Golf Tip

Presented by Jeff Ritter, Nike Golf Camp National Director

Short Game Club Selection - An Easy Drill to Improve Your Scores Around the Green

One of the biggest challenges for beginners in golf is knowing what your short game shots should look like around the green. Here is a cool little exercise to help you get a lot better at this.

All you need to do is setup the shot you want to hit and going ahead and start by using your hand and tossing balls over to the hole. Trying to find the height and length your ball will need to travel to most efficiently get to the hole. Your goal is to aim closest to the hole, but conservatively as you want to play it safe.

You must also effectively read the green and understand where the ball is going to break. Looking at the green and studying how fast it is rolling, along with which way the ball will break can help you understand where to aim your shot.

Once you do this, lay down some clubs or cones to determine where that landing spot should be. Then select the club that will best replicate those tosses from earlier. You will find within a couple of swings which club will work the best. Then you can practice this, aiming at your cone’s setup.

Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your game will help you make better club decisions. Sometimes it is better to use your putter in the rough. Understanding your strengths will lower your score in a more conservative manner.

Short game has a variety of soft, controlled shots that require precision and expert knowledge of your clubs. This is an exercise that Jeff has his junior and adult student’s practice. It is one of the most effective ways to control your short game.