the person who improves the most who wins.
In golf, as in life, if you gain knowledge, understanding, and insight from
the use of your time, you will be successful. However, if you expend time,
effort, and energy in practice and don’t consistently learn, internalize, and
improve from it, your game is in serious trouble.
My concept of productive time is not simply about how many hours or
minutes you allot to practice. Nor is it about how long it takes you to learn.
Productive time is making the time you have productive in improving your
ability to score.
ability to score.
The pros I work with fall into two basic categories. The first are the
“grinders,” like Tom Kite, Lee Janzen, Tom Sieckmann, and Payne Stewart. It
does absolutely no good to work with these guys for 10 minutes on anything,
because after 15 minutes they’re still warming up, getting involved, and just
starting to turn their full attention to whatever we’re working on. Their first few
attempts at changing things, if they are not yet focused, are not always
impressive, and they get little benefit from practice sessions if they are short.
The grinders benefit most from long, intensive, repetitive sessions in
which they drill over and over and over what they need to do and how it feels to
do it. They have to see the results many times, and they seem to internalize these
results very carefully. It seems to take them a long time to learn or improve.
However, the upside to this is that once grinders learn something, once they have
it, they don’t lose it. Apparently because they have repeated the actions so often,
and have ingrained the lessons so deeply into their systems, they form habits that
stay there and are there when they need them later.
The other category is what I call the “quick hitter.” I don’t mean they
strike the balls quickly, but pros like Peter Jacobsen, Steve Elkington, Paul
Azinger, D. A. Weibring, and Howard Twitty use shorter, more variable practice
sessions to avoid boredom and loss of concentration. Jake may be the quickest of
all.
Whenever I ask Jacobsen to do anything, he does it very well very quickly.
But he then gets bored with it and says, “I’ve got it, I’ve got it. There’s no reason
to waste any more time on it. Let’s go do something new.” And he does have it,
which he shows me by hitting several more perfect shots to prove it. The quick
hitters usually are very talented physically, and learn very quickly. They can
produce excellent results in a short time no matter what I ask them to do.
However, the next time I see them they’ve often learned something new and
have forgotten the old. It’s gone, out the window. It never became a habit.
They’re off learning something different and exciting every time they practice.
They have difficulty sticking with the same system or technique long enough to
really get great at it.
My strategy when working with quick hitters is to arrange short practice
sessions often enough to stress the old principles, the same old fundamentals
(which never actually change), and keep them distracted by getting them to think
about scoring or ability tests. They need to keep their minds off the fact that
they’re doing something boring and repetitive, something they already know
how to do and did yesterday and the day before.
how to do and did yesterday and the day before.
Obviously you need to determine if you are a grinder, a quick hitter, or
somewhere in between. If you are creating a practice routine for yourself, take
this personality trait into consideration. If you like to grind and learn slowly,
leave yourself enough time to work on each improvement over and over and
over again in a single session. If you get bored quickly and easily, don’t build in
failure by staking out more than 15 minutes for each practice session on any one
aspect of your short game. Rather, you should keep things short and sweet while
competing or keeping score, and move on to other shots to keep things
interesting.
That’s how to allocate your practice sessions. Now, to what should you
allot that time?
Start by eliminating the old habit of spending 80% of your time practicing
19% of the game: the power game composed of woods and long, medium, and
short irons. Just as bad, don’t practice at the same percentages of time that the
shots occur in the game—43% putting, 25% woods, 13% finesse wedges, etc.
The amount of time you need to practice the various aspects of your game
should be determined by combining three factors: They are (1) “importance to
the game”; (2) how weak/strong your game is in each category; and (3) how
fast/slow you learn and improve from practice.
The most important game to scoring is (you’ve heard this before) the short
game. Therefore, it should be allocated the first available block of every golfer’s
practice time every time they practice. So under “importance to the game,” the
short game is top priority. I rate the other four games in this order: (2) putting,
(3) power, (4) management, and (5) mental. Understand this is the order you
should practice them in, not the time spent on each one.

Practice Time Priority Per Week

First: 30%—the short game (inside 100 yards to the edge

of the green)

Second: 30%—the putting game (on the green)

Third: 30%—the power game, divided equally between

woods (emphasis on driving) and irons (outside 100
yards)

Fourth: 5%—the management game (how to manage your

game strengths and weaknesses around the course)

Fifth: 5%—the mental game (fear, confidence, aggression,

determination, organization, frustration) short game.
 determination, organization, frustration) short game.
Rather, you should keep things short and sweet while
competing or keeping score, and move on to other
shots to keep things interesting.

In each practice session, practice your short game first. Then your putting.
Next go hit balls on the range and work on your power swing. If you run out of
time after your short-game and putting practice, so be it. In your next practice
session, give yourself more time so you can also hit balls.
If I were creating a practice schedule for the generic golfer, I’d
recommend time be allocated as shown in Figure 12.2.1 below.
Within the total of your short-game practice time (which is 30% of your
total practice time), the first priority should be the 15-yard pitch shot around the
greens, followed closely by distance wedges (30 to 75 yards), then chipping
from close to the greens, then bunker play, and lastly indoor mirror practice.

Figure 12.2.1: My recommendation for practice-time allocation

If 30% of your total practice time is one hour per week, this gives you 60
minutes to devote to improving your short game. Break it into the following
areas:
areas:

1. Assuming you have no particularly weak areas that require

immediate and special attention (remember, your weak areas determine your
scoring ability), start with a 15-minute session hitting pitch shots, 15 minutes
hitting distance wedges, 15 minutes chipping from around the green fringes,
followed by a 10-minute session in the sand. You can expect to hit 20 to 50 shots
in each of these sessions if you carefully address and hit each shot to a target and
watch it until it stops. If you hit fewer shots, that’s fine. You want careful,
meaningful practice with feedback on results. Anything else is a waste of time,
so don’t even bother to practice if you’re not going to do it right.
2. Assuming you do have a weakness in one area, say the sand, take
five or so minutes from each of the other areas and emphasize sand practice.
Once again, your weakest area of performance is where the game of golf will
always get you.
3. Finally, in this 60 minutes of short-game practice, spend five minutes
in front of a mirror at home. Wear shorts and a light-colored top so you can see
and feel what your body is doing. Practice your synchronized finesse swing to
the 7:30, 9:00 o’clock, and 10:30 backswing positions, and swing through to a
full, balanced, complete finish. The more you watch, see, and feel these swings-
in your perfect body rhythm of “saaawish-swish”—the sooner your
subconscious will repeat these motions on the course.

Of course, I’m not saying to practice your short game for only one hour a
week. But doing more means increasing your total practice to more than 3½
hours a week. If you can handle this, great. The more you practice properly, the
faster you will improve your short game and your ability to score.
As to the rest of your practice time, the second priority for improvement is
your putting game. Spend 30% of your practice time putting, divided evenly
between indoor stroke-mechanics practice and outdoor putting touch, feel, and
green-reading. With good feedback on the results of your practice, you will see
the greatest benefits.
Don’t forget to spend 30% of your total practice time on your power
swing. You always need to work on this part of the game. Even though I believe
it should come after you’ve practiced your short game and putting, you still must
do it. You can’t consistently shoot pars if you can’t get your first shot into play
and your second shot somewhere near the green (on par 4s), no matter how good
your short game and putting.
My last piece of advice on time allocation is don’t neglect your mental and
 My last piece of advice on time allocation is don’t neglect your mental and
management preparation. Look into working with one of the sports
psychologist/mental-side teachers like Bob Rotella, Richard Coop, David Cook,
Deborah Graham, and Chuck Hogan. They can teach you to develop and
improve the control of your mental and management games, and I guarantee it
will be worth your practice time. You must consistently work on all parts of your
game if you want to develop the talent necessary to consistently post your best
scores.
That’s how to allocate your practice time. Don’t confuse practice with
“warming up” before a round. Warming up is not practice but a sequence of
exercises that loosen, lubricate, and tone your muscles to prepare them to play.
But warming up can also be used for more than just stretching.
Optimize your warm-up time by carefully preparing yourself to execute
the shots you are most likely to face and will have the greatest impact on your
scoring. Always start with your finesse swings. If you are warming up before a
round and have only a few minutes, hit some chip and pitch shots around the
greens, because you’re probably going to have more of those in a round than any
other shot except putts. Make sure you feel and groove the synchronized-turn
motion of the finesse swing—that you aren’t handsy, hitting these shots with
your hand/wrist muscles.
Move on to a few distance wedges and again warm up the finesse-
swinging motion of your entire body; if these can be hit at a 30-to 50-yard target,
to which you can check your distance, all the better. (If you’re not hitting or
coming close to these targets, spend a few extra minutes sharpening your focus
on distance, hitting these shots the right length.)
If you have time, next practice your full swing, especially up to and
including a few drives. But if you don’t have time, you’re still okay if you
stretch enough to loosen your back and legs. As you think about the first drive,
don’t worry about how long it is going to be: Just get it into the fairway. If you
can’t get warm and loose, take a 3-or 4-wood off the first tee, make a three-
quarters swing, and just put the ball in play. You don’t want to start your round
hitting a second shot out of trouble.
Of course, you must do a little warm-up practice putting. Do this in place
of full-swing warm-up if time is limited. You need to stroke a few lag putts to
learn the general speed of the greens; a few 20-footers to focus on the exact
green speed; then be sure to make a few short putts before walking to the first
tee, because you may well face a three-to six-footer on the first hole to save par.
My data show that golfers hit more bad chips, pitches, and putts on the first three
holes than on the last three, even though there often is more pressure at the end
of the round. I think this is because golfers rush to the first tee, play away, then
encounter short-game and putting-game shots they haven’t faced in a week (or at
least a few days), and they are not physically or mentally ready to execute these
simple little shots.

