A beautiful drive splits the fairway, followed by a solid approach shot that lands just off the green. Confidence is high, but then the next three or four strokes completely derail the score. This scenario is familiar to most golfers. The short game, encompassing both putting and chipping, is the true scoring zone in golf. This is where most amateur players lose the most strokes, and it is where dedicated practice yields the fastest, most significant improvements. Whether on a practice green or using an indoor golf simulator to hone your skills during the off-season, focusing on the short game is paramount. This guide will provide actionable drills, essential techniques, and mental strategies to help master putting and chipping, turning potential bogeys into pars and pars into birdies.
The Foundation – Grip, Stance, and Setup
A successful putt begins long before the putter moves. The foundation is built on a solid, repeatable setup. The grip is the only connection to the club, and finding one that feels stable is key. Common options include the reverse overlap, cross-handed, or claw grip. The goal of any grip is to minimize wrist action and promote a unified movement of the arms and shoulders. Grip pressure should be light but consistent, as if holding a small bird. This prevents tension from creeping into the stroke. A proper stance is equally important. The feet should be shoulder-width apart, with a slight flex in the knees and the upper body tilting from the hips, not the waist. This stable base is crucial for consistency.
This athletic posture allows the arms to hang naturally from the shoulders, creating the ideal position for a simple pendulum motion. The eyes should be positioned directly over the golf ball to ensure an accurate perception of the putting line. Maintaining this setup requires core strength and balance, highlighting the importance of staying fit for golf. A stable lower body prevents swaying and unnecessary movement, ensuring the only parts that move during the stroke are the shoulders and arms. This simple, repeatable setup is the first and most critical part of the fundamentals to master, as it provides the consistency needed for a reliable putting stroke under pressure.
Mastering Pace – The Art of Distance Control
The difference between a good putt and a great putt is often pace, or distance control. The key to mastering pace is to think of the stroke as a pendulum. The length of the backswing should directly control the distance the ball travels. A longer putt requires a longer, smoother backswing and follow-through, not a harder or faster “hit.” Hitting the ball robs the putt of a true roll and makes distance control nearly impossible. The goal is to create a smooth, accelerating stroke through the ball, allowing the weight of the putter head to do the work. This technique ensures a consistent roll and makes judging distance much more intuitive.
To develop this feel, specific drills are incredibly effective. The “Ladder Drill” is a classic for a reason. Place golf balls at intervals of three, six, nine, and twelve feet from the hole. Practice hitting each putt with the goal of getting the ball to just trickle past the hole if it misses. This drill trains your brain to connect the length of your stroke with the distance the ball travels. Another excellent exercise is the “One-Handed Drill.” Putting with only your dominant hand on the club helps you feel the putter’s balance and promotes a smooth, accelerating stroke, preventing the tendency to decelerate at impact.
Nailing the Line – The Science of Green Reading
Once pace is under control, the next step is learning to read the green accurately to choose the correct line. This process should always begin from behind the ball, looking towards the hole. This vantage point gives the best overall perspective on the slope and any significant breaks. After getting an initial read, it is beneficial to walk to the low side of the putt. Looking up at the hole from this angle can often reveal subtle breaks that were not visible from behind the ball. Trust your eyes and your feet; sometimes you can feel the slope of the green more than you can see it.
The goal of green reading is to identify the “apex,” which is the highest point of the putt’s curve. The objective is not to aim at the hole, but to aim for the apex and hit the putt with the correct pace to let gravity take the ball down to the hole. A fantastic drill to ensure you start the ball on your intended line is the “Gate Drill.” Place two tees on the green just slightly wider than your putter head, a few inches in front of your ball on your chosen start line. The goal is to swing the putter through the gate. This provides instant feedback and trains you to start every putt on the correct path.
