Dave Pelz: “Studying the game”

An endless array of shot lengths, lies, trajectories and stopping distances can make your short game confusing. You can simplify all of this, however, by using the next month to practice what I call a “reference” swing. With any wedge, take your hands back to just below hip height using a full wrist hinge and finish all the way through like normal. That’s it. Learn no more, but practice this swing enough to be able to repeat it consistently, with the same backswing length at the same rhythm and with the same follow-through.

After about 30 days, your wedge shot patterns will begin to repeat. Photo by Leonard Kamsler

The trick is to perfect this reference swing with each of your wedges. As you do you’ll learn how high and far each wedge flies your shots, and how quickly each stops upon landing. After about 30 days, your wedge shot patterns will begin to repeat, and you’ll develop a feel for what to expect from each wedge shot for the rest of your career.

By using the reference-swing concept with each wedge you carry (and I recommend you carry four), reference-distance shots will become a strength of your short game. Learn another length backswing to add four more well-controlled shots to your arsenal. Read the rest of this entry »

The mantra of many hot putters on Tour has become, "I CAME, I SAWED, I CONQUERED!"

The Problem

Too many of your missed putts miss left of the hole.

Why it’s happening

You swing your putter like your irons and woods, rotating your forearms through impact. This rotates your putterface through impact, which can send your putt left of target. Read the rest of this entry »