12.3 Secret No. 3: The Secret of Hand Muscles

Hand muscles are about as good for the finesse game as they are for putting: no
good at all! They do nothing but screw up both games.
Humans are used to pounding hammers, playing games, cutting meat,
manipulating implements, and performing other tasks that involve using the
small muscles of the fingers, hands, wrists, and forearms. Therefore, they believe
instinctively that golf clubs are meant to be manipulated and controlled in the
same way. This is true of most golfers in general, and of male golfers in
particular.
Everything I’ve learned from observing and teaching thousands of golfers
to improve their scoring games tells me that the more you let your small hand
muscles get into determining where your shots go in your short game, the less
consistency and more trouble you’re going to have scoring.
That’s why I say the dead-handed short game is the way to go. By learning
and using dead-handed swing motions, you eliminate the effects of an increased
heartbeat and adrenaline, which occur when you are excited and nervous. And
excited and nervous are what you always become when facing an important golf
shot. It’s easy to practice and groove a muscle-controlled swing on the range,
where you get 10 or 15 tries at every shot, and you can do it over and over again
until it feels just right. You can have the timing down and have complete control
over the hit impulse, and everything can be just fine-on the practice tee.
The problem is reproducing that exact muscle function and performance
energy when the heat is on, when pressure is applied, when your heart rate goes
up and the adrenaline begins to flow. You can’t do it, because you can never
practice under these kinds of pressure-filled conditions. You can’t turn up your
heartbeat to 150 or 200 beats per minute for a full practice session. You can’t
make the adrenaline flow into your muscles, making them stronger and quicker
under pressure during practice. Long hours of practice will not teach you how to
overcome these influences.
The only way to beat these conditions is to eliminate the muscle-strength
 The only way to beat these conditions is to eliminate the muscle-strength
variable from your performance. If you use the rhythm of your finesse swing—
which you can watch, evaluate, and refine during practice swings on-course
before the pressure shot in question—then you can produce the exact results you
want. You can see, watch, and feel yourself, not by watching the club or your
hands or arms, but by letting your mind (your subconscious) be aware of and
feel what the swing is doing. You’ll be able to see and feel if your swing is a
pure, rhythmic, finesse swing, moving the length and speed required to produce
the shot you want.
An increased heartbeat does not affect the rate at which your mind’s eye
sees and judges the rhythm of your swing. Adrenaline will not change how the
swing looks and feels in your mind’s eye, even when your muscles feel stronger.
So if you can make your swings look and feel right for the shot, they will be
right under all conditions, and you’ll produce the results you want when you
need them under pressure.
A great example of controlling heartbeat and adrenaline under pressure is
Tom Kite on the last hole of the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. On that
ocean-lined par 5, he intentionally laid up with his second shot—even though he
could have hit the green with a 3-iron because he had hit an incredibly good
drive. However, Kite laid up with a little half-swing 6-iron second shot, leaving
a 75-yard finesse wedge to the hole. He did this because the 75-yard wedge is his
favorite shot in golf, which he knows he can hit better than any other shot in his
bag. He took a few dead-handed practice swings, exact duplicates of the finesse
swing he wanted to make for real, saw and felt that he was doing what he
wanted, made the real shot, and flew it inside the “Golden Eight” to take home
the trophy (Fig. 12.3.1)!
 Figure 12.3.1: 1992 U.S. Open
Champion … Tom Kite

I cannot stress enough that the other system—using the muscles of the
hands and arms—will work on the practice tee when there is no pressure. It will
feel good, it might even seem easy. But don’t be deceived. Don’t be misled into
thinking that because you can make something work on the practice tee you can
make it work under pressure on the course.
There are millions of golfers who say, “I’m a great player on the practice
tee, I just can’t take it to the course” They blame themselves, lose confidence,
think they haven’t got what it takes in their heart to win under pressure, and
sometimes lose self-esteem after blowing a lead or a shot under the gun. All this
because they learned the wrong short-game control system. They never learned
that if you use a hand-muscles-controlled swing, you will not perform well under
pressure. You must understand this and not fall into that trap.
The secret of hand muscles is to keep them out of the short game, and rely
instead on a pure, rhythmic, consistent, muscle-free finesse swing as detailed in
Chapter 3.

12.4 Secret No. 4: The Secret of Repetition and Drills

One of the most important aspects of improving your game is learning how to
practice. You can significantly improve your short-game skills by repeatedly
performing drills with proper feedback over an extended period of time. The
feedback-heavy drills detailed on the following pages will help you develop,
groove, and habitualize these skills. Some drills can be done at your home or
office, away from the golf course. Others must be done outdoors at a course with
good practice facilities. Together, they can immensely improve your ability to
score. Remember: Just as perfect practice produces improvement, it is only
perfect repetition that leads to the formation of those quality habits that produce
good results under pressure.

12.5 At-Home Drills

1. The Synchro-Turn Drill. This will help you synchronize the turning of
your upper and lower body. Take a correct finesse stance face-on in front of a
full-length mirror: Bend slightly in the knees and hips and assume a perfect
address position as if you are holding a club. Move your hands onto your hips,
thumbs forward, and pinch your elbows toward each other behind your back.
This will lock your shoulders and hips together, forcing you to turn one when
you turn the other. Turn your lower and upper body together, away from the
target, to about a 40-degree angle away from your address position. Stop and
hold this position for a few seconds, as it approximates the proper body position
for a 7:30 backswing (Fig. 12.5.1).
Your hips should be turned far enough that your lead knee (the left knee,
for right-handed golfers) has been pulled slightly toward the back knee. It’s
important that the lead knee hasn’t moved out toward the target line but back
toward the trailing knee.
 Figure 12.5.1: The synchronized
finesse turn

Start the downswing by moving everything together. Imagine you have

pointers sticking out of your chest and belt buckle; they should be pointing in the
same direction at the top of the backswing, as you move through impact, and as
you move into the finish (Fig. 12.5.2). At the end of your follow-through, the
pointers should have turned past and be aiming to the left of the target for right-
handed golfers (to the right of the target for left-handers). At the finish, you
should have turned more than 90 degrees (closer to 100-105 degrees) from your
original address position. All your weight should finish on your left (forward)
foot; your back toe is to be used only for balance, having almost no weight on it;
and your right (back) knee should be covering the left (front) knee. By repeating
this complete turn motion 25 times, while keeping your spine and head positions
fixed, you will begin to see and feel the perfectly synchronized turning motion of
the perfect finesse swing (the full finesse turn is shown in Fig. 12.5.3).
 Figure 12.5.2: If your turn is synchronized, both pointers (hands) always point in
the same direction

Figure 12.5.3: The complete finesse turn

2. The Power Drill. In our Scoring Game Schools, we use a 40-pound

medicine ball (filled with sand) to teach the feel of “synchronized body power,”
as opposed to “hands-and-arms” power, in the finesse swing. (To make your
own, take an old basketball, punch a small hole in it, pour in sand, and seal with
a bicycle-tire repair kit.) A 40-pound ball is very heavy, so anyone with back
problems is cautioned not to use this drill without first consulting a physician.
Hold the ball from underneath with your hands and arms while your body
is in your normal address position, knees bent slightly. Tuck the elbows together
so they’re no more than four to six inches apart and almost touching your
stomach; your elbows must stay “attached” to your stomach throughout this drill.
Be sure you are bent at the waist until you approximate your swing position.
(Bend slowly and carefully to avoid straining your back; if you feel even the
slightest twinge or strain, stop immediately.)
slightest twinge or strain, stop immediately.)
Move in a good rhythm and make a normal 30-yard finesse swing (as
described in the Synchro-Turn Drill, page 12.5 At-Home Drills379), except
turn back only about 30 degrees. As you reach the top of the backswing, be sure
your hands, arms, and the ball remain exactly in front of your chest and stomach
as they were at address. On the through-swing, turn only with your lower-body
muscles, letting your upper body go along for the ride as you toss the medicine
ball forward to a partner. (Make sure he also has no back problems.) Repeat this
drill 25 times, every other time with your eyes closed, to begin internalizing the
look and feel of your synchronized upper and lower body turn utilized in the
finesse swing (Fig. 12.5.4).
This drill differs from the Synchro-Turn Drill by letting you feel your
synchronized finesse turn with your arms, hands, and ball (or golf club) out in
front of you, while letting your body turn provide the power of the swing. It is
imperative that you not use your arm or hand power to toss the ball in this drill.
Simply turn your upper and lower body in a synchronized motion to toss the ball
forward along your target line. Then fold your arms and elbows up, over your
left shoulder, to feel the proper finesse-swing finish.

Figure 12.5.4: The medicine ball toss teaches a synchronized finesse turn (only if you
have a well-conditioned, strong back)

3. The Stance Drill. Many golfers have trouble getting comfortable with the
correct ball position on the golf course, yet it is such an easy problem to solve. If
you have ball-position problems, use a teaching aid called the “PositionMat.” It
indicates exactly where the ball should be positioned in your stance under good-
lie positions for pitch, sand, and chip shots.
To use the “PositionMat,” place it on the floor in front of a mirror, and
with a club in hand (but no ball), take your address position on the shoe positions
as indicated. Start with your feet on the dotted outlines, then switch to the solid
as indicated. Start with your feet on the dotted outlines, then switch to the solid
shoe positions for your final setup (as shown in Figure 12.5.5). Go through your
preshot ritual and actually make the appropriate finesse swing (pitch, sand, or
chip). Repeat this sequence five to 10 times for each position, actually
simulating hitting the “PositionMat” ball each time. The more you repeat this
drill at home (a few swings on many different days is better than many swings
on a few days), the more comfortable you’ll become with the feel of good ball
position on the course. Occasionally during this drill make sure to watch your
body turn in the mirror to keep it smooth, proper, and completely synchronized.

Figure 12.5.5: Getting “into

position” to swing is as important
as “making” the swing

4. The Release Drill. This drill helps you see and feel the proper rotation and
release of your forearms and club through the impact zone of a 15-yard pitch
shot.
Stand perpendicular to a mirror, take your address position with both
hands on the club, and start the turn as in the above drills. Stop your backswing
when the shaft is horizontal. At this point, your upper and lower body should be
turned about 20 degrees away from address and both the toe and leading edge of
the club should point straight up to the sky. If the leading edge is past vertical,
pointing behind you, you’ve rotated your forearms too much; if it hasn’t reached
pointing behind you, you’ve rotated your forearms too much; if it hasn’t reached
vertical, you haven’t rotated the arms enough (Fig. 12.5.6).
On the through-swing, stop when the shaft is horizontal on the other side.
Again, the toe should point straight up, indicating a complete release. Your
forearms should have turned 180 degrees from the same point on the backswing.
Finish this swing by taking the shaft to vertical as you turn another 5 degrees to
the completed 15-yard pitch swing position shown in Figure 12.5.7.

Figure 12.5.6: The shaft horizontal, leading-edge vertical position

 Figure 12.5.7: The 15-yard pitch finish

Do not hit balls with this drill. Instead, perform it in slow motion to
imprint on your mind’s eye the look and feel of your proper release motion as
viewed from both behind and in front of your swing.

5. The Backswing Drill. Once you understand the synchronized turn, the
dead-hands finesse swing, and the 3 × 4 System for controlling distance with the
length of your backswing, it is vital that you internalize the feel of your own
perfect 9:00 o’clock backswing position. As mentioned earlier, 9:00 o’clock is
most golfers’ favorite, and most reliable, swing because it is the easiest to
visualize and the horizontal left arm position is somewhat visible through your
peripheral vision.
First, practice this position in front of a mirror, swinging with a club but no
ball. Use the mirror to get the feedback of exactly where 9:00 o’clock is; get the
feel and view of that backswing length (Fig. 12.5.8). After some practice, I’m
sure you’ll find 9:00 o’clock your easiest and most reliable backswing length.
 Figure 12.5.8: The 9:00 o’clock backswing Figure 12.5.9: The 7:30 backswing

However easy 9:00 o’clock is for you, 7:30 will be much more difficult.
Initially practice this length the same way: Use the mirror to see when your arm
reaches the 7:30 position, noting how it feels and looks. Close your eyes, go
through your preshot ritual, swing to the top of your 7:30 backswing, then open
your eyes and check (Fig. 12.5.9).
Remember, it’s always easier to learn the feel and sight of these
backswings without a ball on the ground, when you are not making a shot, and
not worrying about results. For every backswing you make, go ahead and swing
through to a full, synchronized finish. You may as well commit your perfect
finesse move to subconscious control that much sooner.
Once you feel reasonably good about being able to execute both your 9:00
o’clock and 7:30 finesse swings, take them to your backyard and the
“ShotMaker” platform. Attach the “SwingStop” (Fig. 12.5.10) and hit 10 or 20
shots to a target each session. Keep your total focus on the length of your
backswing, making a quality finesse swing with good ball contact and a perfect
full finish. Don’t worry about where or how far your shots are going until you
have mastered the ability to make the desired-length backswing.
have mastered the ability to make the desired-length backswing.

