6 February 2008
Golf Technique – Long or Short?
Posted by BQ Browning under: Golf Techniques .
The key to good golf technique is practice, practice and more practice, but we only have limited time available to us so the big question is where should spend that limited time.
It’s an old but true say that you ‘drive for show and put for dough’. Your short and mid game are the most important shots you will play, you should be as familiar and comfortable with your short irons and wedges as you are with a knife and fork.
Not only will these clubs get out of trouble if you are unfortunate enough to hit a wayward drive, proficient use of those shorter clubs will negate a lot of the benefits some of the big drivers feel they might have. Heavy hitters can often get over-confident and rely on their length of the tee to win a game – they will always be beaten by someone who can play a better short game.
The mid-range ‘approach the green’ shots are the ones that flummox most players. It is not only novices who struggle to master these clubs, many a low handicap golfer loses games because of their inability to control those tricky approach shots. The high trajectory irons – pitching wedge, 8 and 9 iron are the hardest to master and for that reason many people are reluctant to spend the time required to put in the necessary practice on the range.
There are many things to think about so it can be quite nerve racking to remember all the aspects of short-range play. A little too much swing and you will be over the back of the green or maybe you won’t get enough lift or alternatively too much and fall short. If you practice enough your muscles develop a memory and the shots become second nature to you, all you have to do is concentrate and let your body do the work – but they key to that, as with any good golf technique, is practice, practice and more practice.
