Instruction
Can anyone learn to be a short-game legend?
From time to time we have all marveled at the shot-making ability of golf’s short-game legends: Paul Runyon, Raymond Floyd, Ben Crenshaw, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Paul Azinger and of course, Seve Ballesteros. What they did in the primes of their careers rivaled magic in a superhuman demonstration of raw talent… or was it? Was their talent innate and special to them or was it learned? And if it was learned, can anyone learn it?
Paul Azinger, who wanted so desperately to be as good as he could possibly be at golf, discovered that it wasn’t imagination and talent that separated the best from the rest; it was choices. The best looked at the pending shot through the prism of alternatives. They could see that there were at least five different shots, three of which were “pitch shots” and two of which were versions of different “chip shots,” and each could be used from the lie and situation they were facing. All that was required was to decide which one to use, set up correctly and then execute the one chosen.
The short answer to the question, “Can anyone become really good at the short game,” is YES! The how is really simple and straightforward. Learn as many short-game shots as possible and then get really good at them.
One of the things I highly recommend serious golfers do is to program the DVR to record every televised golf tournament. Go back, stop the action and then study every relevant shot in slow motion.
For example, let’s look at how Hideki Matsuyama executes a Phil Rodgers basic pitch shot using a lofted wedge. His setup is slightly open, ball centered, hands centered and weight is centered to maybe slightly back. There isn’t a divot so the attack angle is shallow, the bounce is engaged, club face remains open, hips rotate to the left and the hands never get above the belt line. The ball flies low, but softly onto the green. It checks on the second bounce then dribbles to the pin.
Since Matsuyama is in contention what seems like every week, I have witnessed this same shot a dozen times from different lies and under many different circumstances. Skip to 44 seconds in the video below to watch him in action at the 2016 Hero World Challenge.
Using the DVR, I have identified five separate and distinctive chip shots, three different and distinctive ways to play a standard bunker shot, three basic ways to pitch the ball and any number of lobs and flops. I simply watched what the best players in the world do and then copy each shot exactly as played. On the flip side, I also saw what was attempted and didn’t work.
Another thing I have my coaching clients do is to chart each and every round they play using a special game-improvement scorecard that I developed many years ago. This scorecard asks the questions why and how shots were lost or dropped. This form of charting reveals patterns, identifies weaknesses and puts a spotlight on what needs improvement. I will be happy to share this scorecard with you if you write to me at edmyersgolf@gmail.com.
Earlier, I stated that developing a really good short game was simple and straightforward, but it isn’t easy. To be great requires dedication, discipline and an awful lot of specialized practice. I use a process I call “Perfect Practice,” which consists of individual segments I label as Remedial, Practice, Drills and Rehearsals.
Remedial is basic learning used to develop a particular skill or shot, which is best done step by step in slow motion or in a static mode. For example, you want to learn the firm-wristed, basic chip shot as taught by Hank Haney. You would learn the pieces of the basic setup: slightly open stance, feet close together but not close to touching, hands forward, weight forward and ball back. You would then learn the correct way to move the club and strike the ball. The emphasis in this segment is learning correct positions, stations, angles and locations, not on speed.
Practice by definition is repetition to improve skill. Skills are improved by moving the club and striking the ball correctly hundreds, if not thousands of times. The emphasis is placed on correctly improving speed and fluidity. Correct movement develops “muscle memory,” implicit memory, motor skills and motor programs. As the motor programs are developed, refined and habitualized they begin a process known as “feel.”
Eventually each motor program, or shot, will have its own individual feel. Once the ability to demonstrate smoothly, correctly and repetitively a particular shot set-up a “Practice Book” and move into drills. I will be happy to share a practice book in what I call “Hogan Lifetime Format,” again by email. Just ask and I will send it out as an attachment.
Drilling is the process concerned and focused on results. As the feel for each shot is developing, it becomes necessary to refine the action to determine the effectiveness of our “Repetitive Practice.” I use a system known as “Deliberate Practice” to establish a baseline and then track improvement in objective and quantitative terms.
“Deliberate Practice is an activity that’s explicitly intended to improve performance by reaching for objectives just beyond your level of competence, while providing objective feedback on results involving high levels of repetition,” says Dr. K Anders Ericsson, a renowned “expert on experts.”
If a shot is to be effectively used during play, the success parameters must be known. Can I land the ball where I want? Does the ball check or release as required? In my system, drilling is the essence of the scoring process and forms the foundation for training and preparation.
Rehearsals are simulations of play where pressure, stress and consequences are introduced. This is much more than playing golf or practicing. The object, as it is in a dress rehearsal for a Broadway show, is to see what works. Just as important is to see what doesn’t work in particular situations. You’ve learned a shot, you’ve practiced and drilled it. Now, can you do it when it matters?