Figure 12.5.10: The SwingStop calibrates backswing length

6. The Plane Drill. The plane of the finesse swing extends from the ball, up
through your shoulders, and above and behind you. It is the “pane of glass” that
Ben Hogan made famous years ago, as detailed in Chapter 4. This is the plane
you want the head of your club to travel on throughout your finesse swing. You
can accomplish this swing plane simply by executing a synchronized body turn
and swinging your arms upward during the backswing, then letting the
centrifugal force created by your turn down and through the impact zone control
the motion of the club.
While there are many swing-plane training devices for the full power
swing, we like to use the “SwingSlot” attachment to the ShotMaker platform to
train proper finesse swing planes (Fig. 12.5.11). The SwingSlot, when properly
adjusted for your height and address posture, defines your proper swing plane
through the impact zone by means of a plate positioned just below your actual
swing plane. (You can also use the “Shanker’s Delight” attachment to define
your swing plane further.) By repeatedly swinging through the slot, without
hitting either guide plate, you can groove your finesse-swing feel and reach the
subconscious control level for the mechanics of your wedge swing. While we
subconscious control level for the mechanics of your wedge swing. While we
use the SwingSlot to hit shots in our schools, I recommend you first swing
slowly in one in your backyard without hitting a ball. Once your clubhead is
repeatedly passing through the slot without touching the plate, then start hitting
balls into a net (with no concern as to where the shot actually would fly).
Finally, hitting 25 shots with the SwingSlot to target baskets every few days
(Fig. 12.5.12) will advance your wedge game to a new level.

Figure 12.5.11: The SwingSlot defines your finesse swing plane

Figure 12.5.12: The SwingSlot grooves a proper finesse-swing plane

7. The SweetSpot Drill. After, and only after, you have internalized the
concepts of (1) a synchronized finesse turn; (2) smooth, hands-free body-rhythm
power; (3) perfect ball position and parallel-left alignment; (4) proper release of
your forearms; (5) timing your backswings; and (6) the proper finesse swing
plane, it is time to practice hitting your wedge shots on the sweet-spot of the
clubface. I emphasize this order of practice because to try to learn to make
sweet-spot contact from bad setup or swing positions will do more harm than
good to your short game.
Once you can produce good-looking wedge swings with a dead-hands
finesse turn, however, it becomes important to make consistently solid contact
before you try to learn to control how far shots go. Exactly where contact is
made on the clubface determines the percentage of swing energy transferred to
the ball on every shot. So, if you can’t make consistent contact, it destroys your
ability to correlate your swing time with shot distance.
That’s why I recommend practicing solid contact with the “SweetSpotter,”
as shown in Figure 12.5.13. The SweetSpotter is a pad of energy-absorbing
material that adheres to the face of your wedge during practice, which
exaggerates the energy loss on shots struck significantly away from the sweet
spot. When you hit the energy-absorbing SweetSpotter, you feel it and see the
yards lost. Then you can properly blame the impact quality of your swing (rather
than your swing speed, as most golfers do) for not hitting the shot the proper
distance.
 Figure 12.5.13: The SweetSpotter exaggerates the effects of mishits

8. The Basket Drill. Assuming you have grooved reasonably good swing
mechanics in the seven drills just discussed, you should now be ready to polish
your wedge game. When a golfer misses a green, he or she usually faces either a
pitch shot or a distance wedge to the pin. You can groove these shots in your
backyard by hitting balls into laundry baskets.
Place several baskets in different positions from 10 to 75 yards’ carry
distance away (walk them off, or shoot them with a laser for accurate distances),
always in line with either your aim club or the swing line of the ShotMaker. Hit
shots to the baskets in random order. Hitting 25 shots from time to time (Fig.
12.5.14) will teach you to control where your shots land on the green. Once you
can hit (or come close to hitting) the baskets with consistent trajectory and spin,
you’ll be very effective at saving par (and making birdies on par 5s) when you
play.
Be sure to hit some wedge shots from longer grass (like the rough at your
course), rather than always hitting from artificial grass, which simulates shots
from fairway lies on the course. (Don’t get too used to hitting only from fluffy
lies in a plush lawn, either.)
 Figure 12.5.14: You can’t get too good with your distance wedges

9. The Uneven-Lie Drill. I recommend the previous drills for all golfers,
beginners to Tour players, to improve their short-game skills. But for those of
you who want to go the extra mile, or are having problems in a particular area,
some additional drills will help develop your short games.
Sooner or later, all golfers face pitch shots around the greens from uneven
lies. I don’t know any better way of learning this skill than on the ShotMaker,
hitting shots to baskets in your backyard when the ball is above or below your
feet, or from uphill and downhill lies (Fig. 12.5.15). If you can pitch into a
basket from these lies in your backyard, you can land your shots where you need
to on the course.
 Figure 12.5.15: Use the ShotMaker to develop techniques for uneven lies

Don’t rush into practicing on these difficult lies, however, until you’ve
developed your swing skills from level lies. While it might be more fun to hit
from sidehill lies, and to play games and keep score on the ShotMaker, about
80% of your pitch shots on the course will be from relatively level lies. When
you do practice these shots, review the techniques in Chapter 6 before wasting
your time and forming bad habits.

10. The BunkerBoard Drill. All golfers eventually must play out of sand. For
those who fear this shot, the BunkerBoard drill can have a very calming effect.
The BunkerBoard eliminates the possibility of your wedge digging into the sand
too deeply and leaving the shot “flubbed” in the sand.
Once you are convinced that you won’t flub the shot and leave the ball in
the sand, you will find it easier to use your normal finesse-wedge swing in a real
bunker. The plastic surface of the BunkerBoard forces the open-faced wedge to
scoot properly under the ball (Fig. 12.5.16 shows how little sand is blasted out of
a bunker by a good scoot-and-spin shot). Because you can’t dig in the
BunkerBoard, with a little practice you also will stop digging in real sand. Start
this practice hitting into a net set slightly to the right of your swing line
direction. Remember, as detailed in Chapter 9, when you open your clubface in
the sand, your shots will fly somewhat to the right of your swing line.
 Figure 12.5.16: Learn proper
feel for the scoot-and-spin blast
on the BunkerBoard

When you can confidently stand over a BunkerBoard shot, make a good,
smooth, aggressive, 9:00 o’clock finesse swing, end with an all-world finish, and
produce a high, soft, spinning shot, you can begin to become a good sand player
(Fig. 12.5.17). I say “begin” because hitting good sand shots from real bunkers is
more difficult than hitting them from a BunkerBoard, and you need to move
your practice to the next level to master the on-course sand shot.
your practice to the next level to master the on-course sand shot.

Figure 12.5.17: Swing line to towel, clubface open, ball flies to BunkerBoard target
basket

11. The BunkerTray Drill. Hitting from the BunkerTray attachment to the
ShotMaker (Fig. 12.5.18) is good practice precisely because it is no easier than
hitting from real sand. The sand in the BunkerTray is about two inches deep,
enough to let your club dig in and flub the shot. (If the clubface isn’t open
enough, you’ll hit weak dig-and-push shots and spend most of your time
replacing the sand.)

Figure 12.5.18: Scoot-and-spin practice from real sand in the BunkerTray

Once you’re good enough, and have enough confidence to hit to baskets,
remove the net from interfering with the ball flights (Fig. 12.5.19) and practice
all lengths of shots from the sand. Purchase a few bags of the same sort of sand
found in the bunkers at your course (your golf course superintendent may sell or
give you some), so your sand touch is calibrated to the sand you see the most
give you some), so your sand touch is calibrated to the sand you see the most
often (but you’ll have to adjust to supersoft or fine sand, or extra-coarse sand,
when encountered at other courses).

Figure 12.5.19: Groove your bunker game at home to save strokes on the course

You also can practice the difficult uneven lies in the sand by adjusting the
ShotMaker to the extremes with the BunkerTray (Fig. 12.5.20). I don’t suggest
spending too much time on such shots, since they don’t occur too often. But they
can be fun and educational to try on occasion. Always be sure to try them
initially into the net.
 Figure 12.5.20: Be sure to use
a net when first practicing from
uneven lies on the ShotMaker
with BunkerTray attachment

12. The KneeSlide Drill. If your knee slides forward during your through-
swing, join the crowd (Fig. 12.5.21). Tall golfers, including yours truly, have a
difficult time stopping this habit. We understand intellectually that we should
turn (rotate) onto our leading foot instead of sliding forward into the outside of
that foot. Doing it, however, is more difficult.
 Figure 12.5.21: The greater the forward slide, the less consistent the contact at
impact

The best device for combating this problem is the KneeSlider attachment
for the ShotMaker (Fig. 12.5.22). It simply won’t let you slide! When I first tried
this device I almost broke my left knee. Then I learned to swing without hitting
balls and thought it was great. I learned the feel of the proper turning on the
through-swing and thought I had it. However, when I then tried hitting balls, my
long-ingrained knee slide was back. So once you’ve eliminated your slide and
learned the feel of a proper turning motion, hit as many balls as you can with the
KneeSlider in place. When you finally learn to hit shots without touching it, you
will have ingrained a much improved finesse turn and swing.
 Figure 12.5.22: Hitting shots with a KneeSlider stops the forward slide

13. A Drill for Shankers. There are several reasons for shanking, and most
are just minor deviations from a really good swing. That’s right: A shank swing
is usually pretty close to being a good swing. But no matter which reason for
yours, there is an easy solution: the Shanker’s Delight.
This is another attachment for the ShotMaker, primarily for use in the
backyard. As shown in Figure 12.5.23, the Shanker’s Delight places a wall a few
inches from your ball, which will keep your clubhead from traveling outside the
proper swing plane through impact. Set out a few baskets as targets, and hit a lot
of shots with the Shanker’s Delight. You won’t shank them (Fig. 12.5.24). Then
alternate between hitting from next to the Shanker’s Delight wall and hitting
from the open mat by stepping back six inches (keep your net in place for a
while, just in case) on every other shot. You’ll quickly learn the differences in
feel between the shank and nonshank swings.
 Figure 12.5.23: Practicing with the Shanker’s Delight cures the shanks

Having learned the difference, hit shots from the mat concentrating on that
nonshank feel. Every time you shank one, hit a few shots from next to the
Shanker’s Delight wall; just addressing balls next to the wall will give you the
feel of the nonshank swing again. Then move back and hit a few more open
shots. Learning to make good, in-plane swings normally takes only a few
sessions a week for a few weeks. (By the way, I’m sorry if explaining my drills
sounds like commercials for the ShotMaker or any other feedback device. I don’t
mean to sound like a salesman. However, I have to tell you what I believe to be
the best ways to learn, and these are the best I know. All of these learning aids
are used in my Scoring Game Schools, so I know that if used properly, they will
help you.)
 Figure 12.5.24: Alternate shots
from 6 inches away to alongside
of the Shanker’s Delight wall

You won’t need the net for long.

