FROM THE TEE

Improve scores with short shot drills

As I recall, I have been writing this monthly article for Lake Martin Living magazine for about 16 or 17 years. It’s been fun for me, as I do like writing, but it has also been helpful in improving my team’s golf game. This article makes me use my imagination and be more perceptive of what’s going on in the world of golf and within our area.

Coaching the Central Alabama Community College Trojan golf team has allowed me to also share things I do to help develop my players; and then, express them in an article the a month or two later. This month, I want to tell you about a revelation I had with the team after reviewing recent tournament statistics and subsequently creating a practice program to help improve our scoring.

Our golf team, like most college teams, utilize a company called Golfstat. This is an official statistics organization that records scores and results of college golf tournaments for the men and women in all associations and divisions. After each tournament, I receive a statistical breakdown of how all players and teams, in their respective tournaments, played the par 3s, 4s, 5s, eagles, birdies, bogeys and double bogeys. It also keeps up with each player’s ranking in our region, district and nationally within our association and division, as well as how each player stands nationally in scoring average.

After our last two tournaments, the Calhoun Spring Invitational and our Conference Championship (both of which we won), I noticed that we were a little behind in scoring birdies on par 5s. I’ve been watching this statistic for the whole year, and the Golfstat report confirmed my thoughts. We were not very good at short wedge shots. We were very good in greens in regulation but lacked getting the ball close on short wedge shots to capitalize on more birdies.

At practice a couple weeks ago, I divided the team in two groups and had them compete from 25 yards and 35 yards. They attempted to land their wedge pitch shots inside a 6-foot diameter circle. If they hit within the circle they earned a point; if their pitch landed on the green – no points. If the they missed the green (which usually came from a mis-hit), they lost a point. I planned to play this game up to 11, thinking we would wrap it up fairly quickly.

Well, that didn’t happen.

After an hour, I stopped the boys and brought them up to the green, where I had been standing, and announced the score. It was 3 to -2 after one hour. “Do you see a weakness?” I asked them. “This is the yardage you have on most par 5s when you don’t reach it in two shots and also where you mis-hit par 3s and 4s. Even if you become a Tour player, you are going to hit some poor shots. The difference between you and the Tour players is in their pitch shot. They are going to land 80 percent of their pitches in this 6-foot circle and make their putt for par.”

Over the next seven to nine practice days, I didn’t close the team practice until each one hit at least 50 pitch shots to various targets on the chipping green.

At the Southeastern District Championship (which we won) the CACC Golf Team led the stats in par 3, 4 and 5 scoring. We beat a very good team, Eastern Florida State College, by 13 shots and the third place team, Coastal Alabama Community College, by 37 strokes.

I share this with you, not to show you how smart I am, but to suggest that you add these same short shots to your practice regime. My team’s golfers are pretty darn good, and they play and/or practice every day.

From the Tee Most of you are working with your business or doing something other than playing golf daily, but I do think that this practice, even at just once or twice a week, could help your scoring, and you would be quite happy with the results. Wedge game and putting is what won the Masters. If you recall, Scotty Scheffler hit his fair share of ugly tee shots and approach shots, but when he was faced with a chip and pitch shot, the ball ended up very close to the hole. He also made more than his share of 6-, 8- and 10-foot putts. That all comes from the time he spends in the short game area and on the putting green. I bet that you are a success at work and Dave Jennings with your family. You have spent a lot of time in development of both. You love your family, and you choose to work to be the best at your business as possible. If you can take a little of that passion into your golf game, I bet you will see amazing results. See you in the practice area. ~ Dave Jennings is men's golf coach for the Central Alabama Community College Trojan team.