Most golfers who play regularly are looking for ways to take strokes off their game. Some golfers hit the ball well off the tee and handle fairway shots with ease, but struggle in the short game. This is where most golfers are looking to improve. When a golfer gets close to the green, he wants to find a way to hit his pitching wedges with more consistency, learn how to handle the sand wedge and improve on the putting green.
Step 1
Use your pitching wedge when you are 80 to 120 yards from the flag stick. To have your ball fly high up in the air and land softly on the green within 15 feet of the hole, you must swing down on the ball. If you see a small divot just past where your ball was sitting, that means you have struck the ball correctly. When pitching the ball on short shots, do not slow your swing down. This is called deceleration and usually results in an errant shot. When you can strike your pitching wedge well, you can take 2 or 3 strokes off your final score.
Step 2
Use your gap wedge when you are 55 to 80 yards out and your lob wedge when you are closer than 55 yards. The gap wedge has greater loft than the pitching wedge, and the lob wedge has even more than the gap wedge. These clubs can help you get within 12 feet of the flag stick and cut 2 to 3 strokes off your final score.
Step 3
Learn how to chip the ball properly. The gap and lob wedges have made chipping something of a lost art. When you are playing on a hard, sun-baked course, you are much better off chipping your ball to the hole than trying to pitch the ball high. A chip with an 8- or 9-iron will get the ball to the green by bouncing it up there. On a hole where you are not facing a hazard--water or sand--the chip can be an excellent shot, especially if the hole has somewhat of an uphill line. Players who can chip well can take a stroke or 2 off their final score
Step 4
Develop a solid putting routine. Don't walk up to your ball, take two practice swings, then back away, read the green, take two more practice swings and then finally hit the ball. Read the green for the breaks your ball will have to negotiate, walk up to your ball and take one practice swing; then you are ready to putt. You will have a much better chance of making a putt if you follow this routine rather than taking a lot of practice strokes.
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