12.6 At-the-Course Drills

Of course, you also must go to the course to practice your short game. If you
don’t have a short-game facility at your local course, find one in your area that
don’t have a short-game facility at your local course, find one in your area that
will allow you to chip, pitch, and hit bunker and distance-wedge shots to a pin
on a realistic green surface. Many facilities have opened up in the last few years
with short-game practice areas, but it can still be difficult to find one.
The importance of at-the-course practice should not be underestimated,
even if you have already perfected your finesse-swing mechanics and positions
with at-home practice drill sessions. Because every short-game shot challenges
your ability to execute in two areas, you must learn both if you are to become a
good player. The first component is swing mechanics, which start the moment
you start the backswing, through impact, to the finish. It determines the shot’s
trajectory and spin until the ball lands on the green. Swing-mechanics execution
is the physical motion of your swing, which creates clubhead speed, face angle
at impact, flight pattern, carry distance, trajectory, and the backspin of your shot.
The second component of your shot execution involves how well you
estimate the behavior of the ball on the green as it moves toward its final resting
point. This component depends not only on how you hit the shot, but also how
hard the green surface is, the slope of the landing area, grain of the grass, wind,
and several other factors that result in your choice of which shot to hit. Your
“reading” of the shot comes from your past experience, a learned skill from
hours and hours of practice at the course. To get good at this component, you
first must be able to produce a consistent, repeatable trajectory, then do it many
times so you learn how greens and balls react. If you don’t know how to read
greens and judge the second component of each of your finesse shots, it’s like
making perfect putting strokes just as you intended to make them, but reading
the greens incorrectly: Your results will be spectacularly unsuccessful.
So I recommend first practicing at home to get your finesse-swing
mechanics grooved and proper, then incorporating some at-the-course practice to
learn the second half of all the shots. The course drills I suggest follow.

14. The Lead Arm Only (LAO) Drill. As you prepare to hit balls at the range,
first assume your finesse-swing address position, and put both hands on the club
in your normal grip position. Take your trailing hand (right for right-handed
golfers) off the grip and put it into your pants pocket. Stick it as far into the
pocket as you can and press your right arm against your right side. You are ready
to hit your first shot LAO.
Begin this drill the same way you began your turn in the Synchro-Turn and
Power at-home drills, but making a 9:00 o’clock swing away with the upper and
lower body synchronized. Keep the lead (left) arm and club in front of your body
lower body synchronized. Keep the lead (left) arm and club in front of your body
as you cock your left wrist on the backswing, turn down through the ball, and
turn up into a high finish on your left (lead) side. Finish with 100% of your
weight on the lead foot, using your back foot only as a balance point, turning it
up on the tip of the big toe (Fig. 12.6.1).

Figure 12.6.1: The lead arm only drill

Perform this drill first without a ball, then hit at least 10 to 15 balls LAO.
After a few sessions, you should be able to make a good enough swing to hit a
reasonably good 30-yard shot with your LAO swing. If you can’t swing LAO
with reasonable accuracy, keep doing the drill for the first 15 shots every time
you warm up to hit practice balls. You need to strengthen your left side and
improve the lead arm’s participation in your normal finesse swing, and LAO is
the best way to teach your left arm, shoulder, and body to achieve this move.

15. The Chipping Drill. The low-running chip shot from just off the edge of the
green should be practiced with a 7-or 8-iron, with the ball placed directly across
from your right (back) ankle. This ball position assures crisp, clean contact
between clubface and ball, and leaves your distance control to the length or size
of the swing selected to execute the shot.
By taking only three balls, and repeatedly hitting three shots from 30 feet,
then three shots from 45 feet, followed by three shots from 60 feet (distances to
then three shots from 45 feet, followed by three shots from 60 feet (distances to
the pin), you will become familiar with and reasonably accomplished at these
three distances. They are the most frequently required chip shots on the course,
and most other chips will require only minor modifications from one of these
three.
After practicing these three shots repeatedly during your allotted practice
time, leave enough time to test yourself at the end of each session. For my last
attempt at each of the different shots, I always try to get three in a row inside
three feet, even if it takes several repeat attempts (Fig. 12.6.2). By picking three
new shots to work on for each new practice session, you can experience and be
prepared for all the uphill, sidehill, and downhill shots you will encounter on the
course. And each time you face a chip that counts, you’ll know the last time you
practiced that same shot you hit three in a row close to the pin.

Figure 12.6.2: Close out practice

sessions with three in a row

16. The 15-Yard Pitch Drill. This is the shot you have most often when you
just miss a green with a pretty good shot. It calls for carrying the ball about 10 to
12 yards in the air and having it then roll another few yards to the pin. If you
master it, this shot will save you many strokes over the long run.
Practice with only three balls, changing positions after every three shots.
 Practice with only three balls, changing positions after every three shots.
Each time you pick up the three balls and select a different shot, lay down a
handkerchief as a marker, giving yourself a well-defined landing-area target. By
moving around the practice green, you will experience all kinds of grass lengths,
all kinds of lies, slopes, and slightly differing carry distance requirements. Pay
particular attention to exactly where your ball lands relative to where you tried to
land it (evaluate your shot execution) on every shot. Then watch how far it
moves on the green after it lands and bounces on the surface (evaluate your shot
“read”). Learning how balls react on greens is difficult, because even if you
watch carefully, the green can fool you with some of its unknowable conditions
(variable surface softness, moisture content, etc.). However, if you don’t watch
carefully, learning to predict these reactions is impossible. So pay attention.
Practice with intensity. Always be aware of how closely you pitched to your
target spot on the green (swing-mechanics execution) and then how the ball
reacted compared to how you expected it to react on the green (your read
execution). That’s the only way to learn to pitch it close.
To close out this drill, pick one shot and hit it repeatedly until you stick
three in a row within the length of your wedge shaft (Fig. 12.6.3). It’s a great
confidence builder.
 Figure 12.6.3: Don’t cheat
yourself: Facing reality will
help you later

17. The Lob Drill. The high, soft lob shot is more difficult to execute, but
easier to read, than the normal pitch shot. Because you use a more lofted club,
solid contact at the proper place on the clubface is more important to the carry
distance of the shot. But because the shot flies higher, it will land more softly
and stop more quickly (in general), so there is less uncertainty in how far it will
roll.
As a result of these differences between lobbing and pitching, you should
select different and tighter landing areas for your lob-shot practice and drop your
target handkerchief closer to the pin. Because most of the success in lobbing is
achieved by being able to drop the ball on the proper spot, pay particular
attention to your trajectories and carry distances. Getting comfortable with
lobbing shots over sand traps to tight pin positions (Fig. 12.6.4) will help your
nerves when you face such shots on the course. And, again, three in a row to
close your practice session will help your confidence.
 Figure 12.6.4: Three in a row
and you are ready to go

18. The “Cut-Lob-Right” Drill. I always recommend following each lob-drill

session with about a dozen cut-lob shots. You don’t need this shot too often, but
by practicing and developing the skill necessary to hit it, you gain the confidence
that makes your standard lobs look easy.
By hitting a lob shot with an open-faced lob wedge, you produce the
highest, softest landing shot in the short game, the cut lob. As detailed in
Chapter 6, this shot is nearly the same as the ordinary lob except for the setup
alignment to the left and the open clubface. Learning and grooving this shot
should be accomplished with two drills, similar to my earlier explanation of the
shot. Most golfers try to control all their wedge shots with the hands, and by
doing so lose their ability to hit the shots under pressure. Periodically practice a
few cut-lob-right shots to remind your brain to keep your hand muscles from
taking control.
To hit six cut-lob-right shots, pick a target pin, aim directly at it by setting
up normally (feet, body, and shoulders aligned parallel left to the target line,
stance open slightly by flaring the lead toe toward the target), then open the face
of the lob wedge to the right. Execute your preshot ritual and make your normal
lob wedge swing to the original setup target. With the clubface open through
lob wedge swing to the original setup target. With the clubface open through
impact (as set by address), your shot will miss the target short and to the right. If
you make six really good swings without hand-muscle manipulation, all six
shots will finish in a tight short-right pattern.
Notice how far right and short your open-faced shots missed your original
target pin. Transfer that same distance differential to the other side of your target
flagstick, i.e., to the left and past the pin. This identifies a new setup target to the
left and past your real target pin. Setup parallel left of your long-left setup target,
open the lob wedge face, execute your ritual, and hit six more shots as if you
were trying to hit a square-face wedge shot to your long-left target. If you
choose that target well, and swing without hand control, your cut lobs will go
straight to your real target and form a nice pattern there.
A few sessions of cut-lob-right shots, followed by cut lobs at a real target
with a well-chosen, long-left setup target, will teach you to hit your ultrahigh
and soft cut shots close when you need them on the course. But don’t try to hit
three consecutive shots inside three feet to close this drill: It might take longer
than the time you allotted to practice.

19. The Distance-Wedge Drill. You need to spend a significant amount of

time honing your ability to hit wedges consistent, repeatable distances. If the
range at your course doesn’t have target nets like those we use at our schools,
place some kind of target—a flag, handkerchief, or basket—on an uphill slope so
you can clearly see how close to it each ball lands. Even better, pick a practice
green with a pin and hole, pace off three different distances, and drop three piles
of balls. Then fire away (Fig. 12.6.5).
 Figure 12.6.5: Real greens
provide the ultimate feedback

If you can’t see precisely where the balls land, you aren’t getting accurate
feedback on your distance control and are wasting your time. Remember: Bad
practice is worse than no practice. You must know within one yard how far
every ball is flying. So besides being able to see where shots land, you must
know the precise distance to that spot. Either walk your distances off or use a
laser rangefinder to know your target distances in every practice session. Once
you’ve done this drill a few times, your shot control will improve where you
need it most—on the course—and you’ll face shorter putts as a result.

Why are drills so important? Because learning doesn’t happen only in your
mind. Yes, you must understand the concepts, you must have images and visions
in your mind’s eye of what you’re trying to do. But you also must feel and
connect these with the body’s kinesthetic awareness of what those motions feel
like. Golf is played with a combination of images and feelings. You need to
experience, correlate, and internalize your thoughts and images with the feelings
of notions that produce them, often enough that they become habitual, controlled
completely by your subconscious, during your swings. And that—subconscious
control—is what you learn from drills.
I said at the very beginning of this book that one of my major goals is to
help you become your own best teacher. To help you learn efficiently, you need
to understand the concepts and how to put them into practice, because no one
can be with you at the moment of truth when you must hit an important shot.
When your shots count the most, you must always rely on the training you’ve
provided yourself. If you have practiced enough properly, using consistent
preshot rituals and always with feedback on shot results, you should be able to
create the practice swings that become the preview motions you need, which you
then simply repeat to produce the results you desire.
I understand that these practice drills are not easy. There often will be
perfectly good reasons why you can’t practice. But good excuses are just that—
excuses. Neither the game, the ball, nor the greens on the course care why you
can’t practice. Very simply, if you don’t practice, and practice intelligently, then
you won’t improve.
To provide convenient places to practice optimally, you must find a range,
a practice bunker, and a good target green at a course, as well as a yard or field
near your home. And you must do these drills.
It also will help if you have a video camera with a high shutter speed so
you can occasionally film yourself and review your swing action. It is always
helpful to look at the positions of your golf swing and compare what you see to
what you feel and what is in your mind’s eye. Compare your motion to that of a
great player of similar size and personality whom you see on television or in this
book. Although I don’t want you to copy other golfers, it can be instructive to
see what they do, then analyze yourself on video, trying to see if you are actually
achieving the things you are working for.

