This season I have dedicated some time to improving my short game. I have adjusted my stance and ball position and feel that this major change has definitely helped with shots around 100 yards or closer. I still have a couple of struggles mishitting the ball, but that is to be expected when trying to create a new normal. I have a match today against Len, who is probably one of the top three players at the course. I am up there as well, so it should be a great match where nothing is conceded. With this in mind, I will put into use some of the things I practiced over the past few weeks.

Before I outline my practice drills I have a quick story about Men’s Night yesterday. Playing with my regular group is great fun. Charlie, Mike and Barrie are great guys and we compliment each other. Mike and I are the same age and hit from the whites; Charlie and Barrie are older and hit from the reds. Our combination of skills compliment each other perfectly. We finished with a minus 7 and the funny thing is I only putted once (I am the anchor for all shots) and it was on the last hole. I had a 30 foot putt and left it 6 inches short. I always say to my team that I never want to putt and it almost happened last night. When they needed me the most I failed…..go figure. 😂

Okay, back to a couple of drills. The first one I use is finding my landing area. I place a towel on the green and try to land on it from varying distances. I found that 15 yards is seems to be my sweet distance. I do not worry about roll as I am trying to hit a specific target. I will hit many balls with varying clubs to ensure I hit my landing area. It seems to be working and I enjoy the challenge.

Second, I practice my bump and run. I try this with different clubs (including my 4 hybrid) and I find that my trusty 7-iron is still my club of choice. What I do differently from my new set up is I putt the ball. I grip my 7-iron with my putter grip and judge the distance as if I am putting. It works very well and I am confident of an up and down with a bump and run with my 7-iron.

The last drill helps with ball control. Using the same club, I place the ball in the back of my stance for a low shot and to the front of my stance for a higher lofted shot. I alternate between these distances because it forces me to focus on shot making and not just going the the same routine for ball after ball. This is something new and I am not 100% convinced that it will stay in my practice routine.

As you can see, I am trying to improve my short game. I figure this is the best area to ensure I keep my game sharp. I still work on my putting a great deal, however my up and down game could be sharper. As I continue to improve my skills, I remain grateful for the opportunity to play golf and thankful to have a course like the Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort so close to my home.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!