THE ULTIMATE SHORT-GAME GUIDE

The key shots you need to get

Your short game is the glue that holds all your rounds together and helps you to make your best scores. On the days when your long game isn’t on, a good short game will help you scramble a decent score. And when your long game is firing, a razor-sharp performance on and around the greens will get you shooting well under your handicap. There can be even greater emphasis on this part of your game for handicap golfers, too. A club golfer could be using their wedge game 14 or 15 times a round, so improving this part of your game will save you a lot of shots.

For all wedge shots, it’s important to understand the bounce, which is the back of the clubhead. If the bounce is the part of the club that makes contact with the ground, you can get away with a lot more than when the leading edge impacts the turf first. The ability to hit the turf and not dig is essential for being a good short-game player.