Coming Up Short

[JB]

I was having a conversation with someone at the Leadbetter school and we were talking about teaching and amateur golf. He said something that I have been thinking about for the last week.

Amateurs come up short in about 65% of their golf game and never fix it.

The more I think about it, the more I agree with him completely. Between coming up short on approach shots, chips, bunker shots, and of course putts, the number could possibly be even higher.

We spoke for about 25 minutes on the subject and he said that most players with a handicap higher than 10 should take an extra club every single time they are hitting an approach because players come up short and put themselves in far too much trouble. He said "if players would take more club and not try and baby it, they would end up pin high far more often". I am relating it to my game and I think he may be right.

We have invited him to write an article on the subject for us but due to employment, he cannot. However he is going to send us some statistics as well as some ideas ad we are going to put something together.

 

[Dent]

Oh my god, I can't beleive you just posted this. Today I was the expert at coming short. 8-10 times today my approach was short after hitting a fairway, Today all of the pins were at the front of the green, so I found myself constantly using my 60*, coming up short on that as well, and then 2 putting. Very frustrating.

 

[askthejak]

I know I do a lot. I get stupidly aggressive. Today, I was at a distance that was a long PW for me, but the pin was tucked closely behind a bunker, and I took the PW instead of the 9 iron, trying to stick the ball on the pin. Guess where the ball went- yep, bunker. Did pretty much the same thing on a par 3, ended up with a completely buried ball, and ended up with a double bogey.

It is a very valid point, but in some ways, it might be skewed. If I am chipping up a slope, I would rather end up a couple of feet short than go long to make the putt easier. But for the most part, yes, it is a valid point.

 

[JB]

Nice timing Dent. That was his exact thought. People come up short because the pin is in the front or they want the uphill putt and in turn leave it short. That is where the errors start to pile up.

He said if all golfers would aim at middle to back of the green instead of pin hunting they would shave strokes immediately.

ATJ, his point was that sure you want an uphill putt but in that case most people would leave it far too short instead of getting it to the hole.

 

[WWPSD]

Jim Fuyrk had a good article years aro in Golf Magazine discussing the same thing, stating the most of the time 'trouble' is short of the hole in reference to second shots to a green. It is very active in my mind where I would rather miss the green at my course depending on which would be the better next play. It is also a very much in the front of my mind to get the ball to the hole on pitches, chips, and putts.

After reading the Fuyrk article and thinking about it during rounds, 90% of the time I end up taking an extra club on second shots unless trouble is long. Great advice that all amateurs should listen to...in addition to the idea of amateurs playing drivers with higher lofts.

 

[jcuray]

I wish I could come up short in 1 or 2 heck it takes me 3 to 4 shots most times to get to the green.

 

[C-Tech]

I read an interview with Jackie Burke a few years ago and he said amateurs should pick a club that they would bet $500 they could guarantee to hit over the green, take one less and hit if full, they would stop coming up short every time.

Today, we were dealing with heavy, humid air in Tucson (far from our norm), so I took an extra club or made sure I hit the right club hard. I made myself aim for the back of the green instead of the pin. It worked like a charm. I was short on only two holes.

 

[Smallville]

With the GPS, now that I know the distance to the center of the green, I will oftentimes pick a club to hit to the back of the green. I still come up short more than I'd like, but since last September when I got it, I actually hit over the green once in a while! Not that that in itself is a good thing, but if you don't ever hit it past, you'll never hit it in. Usually, I am still short, just not by as much as in years past.

 

[worst_shot_ever]

Probably true overrall, but also it seems like I've been flying the green an awful lot lately.

 

[OFvar]

thats what she said :laugh:

 

[JB]

Probably true overrall, but also it seems like I've been flying the green an awful lot lately.

I think a lot of the things he is referring to are putts, chips and around the green shots as well as just approach shots.

 

[MO_Hacker]

This definitely applies to me, especially with putts and chips. I'm so afraid of sending the ball 10 ft. past the hole I end up stubbing and coming up short.

 

[JB]

MO,
It was really an eye opening discussion and then low and behold I play two rounds after that and watch as myself and the people I am playing with as well as others around the course come up short. Shot after shot.

 

[provisional]

I see it, and do it too many times when golfing. Knowing the distance to the pin is more than just a number. It's is a starting point. After knowing a number, it is up to the golfer to factor in all the conditions that might add, or subtract to that known distance. Is the green elevated, up hill, down hill, what's the wind doing, what kind of lie is the ball sitting on, the landing area's conditions, or maybe the golfer is between clubs. Weather; wet or dry. Time of year; cold, or warm. How the golfer is playing (swinging) that particular day. Just a whole bunch of stuff that most golfers don't take the time to factor in based on their normal swing's carry, and roll. What kind of shot, (high or low) (fade or draw) is required. Sometimes that is just too much stuff to think about for me. :confused2:

 

[StLCardsFan]

I used to be the guy who hit every club hard, and like what is mentioned here, would come up short often. After having 'figured it out' about hitting more club and swinging less or choking down or a combination of both, my game has gotten much better.

 

[askthejak]

I read an interview with Jackie Burke a few years ago and he said amateurs should pick a club that they would bet $500 they could guarantee to hit over the green, take one less and hit if full, they would stop coming up short every time.

Yes, that is in his "My Shot" segment in GD. I have the My Shot book coffee table book- great read.

JB, it is a very valid point on short game shots especially. You leave it short, can't sink the putt, and you are looking at 3 shots right around the green- not going to make many pars like that.

 

[Fourputt]

Don't get too "cute"

Don't get too "cute"

How often do you see a player trying to be too "cute" with a pitch or chip, especially when he has short-sided himself? One thing that I always emphasize when I'm offering a tip to a playing companion is to be sure that he or she gets the ball to the green. Playing a 60° wedge from fluffy rough can often result in nothing more than leaving the same shot all over again from 10 feet closer, or worse, just chunking the ball into a bunker. Take enough club, then hit it hard enough to be certain that the next shot is a putt. If that means that you chance being 20 feet beyond the hole, then so be it. I'd rather have a 20 foot downhill putt than a 30 foot uphill second pitch from the rough.

A paraphrased quote attributed to Lee Trevino: "90% of all shots left short never go in the hole."