Your ability to score is significantly influenced by your ability to minimise the number of putts per round.
But it is not simply a case of going out there and practicing your putting!

Did you know?…The leading money winner on the PGA Tour (Justin Thomas) this year only made 58.47% from the 5-10 foot range. Tiger Woods only made 56.00%.

If any amateur golfer can average over 50% over the course of a season from this critical scoring range, I would very much like to meet them!

In the words of Dave Pelz, short game coach to the world’s top players,
“If you want to score, the most important “game” to improve is your short game. Second most important is your putting game. And the least important is your power-swing, ball striking game, the game you’ve been practicing all these years!”

Here is why

Dave Pelz places the short game (this is chipping and pitching) above putting because all the stats show that how close you hit it to the hole has a significant impact upon how many putts you take.
Take a look at the 2018 season putting stats from current World Number One, Brooks Koepka.

Notice how the percentage success rate from outside 10ft drops off a cliff. Outside of 20ft Brooks doesn’t make that many putts at all!

This means all golfers will benefit hugely by hitting the ball closer to the hole from 100 yards and in.

Practice is not just about hitting ball after ball and spending a lot of time at it – in fact it is entirely not that! Good practice is about being deliberate with what you are doing and to make practice more like your play.

The Golf Studio at Dunes provides highly accurate distance information and is ideal for working on your short game throughout the winter.

Wedge Fitting at Dunes Golf Centre

Over the last 15-20 years the manufacturers have strengthened the lofts on Iron sets meaning the Pitching Wedge has strengthened from 52° to 45°. In fact, the Pitching Wedge on one new set of Irons is 42°. That is a three club length gap to the Sand Wedge. 

No wonder we haven’t seen a drop in scores despite the longer tee shots. With a gap between the Pitching Wedge and Sand Wedge (which they couldn’t strengthen as we needed that loft to get out of bunkers) extended to 11°, in the scoring zone you are effectively playing with a Sand Wedge and 8 Iron!

If you want a better short game, as a minimum you must do the following: get very good at playing 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4Pitching Wedge shots and, as I would also recommend, you put a 50 or 52° Wedge in your bag.
This Wedge (the ‘Gap’ Wedge to fill the gap the manufacturer’s have created between the PW and SW) will make it much easier for you to play better shots into greens.

I currently carry 4 wedges; They are a 46° wedge, a 50° Gap wedge and a 54° Sand wedge and a 58° lob wedge. I feel this gives me the versatility around the greens that I require.

We are a Custom Fitting Centre for most of the major brands including Ping, Cleveland, Callaway, Vokey, Taylormade and Mizuno.

Telephone 01346 510693 to book or go to https://yp0te5pkb5.wpdns.site/custom-fitting

Author

  • Peter Myers

    PGA Golf Professional since 1997 Director of entertainment at Dunes Golf Centre in Fraserburgh Passionate about creating opportunities for everyone to play and enjoy golf Proud Yorkshireman Loves Leeds United and enjoys a BrewDog or two