HIGH SCHOOL GOLF: IMPROVING YOUR PLAYER'S SHORT GAME

BY KEVIN CRANE - THSCA DIRECTOR - REGION 2

I have been around the game of golf for most of my life. It is something that I enjoy doing in my free time like most of you isn’t much. I participated in junior golf, HS golf and college golf. My dad spent time as a high school golf coach, as did my brother and I. It’s been my experience that if HS players could save some shots around the green it could really help their individual score and in turn help the team score. Therefore, this article is all about the short game and ways to help improve the short game with skills and drills along with trying to highlight the importance of the mental game.

As most people know, a players short game can have a profound impact on how well they play ,especially at the high school level. How many times have we seen one of our players hit a drive, miss the green on their next shot, and then really struggle to get the ball into the hole with their short game; sometimes hitting two chips and taking three putts. Typically in Texas, the golf courses are not in pristine condition during the time of year we are playing high school golf; therefore, our players must be able to get the ball up and down from a variety of different lies and bunkers around the green. I believe it is important for kids to spend the majority of their practice time around the green chipping and putting. The following is from Dr. Rotella’s book and an example of how he wants his students to think of the short game. "Practicing the Short Game: I pride myself for investing quality practice time in the short-game area every day. It’s not a chore. I love to practice pitching, bunker play, and putting. I love it when others are on the range hitting balls and I’m in the short-game area, because I know this is where I will separate myself from others in tournament play. I’m in the short-game area first every day. I practice there when I’m fresh because I recognize the short game’s importance. I never forget this. It’s my bread and butter, my pride and joy. I sustain my commitment to the short game and the scoring clubs because I am dedicated to seeing how good I can get at golf. Practicing short-game shots regularly, with quality and focus, is a key to the quest and a critical part of the process. I love this because we recognize that most good players can hit quality golf shots, but it’s the short game that separates the good players from the great players and the HS player that shoots can turn a round in the high 90’s to the mid 80’s."

The following are notes and practice ideas I have collected over the years. A majority of the material comes from reading Dr. Bob Rotella’s books. Dr. Rotella is a sports psychologist who has worked with many golf major champions, both male and female, and college and professional sports teams and Olympians throughout his career. He has written several books - 10 in total - (I have read them all and would encourage others reading this article to read them as well) and they focus on a variety of topics, including the mental game of golf. If you have never heard of Dr. Rotella or his teachings, I strongly encourage you to look him up and read his books. You can also find several articles online as well.

The following are ideas about chipping and putting that I hope will help your high school golfers.

Chipping

“You will not be playing your best golf until your wedge game is sharp enough that bad lies don’t deter you, until no matter where you find yourself around a green, you have a chip or a pitch that you feel you can put in the hole. Fall in love with getting the ball up and down or holing it.” - Dr. Bob Rotella

1. Good mental routine. (Visualize yourself hitting a great shot.)

2. Try to hole shots from within your threshold distance. This varies for everybody. “Great chippers are not thinking about getting it close or leaving themselves an uphill putt, they’re thinking about holing the shot.” Dr. Bob Rotella

3. Good pre-shot routine (selection of target and club during pre-shot routine)

A. Look at the target - either cup or point on green where you want the ball to land

B. Look at the ball

C. Let the shot go- without undue delay between these three movements. Typically the longer you stand over a shot the more destructive it will be as potential bad thoughts will enter a players mind.

PRACTICE / DRILLS

Practice situations- tight lies and grassy lies, side slopes and humps, chips and pitches, and bunker shots (it is imperative that a HS player can get the ball out of a bunker in one shot). Practice from bare dirt; you can’t be afraid of blading or chunking it; try using a putter from tight lies around the green. The rule I like to use with players is putt if you can, chip if you have to.

1. Put four tees around the hole at three feet each. Try to hit chips shots getting it inside the tees.

2. Chip & chase with a partner. Both players chip, and the player furthest from the hole must go retrieve both the balls. This is good competition and it puts something on the line while practicing.

Chipping Notes

• Be athletic and creative.

• Good wedge play makes the difference between a lot of putts from ten feet and a lot of putts from three feet.

• As long as rules reward getting the ball in the hole in the fewest strokes, golf will be about playing well with the wedges and putter.

Putting

These are the words you would find in the mind of a great putter- “All right! Safely on the green. Now the fun starts. This is going to be an interesting putt. I can see two breaks. Downhill. A real challenge. Neat! I like the fact that my coach has no doubts that I’m going to make par or better on this hole. I like being the bulwark of our team because I putt well. I like the way the other guys’ faces will look when I sink this for a birdie. Okay, now into the routine…”Dr. Bob Rotella

1. Devotion to an unvarying routine is one of the hallmarks of a good putter. Accepting the result is the last part of a sound routine.

2. Your first impression of how a putt will break will be right more often than any other impression you might form. It’s more important to be decisive on your read than correct.

3. When the moment of truth comes, look at the target, look at the ball, and let the stroke go without any undue delay between these three movements.

4. 80% of missed putts come from an imperfection in the green, or a misread of the putt.

PRACTICE / DRILLS

1. Look and Shoot Drill- Try to make five putts before your partner does, the two of you putting at the same time. Look at the hole once, then, without taking a practice stroke, putt the ball.

2. 9-Ball game- Hit nine putts in a row. Start loose and then try to put even less effort into each successive putt.

3. Use Your Instincts Game- Try to make three putts from the same place but at different speeds.

4. Putt to fringe- Try to stop the ball as close as possible to the edge of the green.

5. Chalk-line- Find a straight putt, lay the chalk line down. This is a good drill when you want to work on your mechanics.

Putting Notes

• The putting game is the place to look if you want to get a competitive advantage.

• The ideal golf temperament instinctively loves putting! Fall in love with the stroke you have. Attitude is what makes a great putter.

• There is nothing worse for your putting than dwelling on the putts you’ve missed.

• Every putt is a green-light putt.

• Pick a putter and a putting style that feel good to you and stick with them.

• There is no such thing as perfect putting mechanics. There is no perfect way to roll the ball.

• The principles of good putting will work for as long as your commitment to them stands.

The following is an example of the positive mindset that Dr. Rotella wants his students to have. I recommend that you have your players copy down this quote and post it on their mirror in their room or somewhere they will see it every day. This is the type of attitude it takes to be a great putter.

“I am a GREAT putter. I always make putts when they matter the most. But I am great because I treat all of my putts the same. I give every putt the same low level of importance.

I have a great instinct for effortlessly reading greens. I trust my reads, commit to them. Then I get into my target and execute my routine on every shot. Nothing tempts me away from this process. Results have no impact on me because I just want to make every putt in my mind.

I am playful when it is time to putt. I am very visual on the greens, and I love envisioning the ball going into the hole.

I am positive and patient. I love to putt. The putting green is where the real game begins. I own the putting green. It is my favorite place. It is where I have an edge. It’s where I separate myself from others.”

I hope that some of these ideas can be useful to your team and remember “As long as rules reward getting the ball in the hole in the fewest strokes, golf will be about playing well with the wedges and putter.” - Dr. Bob Rotella