12.7 Secret No. 5: The Secret of the Preshot Routine and Ritual
Once again, I want to explain the difference between a preshot routine and a
preshot ritual. The routine a player uses before hitting any shot starts when he or
she arrives at the ball and begins to prepare to hit it. A good routine includes the
following:

1. Assessment of shot conditions

a. lie of ball
b. distance to target
 c. conditions in target landing area
d. wind
e. danger/penalty possibilities
f. risk/reward percentages
2. Imagine the desired shot, visualize the entire shot
a. impact reaction/launch action
b. flight pattern and trajectory
c. landing, bounce, and roll characteristics
d. final resting point (probable spread)
3. Imagine the swing that will produce the desired shot
a. visualize yourself swinging
b. feel the swing in your mind’s eye
4. Practice the desired swing as you imagine it, through grass similar to
what you will encounter in the real shot’s impact zone
5. Feel if the imaginary shot hit by your practice swing seems as if it
will go the desired distance as you hold and focus on feel at the finish of your
practice swing
6. If your practice swing didn’t feel perfect, make another one that is
longer or shorter, until you feel the perfect swing to hit the perfect shot

You are now prepared to hit your shot, and you have prepared yourself by
going through the routine that you always use to lead into your preshot ritual.
Your preshot ritual is separate from, and has to follow immediately after,
your preshot preparation routine for any shot.
As many times as I tell students about the importance of a preshot ritual
(and how it differs from preshot preparation), many of them still ask, “Why do
you emphasize the ritual so much?”
It’s true that the preshot ritual doesn’t have anything to do with the shot
itself. You don’t hit the ball with the ritual, and it slows down practice. It’s also
true that you could hit more shots in a shorter period of time if it were
eliminated. And you’d certainly hit more shots in practice if you “rake and beat”
and never notice where the shot goes. But I hope by now you’ve realized that
practice is not just about hitting balls. It is about getting feedback so you learn
from every shot. Without feedback, practice has no benefit.
Golfers who “rake and beat” don’t learn from their practice. And golfers
who don’t use a preshot ritual don’t form the habits required to carry what
they’ve learned from the practice tee onto the golf course.
The preshot ritual is not about hitting the ball. It is about training your
 The preshot ritual is not about hitting the ball. It is about training your
subconscious to perform at the proper rhythm when you’re scared, when you’re
nervous, when your heart is beating at two or three times its normal rate and the
adrenaline is flowing. A consistent, repeatable, never-changing preshot ritual
before every shot allows you to produce that shot, and its desired result, no
matter what else is happening around and to you.
The ritual is a series of timed motions, and both the order of these motions
and the timing between them must be repeatable, and it must be used in all of
your practice and with all of your shots on course. It’s the “one, two, three, go”
or “ready, set, go” that tells your subconscious that it’s time to go to work, to
execute the same motions you grooved thousands of times on your practice shots
on the range and in your backyard. Your ritual allows your subconscious to
completely control your swing motion. You can’t think your way through a golf
swing. You have to have practiced enough that after your ritual you don’t have
to think, you just swing. Out of habit.

12.8 Secret No. 6: The Secret of the Secrets

Remember: Practice doesn’t make perfect; practice makes permanent. If you
practice poorly, you will become consistently poor—and I say you deserve it!
Just as important, perfect practice makes for good progress and improvement.
Finally, be assured that only with continued, consistent, perfect practice will you
ever approach perfection in your short game.
You should practice until you improve your average shots and eliminate
your really poor ones altogether. Your golf scores are determined not by your
good shots, but by the severity of your bad shots. The more you practice and
improve on your weaknesses, the better a player you will become.
If you read and look carefully at the secret of the ritual, and the other
secrets in this chapter, they will allow you to find the best secret of the game, the
one golfers have been searching for. And what is it? Very simple: Play like
you’ve practiced and practice like you’ll play!
Think about it. If you have practiced with feedback, your subconscious
will know how hard to swing when you play. If you have practiced with a dead-
handed swing, your subconscious can do the same when you play. If you’ve
practiced in a rhythmic manner, your subconscious will be properly prepared to
recognize good rhythm when it is time to play. If you have practiced your drills
properly, your subconscious will have developed the necessary skills for when it
is time to play. And if you have always practiced all this using your preshot
ritual, your subconscious will know when it is time to take over.
ritual, your subconscious will know when it is time to take over.
You must have practiced being great to be great. And you must have
practiced in a way that you can take to the course and play. Then you must
remember to play exactly how you practiced so your subconscious can be great
when you’re playing. The same tempo, the same rhythm, the same swing habits.
No thinking. Just creating previews, then repeating.
To make this all work, you must be smart enough to practice the way you
want to play. Decide how you’re going to play in the most important moments,
on the most important holes, when making the most important swings of your
career. Then begin practicing just that way.
If you have the discipline and patience to practice like you want to play,
then you can, in fact, play to your full potential under all the pressure that the
game has to offer.
Chapter 13
The Future
The Composite Player
13.1 A Scoring Machine

I have created three composite players, combining my choices of the world’s

best in six shot categories. I’ve taken enough data on most of these guys, so I
know something about their games.
Here they are by shot categories (or games):

1. Driving and fairway woods (power game): Greg Norman, Tiger

Woods, Colin Montgomerie
2. Shots of longer than 100 yards to the green (power game): Steve
Elkington, Ben Hogan, Moe Norman
3. Wedge shots inside 100 yards (short game): Tom Kite, Tom Watson,
David Duval
4. Trouble shots (from sand, bad lies, trees, high rough): Seve
Ballesteros, Phil Mickelson, Jose Maria Olazabal
5. Chipping (short game): Paul Azinger, Raymond Floyd, Payne
Stewart
6. Putting (putting game): Ben Crenshaw, Lee Janzen, George Archer

Don’t make too much of these choices. They don’t mean that Loren
Roberts, Dave Stockton, Justin Leonard, and Brad Faxon can’t putt, or that
Davis Love III is not a great driver, or that Peter Jacobsen and Ernie Els can’t
get out of a bunker. Of course they can (in fact, they are right at the top in those
categories). But I chose the players I did because I have more data or personal
knowledge of some part of their games.
Why are composite players important to you and the game of golf?
Because they provide a realistic view of how well each part of the game can be
played, what can be accomplished in each area, and a glimpse of what future
played, what can be accomplished in each area, and a glimpse of what future
players might be able to achieve.
For example, imagine if you could assemble the six first choices in each
category into a composite player, enter “him” in a tournament, and watch him
play the course. Norman drives magnificently off all the par-4 and par-5 holes,
and hits incredible fairway woods to the long par 5s. Elkington stripes the full-
swing irons to the greens, including the par-3 holes, leaving most of them close
to the hole, while Kite nestles all the wedge shots dead to the pins. Azinger
almost chips in on the hole where Elk left his 4-iron shot in the fringe, while
Ballesteros lips out his bunker shot for eagle on the longest par 5 and leaves a 2-
inch putt for birdie. To top it off, Crenshaw rolls every putt so beautifully that
you think they’re all going in! What a group. What a player. What a scoring
machine!

Three Composite Players … Three Scoring Machines

Shot
Game #1 #2 #3
Category

Driving,
POWER Colin
Fairway Greg Norman Tiger Woods
GAME Montgomerie
Woods
Shots to
Green POWER Steve
Ben Hogan Moe Norman
from Outside GAME Elkington
100 Yards
Wedge Shots
SHORT
from inside Tom Kite Tom Watson David Duval
GAME
100 Yards
SHORT Seve Phil Jose Maria
Trouble Shots
GAME Ballesteros Mickelson Olazabal
SHORT Payne
Chipping Paul Azinger Ray Floyd
GAME Stewart
PUTTING Ben George
Putting Lee Janzen
GAME Crenshaw Archer

Table 13.1.1: My three composite players

That’s what my composite player is all about: scoring. By my calculations,

which are nonemotional evaluations of individual players’ skills in the various
games of golf (based on shots they’ve hit in competition), any one of these three
games of golf (based on shots they’ve hit in competition), any one of these three
composite players would win every tournament on the current PGA Tour.
Does that sound bizarre? How could any one player, even a composite
player, win every tournament? The computer calculations say it’s true, and if
you think about it, it actually makes sense. Imagine on every hole in one of your
club events that you had the best driver in the field teeing off, the best iron
player hitting all your iron shots, the best wedge player hitting your wedges,
followed by the best putter rolling it for you. How could you not win? If no one
else in the tournament could consistently hit shots as well as your designated
player in each category over 18 holes, the composite would have to win. This is
what my three composite players could achieve, and it gives us all a glimpse, in
our imaginations, of what may be possible in the future.

13.2 The Awesome Talents

Notice, I didn’t have to select a different individual for every iron or wood shot.
My data shows that when players excel, they excel through entire shot
categories, throughout the games of golf. That means when they are good at
something, they are really good at it; even on the days when they’re not at their
best, they’re still pretty good.
I find it interesting that not every golfer making up my composite players
are of the “awesome,” “world-beater,” or “Incredible Hulk” variety. Although
the power-game selections tend to be very good athletes (the full swing requires
athletic talent), the rest of the players have few attributes that would single them
out as especially gifted. This validates my belief that short-game expertise is a
learned, rather than a “God-given” talent. If hand-eye coordination and talent
were the main ingredient, Seve Ballesteros would be more than a short-game
magician: He would also be a great driver of the ball, a great iron player, and a
great putter. Although he has his moments, he is far from the best in the power
or putting game.
Mac O’Grady is another talent who can hit the ball incredibly well. But his
short game and putting often let him down, and keep him from competing with
the composite players in scoring ability. Then there’s Moe Norman, probably the
most consistent, most repeatable ball-striker who ever lived. But he doesn’t chip
and putt anywhere near that same exalted level.
Why can’t one golfer do it all? Why can’t Tiger Woods—who seems to be
many people’s choice to be the next truly great player—wedge and putt as well
as he strikes the ball? He has all the physical talent anyone would ever need, and
he can hit every conceivable shot in the book. But his putting is generally weak,
he can hit every conceivable shot in the book. But his putting is generally weak,
even though he works at it very hard, and his wedge game is not even close to
that of Duval, Watson, or Kite.
I think he can learn it all, if … if he knew what he needed to learn, and
how to learn it.
But I believe neither Tiger nor anyone else has learned to be great in all of
golf’s games, probably because they don’t realize that there are different games
to be learned.