The Basic Chip Shot Setup – Simplicity is Key
Consistent chipping starts with a simple, repeatable setup. Unlike a full swing, the goal here is control and precision, not power. Begin by gripping down on the club handle. This shortens the club, making it easier to control the clubface through impact. The stance should be narrower than a full swing, roughly inside your shoulders, with your feet slightly open to the target. This pre-sets your body for a gentle rotation through the shot. Crucially, place about 60-70% of your weight on your lead foot (the foot closer to the target). This helps ensure a downward strike on the ball, which is essential for clean, crisp contact.
The ball should be positioned toward the back or in the middle of your stance. This back-of-centre ball position further encourages a descending blow, preventing thin or fat shots. With your weight forward and the ball back, the hands will naturally be slightly ahead of the clubhead, another key element for solid contact. This entire setup is designed to be simple and easy to remember. It minimizes moving parts and creates a foundation for a reliable chipping motion that holds up under pressure, helping you get the ball “up and down” more often.
The Technique – A “Putting Stroke with Loft”
The chipping motion itself should be thought of as a “putting stroke with loft.” The goal is to eliminate excessive wrist action. A good chip is not a flick or a scoop; it is a one-piece motion controlled by the rotation of the chest and shoulders. The arms and the club should move together like a pendulum, similar to a putting stroke. This keeps the clubface stable through impact and leads to much more consistent results. This simple thought process can take the fear out of chipping for many amateur golfers.
One of the most common faults in chipping is decelerating into the ball, which often results in a chunked or bladed shot that comes up well short of the target. It is vital to accelerate smoothly through the ball towards the target. The length of your backswing should control the distance, but the tempo should remain consistent. A good feeling is to ensure the follow-through is at least as long as the backswing. This promotes acceleration and ensures you make solid contact, giving your chips a predictable flight and roll every time.
Club Selection – Your Chipping “Toolbox”
One of the fastest ways to improve your chipping is to stop using just one club for every shot around the green. Thinking of your wedges and short irons as a “toolbox” gives you options to handle any situation. While some golfers prefer to master one club, learning to use several different clubs for various types of chips provides much more versatility. The core principle is to get the ball onto the green and rolling like a putt as soon as possible. The less time the ball spends in the air, the less room there is for error.
The process of choosing the right golf club is simple. When a shot needs to carry over an obstacle like a bunker and stop quickly, a Sand Wedge or a Pitching Wedge is ideal, as it provides more air time and less roll. A standard chip with a good amount of green to work with calls for an 8 or 9 iron, which is a great all-purpose choice. In situations with longer chips where the pin is far away, using a 7 iron is perfect. This shot will have very little air time and will get the ball rolling on the green like a putt almost immediately, making distance control much easier.
The Mental Game: Tying It All Together
Mastering the physical techniques of putting and chipping is only half the battle. A strong short game requires a confident mental approach. Developing a consistent pre-shot routine is one of the most effective ways to build this confidence and calm your nerves under pressure. The routine can be simple—a few practice strokes while looking at the hole, a deep breath, and then stepping up to the ball—but it should be the same every time. This creates a sense of familiarity and control in a game that is often unpredictable.
Furthermore, it is essential to focus on the process, not the result. Instead of worrying about whether the ball will go in the hole, concentrate on making a good, committed stroke with a clear target in mind. This frees you from the pressure of the outcome and allows you to perform your best. Finally, cultivate a short-term memory. Golf is a game of misses. Everyone will hit a bad chip or miss a short putt. The key is to learn to immediately forget it and focus entirely on the next shot. The next shot is always the only one that truly matters.
From Three-Putts to Tap-Ins: Your Short Game Solution
The path to lower golf scores is paved with better chips and putts. Mastery around the greens comes from building a solid, repeatable setup, learning to control distance through a pendulum-like motion, and dedicating time to simple, effective drills. It is about understanding that a ten-foot putt requires the same smooth tempo as a thirty-foot putt—only the length of the stroke changes. It is about realizing that a 7-iron can be just as valuable a chipping club as a sand wedge. Spending just thirty minutes on the putting and chipping green is often more beneficial for lowering your score than an hour on the driving range. By dedicating practice to these fundamental techniques, you can build the confidence and skill to turn your short game from a liability into your greatest weapon.