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What does it take to become a short game master instructor? Dave Pelz , best known for his association with Phil Mickelson, has adopted the philosophy of breaking the short game or “scoring game” down statistically, analyzing each potential shot, and
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On the professional tours, you rarely see a player that is equally proficient in all aspects of the short game (pitching, chipping, putting, and bunker play). Tiger Woods is unquestionably the best all-around short game specialist. He is the best clutch putter and can get up and down with the best of them from just about anywhere. Phil excels in all areas of the short game except for his putting. He carries and uses more wedges than any other player; he won the 2008 Crowne Plaza Invitational with FIVE wedges in his bag! He can flop the ball at leisure, which is a good thing given his periodic troubles on the greens. Out of the bunkers, Adam Scott is a master, as is one of my favorite golfers, Mike Weir (a fellow Canadian and fellow lefty).
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Each amateur golfer (i.e. YOU) has the ability to become a short game master in their own right by learning from the short game gurus listed above. Dave Pelz has authored many books on the short game including Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible
and Dave Pelz's Putting Bible
. He also sells a variety of unique training aids and tools on his website,
www.pelzgolf.com.
Stan Utley has also authored some excellent books including The Art of the Short Game
and The Art of Putting
. Bob Cisco’s book The Ultimate Game of Golf
is a more general offering, but provides excellent tips on the short game.If you prefer to learn short game mastery from playing pros, you simply can’t beat attending a tournament in person. I have had the good fortune to attend the 2005 Telus Skins Game (which featured Jack Nicklaus, Vijay Singh, John Daly, and Stephen Ames), the 2005 Canadian Open, and the 2007 President’s Cup. I learned how important the short game is by simply watching the greatest players in the world incorporate pitching, chipping, putting, and bunker play into their practice and pre-round warm-ups. If you can’t get to a professional event, you can learn a lot from watching how your favorite player sets up for short game shots on televised tournament, especially when the pressure is on. There is nothing more perversely satisfying than watching a tour pro lip-out a two-foot putt on the 72nd hole. It serves to connect us amateurs with our playing heroes on a new level and shows how important the mental game is in short game shots (which is why I have several pages of content dedicated to the
mental game
on this site). If you’d rather read about Tiger’s short game prowess, he has been the subject of countless golf books and articles, routinely writes teaching articles for Golf Digest, and has also authored How I Play Golf
One thing that all of us (amateur golfers) need to keep in mind is that time invested on becoming a short game master is time well spent. While it is true that every shot is important in the game of golf, many players lose strokes simply because they cannot get the ball up and in when it comes to their short game. These added strokes can ruin even the best day on the course, and any work that you do to increase your skills in this area will pay off handsomely.
In this day and age, with technology the way it is, there is really no good reason not to take advantage of the information that is available on the short game. Finding tips and techniques from a short game master is easier today than it ever has been. From free online tips to in-depth training courses, golfers today have a ton of valuable information at their fingertips. Why not find a short game master that matches your needs and personality and get busy learning today?
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