13.3 Future Greatness

When you take young golfers who are reasonably athletically talented, put them
into an environment where they can totally focus, and simultaneously teach them
the fundamentals of all five games of golf, you will begin to develop composite-
like skills in individual players. I emphasize all five games so you understand
that I’m not only a short-game proponent, I’m a reality proponent. You can’t
leave out the short game, the putting game, or the management game, all of
which have been left out of golf instruction far too often, and expect to come up
with the best. And you can’t leave out the power or mental games, either. The
greatest golfer will have to have them all.
Is this really possible? Why not?
Don’t tell me Tiger can’t learn to putt. Or that Crenshaw can’t learn to
drive the ball into the fairway. Or that Greg Norman can’t manage his game. Of
course they can. They already do it sometimes, and extremely well. I think they
could do it all, given the proper training. Just the way Crenshaw putts, Greg
drives, and Jack Nicklaus manages his game. They can learn to do it all well, all
the time.
Maybe you can learn the skills required to become the composite player,
the greatest, most dominant player to ever play the game. Despite what you
might think, Jack Nicklaus never did it. He couldn’t compete with any of my
composite players or even a composite player of his time. But don’t sell Jack
short. He came the closest anybody ever has—so far. For a long time, he had the
Tour believing he was the one to beat, and he had himself believing it, too. (He
believed even back when I played against him in college.)
You’ll never convince me that, perhaps someday soon, there won’t be a
true composite player. I’ve seen too much progress in this direction. I’ve seen
too many golfers, thought to be weak in certain parts of the game, turn those
parts around and become experts at them. I know composite skills are possible in
one person, and expect to see someone in my lifetime exhibit them all. I know in
one person, and expect to see someone in my lifetime exhibit them all. I know in
my heart that when a player learns all five games, optimizing each unto and of
itself, and puts them all together, he or she will eclipse the feats of all who have
played before.

A Review of Fundamentals
13.4 Finesse-Swing Mechanics

Whether or not you can become a composite player is not really important. What
you’re interested in is improving your current skill level, soon, in the time you
have available to work on it. And that is exactly what you should work on. So
remember this: If you can improve the swing mechanics of your short game,
then many other improvements become not only possible but relatively easy to
achieve. However, if you have bad short-game mechanics, and don’t improve
them, improvement will come slowly and painfully, if at all.
Finesse-swing mechanics provide a base for your short game, upon which
you can build the ability to execute the scoring shots. Develop good mechanics,
then practice them often enough to internalize them and commit them to
subconscious control. The ideal is to be able to forget about the swing
mechanics, yet still have good mechanics when you swing. Good players make
good swings out of habit.
Before working on your scoring ability, review the short-game system
presented in this book, which is summarized below. Be sure you understand it
all, both the fundamentals of finesse-swing mechanics and the short-game
principles. The more clearly your mind’s eye sees and understands what you are
trying to learn, the more efficiently you can internalize it. Read through the
review carefully, and if anything doesn’t make sense, go back to the earlier
chapters and read the details until it does.

Alignment: If you can’t aim your club and body properly, you can’t learn a good
finesse swing. If you can’t set up to a ball with your shoulders and body aligned
parallel left of your target, you have little chance of hitting to it consistently. The
finesse swing requires swinging the club along a natural arc, without hand
control, so your clubhead moves parallel to your shoulder line, and at the target,
through impact. If you set up perfectly, your body instinctively wants to make a
good finesse swing. But set up too far right or left, and your instincts will never
let you groove a good swing. Your subconscious will always know that poor aim
sends the ball to the wrong place and will try to compensate.

Ball Position: Where your ball is positioned in your stance is critical. If the ball
is too far forward, you can’t make solid contact without maneuvering the club
from its natural swing arc. To maneuver the club, you have to use your muscles,
which will cause you trouble (the adrenaline effect) under pressure. If you are
nervous, or unsure of your ball position, move it back in your stance a little,
because there is more margin for error being too far back than forward.

Figure 13.4.1: Perfect ball position (good lies) for the chip, pitch, and sand
shots

Ball Position: One More Time

Even though I’ve said this before, it bears repeating. Ball

position is crucial to a successful finesse game.
Perfect finesse swings produce perfect shots only if
the ball is in the proper place. This means to allow yourself to
learn good swings, you must carefully position your ball
properly during your finesse-swing practice sessions.
Please never forget that appearances can be deceiving
when it comes to ball position. When golfers look down, their
shoes dominate their visual landscape. This generally results
 shoes dominate their visual landscape. This generally results
in ball placement that looks centered, but is actually well
forward of their true stance center. Always, always be aware
that your stance center is midway between your ankles and is
not related to your toes.
Another confusing aspect of proper ball position is
what sometimes appears on television. Because the position
of the camera lens can move the “apparent” position of the
ball by several inches, you must never pay attention to where
the ball “appears” to be in a player’s stance on TV.
Remember, in any photograph or on any TV screen,
where the ball appears to be depends on the camera’s angle of
view. If you don’t know exactly where the camera is, you
can’t tell where the player’s ball is positioned.
The following rules of ball position apply for normal,
good lies:

SAND GRASS FRINGE

Distance Wedge and Pitch Low-Running

Scoot-and-Spin
Shot Chip

Ball on line with inside

Ball on line Ball on line with
edge (instep) of lead-foot
centered between ankles back ankle
heel

Figure 13.4.2: Correct ball position is fundamental to a good short game

Shorter Backswing: The backswing should be shorter than the follow-through to

create stability (sequence in Fig. 13.4.3). Notice I didn’t say the backswing must
be short, just shorter than the through-swing.
 Figure 13.4.3: Short-to-long swings are stable

Left-Arm Radius: Keep your left arm extended throughout the finesse swing,
until your arms fold at the finish. A constant swing radius (sequence in Fig.
13.4.4) produces solid, repeatable contact. Phil Mickelson is the best model to
watch for this (maybe that is part of why he is so good with his wedges).
Changing the radius during the swing leads to inconsistent clubhead position
through impact.

Figure 13.4.4: Phil Mickelson demonstrates the 7:30 finesse swing

Synchronized Turn: Your arms, shoulders, chest, hips, and lower body should
stay together, turning in a synchronized motion, throughout the finesse swing
(Fig. 13.4.5). Nothing should ever lead, trail, or separate, as in the power-swing
coil, which produces too much power. While there are many ways to be “off” in
the timing of your power swing (days when all your shots go wrong), there is
only one “together” in the synchronized finesse swing. With a little practice you
can see and feel together, and you can easily judge when you are out of sync.
Then just make a few practice swings, even out on the course, until you are
together again. And your short game will be right back on track again.

Finesse-Swing Positions, Back and Through

FINESSE-SWING POSITIONS

Swing Backswing Through-Swing

Description Turn Turn

Chip #1 #2
7:30 #2 #5
9:00 #3 #5
10:30 #4 #5

Table 13.4.1: The finesse-swing, back and through

Figure 13.4.5: The synchronized finesse turn

Wrist Cock: The wrist cock is a cocking-up motion (Fig. 13.4.6), which should
occur to some extent in every short-game shot (except chipping and the “super
soft” shot). It is not a wrist hinge, collapse, load, flip, or breakdown. Properly
cocked wrists uncock naturally on the down and through swing, and produce
crisp, on-target finesse shots. (Exceptions where hinging is allowed are the
“cock-and-pop” shot and the sand or cut-lob shots, to help produce extra spin or
height.)

Figure 13.4.6: The proper wrist

cock

Finesse Grip: This is a fairly weak grip, with both “Vs” formed by the thumb
and forefinger pointing approximately to your nose (Fig. 13.4.7). This grip
positions the hands neutral (or parallel) to the clubface, and minimizes forearm
and clubface rotation through impact. This grip also minimizes the power
produced by the hands and forearms, while maximizing consistency and
accuracy. You can’t build a successful finesse game with an overly strong grip
(the Vs pointing out past, to the right of, your right shoulder). A strong grip, with
your hands more under or behind the club, produces too much power, harming
finesse, touch, consistency, and control (one reason many great ball-strikers have
poor finesse games).
 Figure 13.4.7: The finesse grip

Finesse-Swing Plane: Your perfect swing plane is like a sheet of glass that
passes from the ball up through your shoulder sockets at address, and extends
past the top of your backswing (Fig. 13.4.8). Because you stand close to the ball
when holding the shorter, more upright wedges, this swing plane also is very
upright. If the clubhead stays “on-plane” throughout the finesse swing, the result
will be a high, full finish and high, soft shots. Your right hand should almost
touch your left ear as you finish distance-wedge swings.
 Figure 13.4.8: The finesse-swing
plane

13.5 Essential Short-Game Principles

If you now have an understanding of what the finesse swing should look like,
you are ready to internalize it and make it your own. To do this properly, and
develop your scoring ability, incorporate the basic principles listed below as you
groove your swing mechanics. These principles are enormously important to
your short game, but are not often taught, because you can’t see, touch, or feel
them. They are concepts that will help build your swing mechanics when you
practice in your backyard or on the range, and keep them with you when you
play on the course.
They will help you avoid bad habits and eliminate future problems.
 They will help you avoid bad habits and eliminate future problems.

1. The short game is its own game within golf. The finesse swing is different
from the power swing in that it has no coil of the upper body against the lower,
and the lower body does not lead through impact. While the intent of the power
game is to hit each club as far as possible within the bounds of reasonable
accuracy, the intent of the short game is to execute finesse swings that fly shots
as short as possible, for whatever size swing you have made. (For example, if
you choose a horizontal-shaft backswing to vertical-shaft follow-through, as in
Fig. 13.5.1, the shot you hit with that swing should fly only 15 yards, not 18, 20,
25, or 30 yards.)

Figure 13.5.1: Horizontal to vertical: the 15-yard pitch

2. Stability is to the wedge game as aim is to putting. Without stability, your

short game will never be very good. If the head of your wedge is unstable at
impact, your mistakes will be magnified.

3. Nonmuscular control of distance is essential to performance under

pressure. To avoid the adverse effects of an increased heart rate and adrenaline,
you must develop a dead-hands (no-muscle) swing, which is “timed” to control
distance.

4. The rhythm of your finesse swing must be constant—shot to shot, hole to

hole, day to day, year to year. With a constant rhythm, distance can be
controlled by the length of your backswing. You can see and feel your rhythm,
and evaluate it during your practice swings, no matter how excited or scared you
are.
5. Time your wedge swings. By making 7:30, 9:00 o’clock, and 10:30
backswings, you can learn to control distance to within one yard. Standardizing
three wedge swings (Fig. 13.5.2) at the same rhythm gives you three known,
reliable distances from every wedge in your bag.

Figure 13.5.2: Three backswing times produce three consistent distances with every
wedge

6. Add two wedges. After grooving three finesse-wedge swings, add two
wedges and remove two longer irons from your bag. Your scoring game will
gain more accuracy, your long game won’t be measurably affected, and you can
learn to be deadly on those shots around the greens with your 12 swings inside
100 yards (Fig. 13.5.3).
 3 Swing Times 4 Wedges

Figure 13.5.3: The Pelz 3 × 4 System

7. Use a preshot ritual. Think about how you’d waggle before hitting the
most important shot of your life, and establish that preshot ritual for all your
future play on-course and in practice (even in your backyard). This ritual must
be repeatable, less than eight seconds long, and contain enough motion to make
you comfortable when scared. Practice it religiously so your subconscious takes
over under pressure.

