Short Game tips & drills

Pitching, wedge distance control and the higher, softer shots around the green.

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LevelFixesTypeEquipmentTime

A Quiet-Hands Wedge You Can Trust

If your wedges get duffed or skulled, take your hands out of it. Tuck a towel under both armpits. Set up a little forward…DrillBeginner10 minFatThin

A Simple 50-Yard Pitch

On a 50-yard pitch, many golfers hang back and try to lift the ball. That leads to fat shots or blades that race over the green.…TipBeginner5 minFatThin

Build a Half-Swing Wedge Chart

Shots from 40 to 125 yards are where scoring happens. Half swings help a lot here. First, list your wedges and their lofts. Hit…DrillIntermediate30+ min

Change Targets on Every Pitch

Hitting twenty balls to one flag feels good. It doesn't teach much. Change your target every shot instead. Set targets at 20, 30…DrillIntermediate15 min

Chip for Roll, Pitch for Air

Around the green, first decide if the shot needs air or roll. For a chip, stand closer. Lean the shaft forward. Keep your weight…LessonBeginner10 min

Chip or Pitch? An Easy Way to Decide

Here's a simple way to remember it. Chip when you're close. Pitch when you're farther away. A chip is a simple rocking motion of…TipBeginner5 min

Commit to the Flop Over Trouble

A flop over trouble to a tight pin needs one thing above all: commitment. Once you choose it, swing through with speed. Slowing…TipAdvanced10 min

Drive Your Hips for Lower, Steadier Wedges

High, floaty wedges get pushed around by wind. A lower shot driven by your body carries a steadier distance. Take one less lofted…DrillAdvanced15 min

Find Your Most Controlled Wedge Backswing

Many amateurs swing every club to the same length. Wedges need less. Here's how to find your best spot. Take your pitching wedge…DrillIntermediate15 min

Fix the Dreaded 40-Yard Pitch

The 40-yard pitch scares lots of golfers. Because it's not a full swing, they never get their weight onto their lead foot. So…TipIntermediate5 minFatThin

Flop or Bump and Run? How to Choose

Here's the rule. Keep it on the ground when you can. Go in the air when you have to. A bump and run has fewer moving parts and…TipBeginner5 min

Flop Shot Basics

A flop sends the ball high and drops it softly. Use it when you have very little green. Open the face first, then take your grip.…LessonAdvanced15 min

Four Habits of Good Scramblers

Good scrambling isn't about holing chips. It's about leaving easy putts. Pick safe targets around the green. Train your distance…LessonIntermediate15 min

Give Each Wedge a Job

Know what each wedge is for. You'll make fewer awkward moves with the face. Your lob wedge can hit a high, soft pitch with the…LessonIntermediate15 min

Hit a Low, Flighted Wedge

A normal wedge flies high and soft. That's great until the wind blows. A flighted wedge flies lower and holds its line. Move the…LessonIntermediate15 minBallooning

How to Play 50- and 70-Yard Wedges

In-between wedges trip up a lot of golfers. First, check your lie and any slope. From 50 yards, many amateurs take a big swing…LessonAdvanced15 min

Keys to a High, Soft Lob

A lob is risky, so stack the odds. First, check the lie. Only try it from a good one. From a bad lie, play safe to the middle of…LessonIntermediate10 min

Let Your Wedge Do the Work

Your wedges have lots of loft and bounce. Both are on your side. The mistake is trying to lift the ball. Let the loft do that. On…DrillIntermediate15 minChunked chips

Make a Scrambling Circuit

One chip, over and over, from one spot won't get you ready for real rounds. Mix it up. Drop three balls around the green. Scatter…DrillAll levels30+ min

One Club, Three Shots: Pitching Wedge Practice

You can learn a lot with just one club. Take a pitching wedge and a handful of balls. Practice from 5 to 30 yards. For very short…DrillBeginner30+ min

Pick a Pitching Style That Suits You

There's more than one way to pitch. Find the one that fits you. The simplest starts with everything centered: ball, handle and…LessonIntermediate15 minFatThin

Pitch From Thick Rough Like It's a Bunker Shot

A pitch from deep rough plays a lot like a bunker shot. Ball forward. Face open. Hit slightly behind it and let the grass pop it…TipIntermediate5 min

Pitch to a Landing Spot, Not the Hole

Great pitchers think about where the ball lands. The hole comes second. Set out three small targets on the green, at short…DrillIntermediate30+ min

Pitching Basics: Setup and Turn

A pitch flies most of the way and rolls very little. That's the opposite of a chip. Set up with your feet a little wider than for…LessonBeginner15 min

Pitching Off Hardpan

Bare, hard ground feels like hitting off a rock. You can't get the club under the ball. So don't try to lift it. Let the leading…TipIntermediate5 minThin

Pitching Out of Thick Greenside Rough

Thick rough by the green is tricky. Swing hard and you fly the green. Swing soft and the grass grabs the club. Play the ball back…TipIntermediate5 min

Read the Situation Before You Pitch

A good pitch starts with a good read. Check the slope. If the ball is above your feet, grip down. Check the lie. On a tight, bare…LessonIntermediate10 min

Set Up Right for Better Pitches

A good pitch starts at address. Use a lofted wedge with some bounce, so it glides on the grass. Pitches use a longer swing, so…LessonBeginner10 minFatThin

Short Game Plans for Fast, Sloping Greens

Fast, tilted greens punish guesswork. So prepare. At your home course, practice chips and putts to the spots where holes are…TipIntermediate15 min

Spend 20 Minutes on Scrambling Before You Play

Short on practice time? Put it into your short game. You'll miss plenty of greens. Getting up and down more often saves strokes…DrillIntermediate30+ min

The Clock Method for Wedge Distances

Want reliable wedges inside 100 yards? Change your backswing length and keep your tempo the same. Picture yourself as a clock…LessonIntermediate15 min

The Downwind Pitch Off a Tight Lie

A 40-yard pitch downwind from a tight lie is one of golf's toughest shots. You need lots of spin and just the right height. Too…LessonAdvanced10 min

The Landing Window Chipping Game

This game trains you to control both carry and roll. Make a window on the green with two markers. Put the near one just past…DrillIntermediate15 min

Three Odd Shots for Ugly Lies

Some lies need a strange-looking shot. Practice these before you need them. Ball resting against thick fringe? Stand closer and…LessonIntermediate15 min

Two Flop Shots: Simple and Advanced

Short-sided with no green to work with? You need a flop. Start with the simple version. Open the face a little. Play the ball in…LessonIntermediate15 min

Wedge Distances: Know Your Number Every Time

Most wedge misses come up short. Golfers guess the yardage, or they plan for their best-ever strike. So build a habit. Get the…LessonIntermediate15 min

What Spin Loft Means for Your Wedges

Spin isn't luck. A lot of it comes from spin loft. That's the gap between the direction the club is moving and the loft on the…LessonAdvanced10 min

When to Pitch Instead of Chip

Pitch when the ball needs more air than ground. That's usually when the lie is poor, you're farther out, or the pin is close to…LessonBeginner10 min

When to Reach for the Lob Wedge

The lob wedge is a special tool. Use it when you're close to the green and need the ball to land soft and stop fast. Otherwise…TipIntermediate5 min