By the controlling of circumstances and the resulting consequences, every shot can be put to the test in a simulated pressure cooker. Rehearsing is time efficient and has proven to be a more effective training method over time than actually playing in tournaments. Failure in rehearsal results in enlightenment and then more practice and drills. Failure in competition results in severe consequences such as higher scores, embarrassment and self-loathing.
As Bobby Jones once said: “The secret of golf is to turn three shots into two.” To paraphrase, “The secret of the short game is to never turn two shots into three.” So, unless you hit 100 percent of the greens in regulation, you need a dependable, multifaceted short game.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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Mbwa Kali Sana
Mar 7, 2017 at 12:55 pm
The best short game player ever was SEVE BALLETEROS .What Butch says ,and also the well advised commentators OF this blog ,fits well with what SEVE said and wrote .Just go over what hé describes in his not so many books .Réview also THE films OF how hé ridiculed THE best players in THE world at THE various ( very difficult ) BRITISH OPENS hé won ,by the virtue OF his miraculous short game and putting .Like another GREAT short game player Phil MICKELSON ,his long game was really lousy ,but his outstanding recoveries and short game made up for his shortcomings in his driving .
M’y advice is to keep THE Ball as low as possible ,and make it run .Forget THE high parachute shots ” a la MICKELSON” ,there are easy to miss .I saw SEVE missing Some OF them as well as sand shots hé wanted to spin too much .Évén GOD CAN make mistakes !
David Ober
Mar 7, 2017 at 9:57 am
Fantastic article and somewhat of a crusade of mine as well.
Lately I’ve been telling my low handicap buddies:
1) Assess the lie
2) Assess whether you can spin the ball or not
3) Assess whether you can elevate the ball or not
4) Assess the pin and where it sits on the green
5) Take info from the steps 1 – 3 and apply to step 6)
6) Choose a shot that fits your current lie and the current pin
Sometimes there will be multiple options. You just need to pick one and commit to it. Sometimes there will only be one or two options. The key, though, is to go through the first few steps, which most golfers do not do every time. And you need to do it every time, or you will have blow-up short game holes.
TheCityGame
Mar 8, 2017 at 12:20 pm
Great comment, as alwasy, Obee.
Dave R
Mar 7, 2017 at 12:32 am
By far best article I’ve read on this site.
knoofah
Mar 6, 2017 at 4:46 pm
Excellent article! Thanks for the downloadable material as well. It’s something I will definitely put into practice.
Thomas Cannon
Mar 6, 2017 at 9:56 am
I think that there is pretty clearly some inherent abilities that the first golfers named in the article do have. I do like that the article discusses the shots that the better players see when they are faced with these shots, though. I think the biggest take away for the average golfer would be that they need to see more than one way of executing a shot within 100 yards or around the greens, and out of “trouble” around the greens. Do I believe that you can learn to be like Phil? No, not exactly, and I think the biggest difference is the mental aspect, and the fact that he sees these shots, and many, many more when he steps over the ball, and that part is inherent, BUT, if a golfer can have 4-5 ways to hit a given shot, they will save themselves plenty of strokes. Next is learning to use them appropriately in a given situation.
TheCityGame
Mar 6, 2017 at 1:45 pm
Phil Mickelson had “inherent abilities”?
Maybe the inherent ability of his parents to build a short game area in his back yard.
ButchT
Mar 6, 2017 at 9:44 am
Very helpful article! Thanks, Butch.
Radim Pavlicek
Mar 6, 2017 at 6:44 am
Excellent article. I want to know more about Rehearsals.
rymail00
Mar 4, 2017 at 3:03 pm
Awesome article!!!
Thanks!
Ryan
Philip
Mar 4, 2017 at 11:23 am
Really – “Failure in competition results in severe consequences such as higher scores, embarrassment and self-loathing” – I guess what you and I define as severe are slightly different. I enjoy golf, thus embarrassment and self-loathing are not a consequence of higher scores from spending a day outside with friends or competitors. The article has many good points though and myself, I have learned quite a lot from re-watching recorded shots from the tours. I find there is a tendancy (for me) to think the shots are more complicated than they really are. Watching the tours helps me to clarify what I visually want to happen in my mind before attempting or practicing a shot. It will be a fun season this year.
rymail00
Mar 4, 2017 at 10:41 pm
Ed,
I tried to email you through the email posted in the 2ND paragraph, but I keep getting “invalid” email address.
My question was what do you do mentally to make the “rehearsal” more important mentally vs. say running the short-game “drills”, or a normal day to day short game practice session. How do you get into the mind frame of tournament conditions (or pressure sencario) on the practice green, hope that makes sense?
Also is there a place we can find that “short game scorecard”, and how to score it?
Ed Myers
Mar 5, 2017 at 8:36 am
Sorry for the link, it has been reported. To answer your question, I use an escalating system that “controls the circumstances” and delivers severe and certain consequences for failure. I outline that process in Hogan’s Ghost.