8. Hold your finish until your shot has stopped, so you learn the correlation
between the move you made (and still feel) and the shot that resulted (Fig.
13.5.4). Learning this relationship is what practice is for, so make good use of it.
Don’t waste your practice time, because you’ll never have that same time again.
Remember, this is not a rehearsal.
 Figure 13.5.4: Hold your finish,
watch, feel, internalize

9. Accurate feedback. When you practice, be sure to receive feedback

accurate to within two yards, one if possible. If you don’t know within two yards
how far your wedge shots are flying, you’re wasting your time. One-yard
accuracy is better, and inches would be perfect. If you can’t see and feel your
result within eight seconds and two yards, go take a nap on the couch.

10. Remember the “Golden Rule”: He who rules the short game wins the
gold. And focus your short-game shots on the “Golden Eight” feet, between two
and 10 feet around the flagstick. Remind yourself on the course and in practice
that the scoring question in golf is whether you make or miss your next putt
(Chart 13.5.1).
 Chart 13.5.1: The conversion curve
causes the “Golden Eight” to create
the “Golden Rule”

11. Play like you practice. This is the best secret of the game. And the only
way to do that is to be smart enough to practice like you are going to play. It’s
slower, it takes more effort, and you have to be more careful, but it works.
When you get frustrated and discouraged (and you will), ask yourself this
question: “Do I have the patience to practice smart enough to improve?” An
honest answer is your key to whether you should practice or not and to your
success.

13.6 Don’t Forget Your Secrets

If your motivation to improve is strong and you understand the message of this
book, then you know how much improvement is possible. However, I have to
warn you to avoid the mistake I sometimes see after my Scoring Game Schools.
Students, a mile high after seeing and feeling the tremendous improvement in
their games, rush off to practice and improve some more.
They do fairly well at first, because what they are working on is fresh in
 They do fairly well at first, because what they are working on is fresh in
their minds, and they are well focused on what they need to work on. But over
time, two things change: (1) As they improve, they need to work on different
things; and (2) they get more careless in their practice habits. Both changes
lessen their improvement rate, and can dampen enthusiasm.
Don’t let this to happen to you. Don’t practice the wrong way or the wrong
things. Remember, bad practice will make you worse!
My advice (and this is not a sales pitch) is to come to a three-day Dave
Pelz Scoring Game School: I know that sounds self-serving, but it’s true;
nothing else is as good for improving your ability to score. If you can’t make
that commitment, the next-best thing is to attend a one-day Dave Pelz Scoring
Game Clinic (which travels around the country to towns near you). All my
schools and clinics are taught by our Scoring Game Teaching Professionals, who
are thoroughly trained in the ways of this book. Their teaching is focused on the
Scoring Game, and they are the best instructors you can find anywhere.
If a clinic is still more than you can manage, take some short-game lessons
from your local golf professional. And if none of these is on your schedule, read
this book carefully, taking notes on what and how you are going to practice. The
worst thing you can do is go to the practice tee and simply start hitting wedges.
There’s too much to remember, and you’ll probably make mistakes if you
haven’t plotted a course of practice from this book. Here are some of the key
ideas for successful practice.

• If you don’t form habits of “intelligent practice,” you’ll waste a lot of

time. Intelligent practice demands feedback, so you must receive immediate,
reliable knowledge of the results before you lose the feel of each swing that
caused them.
• Use visible yardage markers, so you know how far each shot flew,
and use an aim club: Never hit shots when improperly aimed or you are unaware
of the precise distance to the target.
• Don’t “rake and beat.” If you look away from your shot before it
stops, you are throwing away the feedback and swing correlations. If you’re not
going to take the time to watch your shots, you might as well practice in the
dark.
• Don’t simply watch a shot’s direction. Note its trajectory, too. If you
don’t know how high shots are going to fly, you won’t be able to predict how
they will behave when they land.
 • Tailor practice time to your personality and your game. If you’re
impatient, don’t schedule long practice sessions. No matter how good a player
you are, regularly evaluate the amount of time you spend on each part of the
game. Devote about one-third of your time each to the short game, putting game,
and power game—in that order. Always practice your short game first, so if you
run out of time, it’s the power-game practice that gets dropped.
• When practicing the short game, work on your worst shot first. It’s
your weaknesses that determine your score. (If you don’t know your
weaknesses, take the tests in Chapter 11.) Before every round, practice 12-to 15-
yard pitch shots, chipping, and a few distance wedges (with feedback). At least
once a month, schedule a session for the sand and other fun shots such as
backhand, left-hand, hardpan lies, and whatever other bizarre situations you can
devise.
• Keep your hand muscles out of your normal finesse swings; they’ll
fail you under pressure.
• I can’t overemphasize the value of proper repetition: Just because you
can hit a shot doesn’t mean it’s committed to memory and will be there when the
pressure is up. Practice, practice, and practice some more until it will be there
whenever you need it.
• Include your preshot ritual in every practice shot so your finesse
swing becomes a subconscious response to the ritual.
• Forget trying to be perfect in practice. Of course, you want to hit
perfect shots, but it is far more important to learn to make consistent finesse
swings.
• Finally, remember that bad practice is worse than no practice. I would
rather see you relaxed, stretched out on the couch, than see you practice poorly.
At least on the couch you won’t be hurting your game.

Learning Aids Help

13.7 Don’t Try It Alone

Every day, from every bit of research I do, I’m reminded that it is impossible to
learn anything without feedback. One of the best ways to get feedback when
learning in golf is to use learning aids.
The best aids I know help you feel the proper motion you are trying to
make as you make it. They don’t force you to make it, nor do they make it for
you. They identify your good swings as well as your had, and provide feedback
you. They identify your good swings as well as your had, and provide feedback
on the feel of the differences. Since the USGA wisely banned the use of such
aids while actually playing, you must learn to play on your own, guided by your
body. We play by feel, so you must learn the proper feel well enough that it stays
with you on the course.
One of the best learning aids is an expert short-game instructor, standing
by your side, watching, talking to you before and after swings, and helping you
feel positions and reactions. Even better is a knowledgeable instructor using a
learning aid that helps you be aware of those feelings on every swing over time.
That is what we try to do in our Scoring Game Schools and Clinics. But the
schools last only three days, the clinics only one, and then you’re on your own.
However, you can continue to get expert help after you leave, if you use learning
aids.

13.8 At the Course or Range

Yes, learning aids make practice more cumbersome, slower, and require more
mental focus, energy, and patience on your part. But if the point of practice is to
improve, then why beat a bunch of balls and learn nothing that will stand up for
you later? You have to want to practice properly and maximize your
improvement.
Possibly the best learning aid of all is the aim club. It costs you nothing,
takes only a few seconds to set up, and helps ingrain the look and feel of proper
alignment. It also helps you learn a good dead-hands swing, since bad alignment
encourages compensating moves. Yet most golfers don’t use an aim club in
practice. Well, here’s a strong statement: If you are too lazy, careless, or have
some other reason not to use an aim club when you practice, then throw this
book away and forget you ever read it! You have no chance of learning what I’m
trying to tell you if you can’t see the value of the aim club.
Another great learning aid is a practice green that will hold wedge shots at
least close to the way normal greens do. A green as learning aid? Absolutely. It
helps you learn by providing reliable feedback on the quality of both your swing
execution and shot read. If it’s nothing more than cement painted green, don’t
bother—it can’t help you. But a real or artificial-grass green (yes, they do exist)
in your backyard that will hold pitches and wedge shots is priceless.
Always be sure you know the exact distance to your landing target. I
recommend a rangefinder like the Bushnell Yardage Pro (it doesn’t require
special reflectors). “Shoot” the distance to every target you hit to, or walk it off.
Don’t waste time hitting wedges to targets at unknown distances. (I also suggest
using the rangefinder during your casual and practice rounds.)
Use an aim club when practicing chipping, too. Then attach the ChipStick
to the club you’re chipping with and practice that way (Fig. 13.8.1). Hold your
finish until each shot stops. Once aimed properly, check that the ball is back in
your stance, and don’t let your wrists break down on your follow-through (the
ChipStick should never hit your body on the follow-through).

Figure 13.8.1: When you can chip well with a ChipStick,

you can chip well without one

Once your short-game practice session at the range—10 to 15 minutes

each with the distance wedges, pitches, and chipping—is over, you can head
home and improve some more with a session in your backyard.

13.9 Away from the Course

A number of learning aids are perfect for use in your yard, garage, rec room, or
office. Practice wherever you can. I find that home short-game practice is
surprisingly effective because there’s less focus on results (where the ball goes)
than in on-course practice. You tend to pay more attention to your swing
motions, which means more internalization of the feelings that go with them.
A good exercise to help wedge and bunker play, and one you can do
anywhere, is the WristTwist (Fig. 13.9.1). Twisting for three minutes a day, five
days a week, strengthens the last three fingers of each hand, both wrists, and
days a week, strengthens the last three fingers of each hand, both wrists, and
your forearms, making them strong enough to resist breakdown during the
swing. This is especially important to seniors and women who have lost some of
the muscle tone needed for good wedge play. Your wrists and last three fingers
need to be strong enough to hold on to and swing your wedges without hinging
or breakdown, and feeling as if you are stressing (at the limit of) the strength of
your hands. Remember, you must always think “dead hands.”

Figure 13.9.1: The WristTwist

strengthens hands, wrists, and
forearms

Two more learning aids that can be used at home are the PositionMat (Fig.
13.9.2) and the medicine ball (Fig. 13.9.3). The PositionMat positions the ball in
your stance for chips, pitches, and sand shots from good lies. Hitting a few
Wiffle ball shots in the den each night off a PositionMat can do wonders for
making correct ball position feel comfortable.
 Figure 13.9.2: The
PositionMat

Figure 13.9.3: The medicine ball toss (watch your back)

For help keeping the upper and lower body synchronized, tossing a
medicine ball around will give you the feeling of a synchronized finesse swing.
(Don’t use the medicine ball if you have a weak or bad back.)
The ShotMaker is an extremely effective learning aid for use indoors and
 The ShotMaker is an extremely effective learning aid for use indoors and
out. Its artificial-grass hitting surface can be aimed and tilted into different
positions, making it a great way to learn how to handle uphill, downhill, and
sidehill lies (Fig. 13.9.4). Among the available attachments are the Shanker’s
Delight, for correcting that most upsetting of shots; the SwingSlot, to address
any swing-plane problems you might have; the KneeSlider, which stops the left
knee from moving past the outside of the left foot; and the SwingStop, to help
you internalize the feel of timing your 7:30 and 9:00 o’clock backswings.
There’s even a collection of attachments that duplicate sand play-the
BunkerBoard and BunkerTray.

Figure 13.9.4: The ShotMaker set for uneven-lie practice

No matter which learning aids you use (for information on sources for
these learning aids, see page 437 at the end of the book), or what part of your
game you work on, it’s important to maintain good practice habits when working
at home. Just as you do on the range and on the course, always use your preshot
ritual, dead-hands finesse swing, synchronized turn, and hold your finish while
you watch your results!

