Struggling with your golf game?
Why not improve your short game?
Shortcuts and tips for improving technique include: good technique, proper shot selection, structured practice, and sometimes-life gets in the way.
It is difficult to find time to take lessons or practice as much as you might like.
Here are 5 great shortcuts and tips for improving your technique right away.
1. Turn your toes like Arnold Palmer
When putting on the green, it's important that you keep your lower body still.
Doing so will make the ball roll in the direction you are aiming and will also control the distance of the ball.
To stay still on the green, turn your toes in just like Arnold Palmer used to do!
This will force you to keep your lower body still and limit your ability to move around.
You can use this for drills, but it can also be useful on the course where drills are appropriate.
2. Add an inch to your backstroke for every foot of putt distance
For golfers who have been playing for a while, it's second nature to know exactly how far they're going to hit their putt.
But newer players or those who are extra cautious, don't fret.
Getting a system to control the distance of your putt is an important skill—especially when it comes to the green.
When you want to improve your distance control, use a system like this:
if your putt is five feet away, then you need to add five inches to your backstroke for a successful putt.
You can use this simple equation: Add one inch for every foot of the putt.
It's not perfect, but it will definitely help you out.
3. Swing and then look
If you're having trouble with your putting, you might want to take a look at your pre-shot routine.
The habit of looking at the ball after you've completed your stroke can make it difficult to control distance and direction.
To improve your consistency, try maintaining stillness over your putting stroke, finishing it without looking at the ball, turning to see the ball after it's well away from you, and only looking at the ball when it's on the green.
4. Lean forward when putting
In golf, inches matter.
In fact, one of the most frustrating examples of this is when your ball rolls just past the pin and into deep rough.
When you are close to the rough, it can be difficult to chip or pitch softly.
To do this, make one important change: place a lot of weight on your forward foot and drop your shoulder.
This stance will help the putter come down at a better angle, which will make it easier to make contact with the ball.
5. Short shots
Once you get the hang of distance control, it becomes really easy to know how high or low you should hold your club.
The shorter you hold, the less power will be delivered.
Keep your hands close to the bottom of the grip and you'll get a nice, short swing. And when in doubt, come off of the grip and down to the shaft.
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