Practice the short game

A common fault among golfers is that they don’t practice the short game as much as they do the long game. Many of you will have heard the phrase ‘drive for show, putt for dough’. This is a very true statement but golfers still spend more time hitting drivers and irons on the driving range.

When I played full-time as a professional I spent 70 per cent of my time practicing my short game because this is the one area sure to help lower my scores. Having the ability to hit a wide range of shots around the green takes a lot of pressure off your long game.

The first thing you need to do is check that you have the correct technique and set up. You can ask your PGA professional to check on this during a lesson. To become a good short game player, you need to have a good feel and touch. Getting these skills can only be acquired through practice.

Change your goals for the next month. Stop worrying about your long game so much and start developing your short game. This also includes practicing your putting, the most important part of the game.

Make sure you practice with a purpose and also making sure it is both challenging and realistic. Set yourself goals, for example getting 7 balls out of 10 within a two-yard range of the pin from a chip.

Golf Legend Seve Ballesteros was famous for his short game shots where he used to practice his chipping until he holed at least three chip shots in a single practice session.