Dave Pelz: “Studying the game”

Send your questions to: askpelz@golf.com

Q: I hit great short-game shots during practice, but I can’t take them to the course with me. I never feel comfortable over the ball and end up chili-dipping or blading my chips. Can you help me out?

A: Tell me if this sounds familiar: On the range, you hit your first shot fat (likely because you played the ball too far forward in your stance). Your following shots get better as you subconsciously make corrections to compensate for the bad ball position. At session’s end, you’re chipping like a Tour pro. Two days later on course, however, you chunk your first chip. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re familiar with my philosophies, you know how seriously I take the scoring game, and how important it is to your overall score. My research on putting and wedge play is now stretching into its fourth decade, so that’s the area where I can help you the most.

Playing the ball forward in your stance to pitch the ball higher is a no-no.

Of course, there isn’t enough room here to cover everything I’ve discovered in more than 30 years—we’ll save that for future issues of GOLF Magazine. (Look for the new “Pelz Files” beginning in September.) What you can learn right now, however, are the must-have elements of creating Tour-like touch from 100 yards and in. It’s the same information I give to students in my Scoring Game Schools, and it can help you, too.

It’s your bad shots and weaknesses—not your strengths—that largely determine your scores. Take what I know, make it your own, and turn 2006 into your best season ever. Read the rest of this entry »

If you saw a set of golf clubs in a pro shop for the first time and were told how far each one carried the ball, keeping all those numbers straight in your mind might be tough. But since you’ve played for a while, you probably don’t have any trouble remembering your 7-iron carries about 140 yards. That knowledge is an important part of your game.

Now be honest: Do you know exactly how to hit the ball 30 yards on the fly? How about 60 yards?

If you don’t, I’ve got an easy way to learn how, and take the guesswork out of selecting the ideal wedge and swing to hit for short game shots where no full swing club distances exist. Read the rest of this entry »

Most players don’t pay enough attention to their ball position. And okay, I’ll admit the topic is not necessarily glamorous. But if you want to see just how important ball position is to your short game, try this little experiment in your back yard:

1. Address a ball as you normally would for a 20-yard pitch shot, in the middle of your stance.
2. Without moving your feet, push the ball 12 inches toward your target.
3. Still, without moving your feet, try to hit the ball at your target.
4. Setup again as normal, then press the ball 12 inches away from your target along your target line and try to hit it.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you want to improve your golf game, all you have to do is practice more, right? Actually, more is often not better. Since you only have a limited amount of time to practice, knowing what to practice and the right way to do it is critical. If you practice the wrong things you won’t see any improvement. Before you encounter this problem, here are two truths to be aware of as you plan your practice time: Read the rest of this entry »