Set Realistic Goals

13.10 The Golfer’s Achilles’ Heel

I’m often asked to identify the worst problem golfers have in the short game and
I’m often asked to identify the worst problem golfers have in the short game and
putting. A few years ago, I would answer with an explanation of the intricacies
of forearm rotation in putting, of ball position in the pitch shot, or any one of
many common mistakes we regularly see in our schools. However, as I gain
more experience with what I call the overview of golf, I have come to believe
the primary problem golfers face on their road to improvement is impatience.
What makes impatience the great killer of learning? Too many golfers
want instant gratification (to see perfect shots immediately), and when they don’t
get it, they think they’re not improving. If it doesn’t work in the first three
swings, they give up, try something else, look for a different secret. We are
confronted with the “instant gratification syndrome” in our schools every single
day.
Some golfers believe that once they learn how to do something, they
should be able to repeat it correctly from that point on. Practice? Why practice?
They already think they know how to do it. In fact, they just proved that: Didn’t
you see that last shot?
They have no understanding that it takes tens of thousands of good
repetitions to ingrain a habit in long-term muscle memory. Even the most gifted
athletes need thousands of practice shots to get good. Yet weekend golfers,
intelligent and successful in their workday worlds, expect to own a good swing
right away.
So they learn how to hit a shot, hit one good one, and assume they’ve got
it. Three weeks later, when they hit a bad shot, they assume there must be
something wrong with the technique or the theory behind it. They’re willing to
drop it, start over again, recycle all that hard-earned muscle memory, and forget
what they learned.
Believe me, instant gratification does not work in golf. If you have a
problem in your swing and I tell you how to fix it, expect your next few shots
(and it could be dozens or more) to be worse, not better, than before. Your mind
already developed subconscious compensations to correct every swing flaw, and
those compensations don’t leave after your first new swing. They took time to
develop, and they will take time to go away.
If you want to become a better golfer, begin by saying to yourself, and to
anyone who is going to work with you, “I am willing to get worse before I get
better.” Like it or not, that’s how golf works. If you truly want to improve, you
must be willing to suck it up and keep swinging the right way even though
you’re hitting bad-looking shots. Nobody ever said golf was easy.
13.11 Work Hard and Smart

Hard work alone is not enough to make you a good golfer. It doesn’t matter how
many practice shots you hit, how much your hands bleed, or how much
frustration you can tolerate. If you are practicing the wrong thing the right way,
or the right thing the wrong way, you’re not going to “get it.” The more you
practice a shot poorly, the more consistently and permanently poor you become.
This doesn’t mean you can improve without hard work. Just understand that hard
work is a “necessary-but-not-sufficient” component of improvement.
A golfer with the chip yips worked hard to develop them. If you asked if
he meant to do that, of course he would say no. But he did. By practicing his
chipping hard but poorly (say, grooving a bad move with the ball in a bad
position), he convinced his subconscious that he was a bad chipper. And that’s
all it takes, knowing you are going to perform poorly. Poor practice ingrains
poor habits. (That’s why I say bad practice is worse than no practice.)
But when you practice smart and carefully, you will improve.

13.12 Keep the Trees and the Forest in View

I tend to get wrapped up in my players’ short games and swing problems when I
work with them in schools or one-on-one. Whether the student is a Tour pro or a
beginner, I assume he or she wants to become the world’s best player, so I want
to help them achieve that goal. However, sometimes when I’m beating on them
to do what it takes to be better, I realize I need to stand back, take a deep breath,
and listen to the breeze in the Aspen trees. Or lean back in my chair in front of
the video monitor and listen to some background music.
I try to remember that real improvement takes time. No one goes straight
from crawling to running, and no one jumps from awful to great in golf. Chart
13.12.1 shows my estimate of the spectrum of golfers, as projected from the skill
levels of those I have measured. Where your game falls on that spectrum
determines where you go next in your personal improvement program. And you
definitely can get better. We all can improve. I’ve worked with a number of the
world’s best players, and they all still have marked room for improvement.
 -4 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56
Handicap

Chart 13.12.1: The spectrum of golfer skills

Despite all the detail I’ve gone through in this book, the short game really
is physically fairly simple to execute: The mechanics of the finesse swing don’t
require inordinate physical prowess and you don’t have to be a genius to
understand them. The key ingredient—practice with good feedback—is
accessible to us all. So you can move your skills up the chart; believe me, it’s
been done many times by golfers with less talent than you have. That’s the good
news.
The bad news is that as you improve, there are several levels you must
pass through before you reach the top. And there are many things anxious to get
in your way: bad advice from different sources, the instinctive human desire for
instant gratification, the counterintuitive nature of the game, the lifestyle and
lack of good practice facilities of most golfers, and the tendency for newly
improved swings to hit worse shots before they hit better ones. Allowing any of
these to lead you down a road of poor practice will groove poor performance
habits and inhibit your progress.
You must keep some perspective. Give your program a chance to succeed
by providing enough time, and feedback, to see results. Gradual improvement is
as good as it gets in golf, so make that your goal. If you see that you’re making
progress, it’s easy to keep a great attitude and stay with the program. However,
progress, it’s easy to keep a great attitude and stay with the program. However,
if you expect perfection right away, you are doomed to disappointment.

The Challenge
13.13 Keep Your Priorities Straight

You can get yourself the information you need to improve your short game. You
may have to read a few chapters of this book over a few times, or come to a
school, or whatever. But you can do it. One of the great benefits of
understanding the finesse swing is the simplicity it instills for what is actually
involved. The realization of exactly what you have to learn makes learning it so
much easier than before.
You must always keep the realities of the game somewhere in the back of
your mind when you make your decisions in golf. The penalties for bad shots are
a lot more certain than the rewards for good shots. When you knock your ball
out-of-bounds, you add two strokes every time. In the water, at least one stroke.
In a sand bunker, about half a stroke, at least. Leave a chip shot 25 feet from the
pin, add almost one stroke.
Your good shots do have rewards, but not so clearly, or so often. Hit your
shot to within two feet, you save one stroke, for sure. But after that, it’s maybe,
maybe not for saving strokes. At six feet, you save one-half stroke at best. At 10
feet, you’re down to a small fraction of a shot. After that, maybe nothing.
During practice, remember it is your bad shots that determine your score.
Practice your weaknesses, while spending only routine maintenance time on the
strengths of your game. Try to hit 10, then 15, then 20 shots in a row, without a
really bad one. Only after you eliminate your bad shots are you ready to focus on
making your good shots better.
If you don’t know enough about your game to identify your weaknesses,
take the short-game handicap tests detailed in Chapter 11. Then adopt a system
of periodic practice drills, laced with feedback, aimed at improving those
weaknesses. Identify what they are, and attack them. And take no prisoners. Try
to make your former weaknesses the strength of your game. Practice at the
course or in your backyard, but always practice with feedback. Have a goal to
your practice, of learning or improving something. Don’t beat balls, and learn
from your bad shots (what not to do again) as well as your good shots. Hold your
finish and watch the beauty (there is something beautiful about a soft, high shot
landing where you aimed it, bouncing once and checking, then releasing to the
pin). And don’t ever, ever, ever let me see you practicing without an aim club!
You must also remember that you can’t afford to focus on only one game,
you’ve got to look after all five of your games in golf. If you can’t drive the ball
into play, no matter how sharp your short game is, you can’t score. If you can’t
hit your irons somewhere near the greens, you can’t score, either. And if your
mental game isn’t strong enough, the game will sooner or later throw enough
bad breaks at you to tear you down. In golf you’ve got to try to cover all the
bases, just like in life. It’s the best microcosm of life I know. That’s why we all
love this game so much.

13.14 Understanding Comes First

I hope my Short Game Bible has helped you understand more about your short
game, and has given you the information, and encouragement, necessary to
improve your ability to shoot better scores. I have spent many hours, days, and
years compiling this data, trying to understand this great game better. I hope I
have presented the information in a way that can help you. I’m not conceited
enough to think this book contains everything you will ever need to know, or
that I know it all. But I hope you can learn from this book, and find in it what
you need to score better and enjoy the game a little more. I sincerely believe that
the better you understand the game, the simpler it will be to improve your ability
to play it.
Still, there is a lot of information here, so if it seems too much at first, take
what you want and don’t worry about the rest. If you improve just one shot in
your short-game repertoire, the results will show up in your score. And if that’s
enough to make you happy, I’ll be happy, too. Then if you want more, it will be
here for you. In the meantime, I’ll be out taking more measurements, compiling
more data, and trying to learn how to teach golf so it will be even easier to play
and enjoy in the years to come.
Reading this book won’t make you a better short-game player. But
understanding this book, then doing something about it (like practicing properly)
will! Once you understand both what you are trying to learn and how you are
going to learn it, the actual learning becomes fun.
Better scoring is out there for you if you want it. But you have to go get it.
You have to earn it. And in the words of the greatest mind in golf, Yoda, “Try
not. Do, or do not. There is no try.”
Good scoring to you!
Good scoring to you!
Resources
Postal Addresses, Telephone Numbers,
Fax Numbers, Internet Web Site Addresses
Pelz Golf Institute 1310 RR 620 South
Suite B-1
Austin, TX 78734
Phone: (512) 263-7668
Fax: (512) 263-8217
Web site: www.pelzgolf.com
The Pelz Report (newsletter of the Pelz Golf Institute) “An entertaining and scientific look at golf”
1310 RR 620 South
Suite A-17
Austin, TX 78734
Orders: (800) 833-7370; Offices: (512) 263-7668
Fax: (512) 263-8217
Web site: www.pelzgolf.com
Dave Pelz Scoring Game Schools (3-day schools) and Dave Pelz Scoring Game Tour (1-day clinics) 1310
RR 620 South
Suite B-1
Austin, TX 78734
Enrollment: (800) 833-7370; Offices: (512) 263-7668
Fax: (512) 263-8216
Web site: www.pelzgolf.com
Learning Aids available from U.S. Golf Aids:
ShotMaker TM BunkerBoard TM Dave Pelz Videotapes

SwingSlot TM PositionMat TM Dave Pelz Audiotapes

KneeSlide TM Shanker’s Delight’ TM Dave Pelz CD-Roms

BunkerTray TM ChipStick TM

SwingStop TM WristTwist TM

U.S. Golf Aids

1310 RR 620 South
Suite B-0
Austin, TX 78734
Orders: (800) 833-7370; Offices: (512) 263-7668
Fax: (512) 263-8216
Web site:www.pelzgolf.com
Web site:www.pelzgolf.com
Everlast Medicine Ball Rooster Andrews Sporting Goods 3901 Guadalupe Street Austin, TX 78751
Phone: (512) 454-9631
Fax: (512) 454-9935

Backyard Putting Greens and Wedge Target Greens SportCourt Home Golf Centers 939 South 700 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Phone: (800) 972-0260

YardagePro Laser Rangefinder Bushnell Sports Optics 9200 Cody

Overland Park, KS 66214-3259
Phone: (800) 423-3537
Fax: (913) 752-3550

The Dave Pelz World Putting Championship 1310 RR 620 South

Suite A-16
Austin, TX 78734
Phone: (888) 972-7888
Fax: (512) 263-7946
Web site: www.worldputtingchamp.com