- What is short game?
- What MUST HAPPEN for a successful short game?
- How can you have a ferocious short-game that takes all comers?
The short game includes the putt, chip, pitch and bunker strokes. It is easier to consider the putt and chip as having similar small-strokes and the pitch or bunker shots as being slightly shorter versions of the full-swing. At least that is true for the Minimalist Golf Swing’s (MGS) short game.
The short game should be kept as simple as possible so that a golfer can get consistent results with it, because it is the short game which is able to make up for a lack of distance or direction-control in the full-swing. Also, the short game constitutes a golfer’s last opportunity to get the ball to the green and then into the hole.
There are two main things which must both happen in the short game – the direction must be straight and the distance should be accurate. If a golfer cannot have both, at least the direction should be straight, as it is a much easier aspect of the short game to control. What MUST HAPPEN in the short game, in order for the ball to go straight is that the club must go straight down the target line as it passes the ball – regardless of what style of backswing is made. The MGS backswing gives a golfer the best chance of making the club travel straight down the target line.
In ALL aspects of short game, it is the trail (ie. right, for right-handed golfers) shoulder which prevents the club from moving straight down the target line as the club passes the ball. How? If the trail shoulder is higher than the lead one at the top of the backswing, it will come forward and in front of the trail toes, bringing the lead arm and club way inside the target line after impact. Thus the club is unable to move straight down the target line.
The main requirements for the putting aspect of the short game is for the putter to stay as close to the target line throughout the movement as possible, and for the forearms, wrists and club shaft to stay fairly vertical (not slanted) throughout the swing.
For the chip shot, it is important to not use wrists at all, simply make a straight-arms movement back and past the ball, with the head not moving and the trail shoulder always lower than the lead one.
With both these aspects of the short game, the club remains low throughout the movement.
Finally, with the MGS short game, the pitch and bunker shots are mini-versions of the full-swing. Once a golfer understands how the full-swing is made, the same movements are made for the MGS short game versions of the pitch and bunker shots, with the only difference being that the golfer stands closer to the ball – because the clubs are shorter.