Why the short game can never be practiced enough?

[bwkitche]

I'd agree with this up to a point...however...

I'd rather be hitting 12 greens and shooting 75 than shooting 75 while hitting only 6 greens and getting up and down 75% of the time. The 6 greens scrambler is rarely going to shoot lower than 75...the guy hitting 12 greens has much more scoring "potential".

Now the real trick is learning to be the guy that hits 12-14 greens and gets up and down 75% of the time

Think about it this way...

Say you are a semi ok ball striker...you hit 6/18 greens (all of which you 2 putt) and the other 12 you are within 30m off for GIR shots.

Of those 12, if you get up and down 25% of the time you shoot 9 over, UD = 50% you shoot 6 over, UD = 75% you shoot 3 over.

There is a direct correlation between short game and scoring, much more so than for the long game. There is no difference on the score card between:

drove it up the middle, 7 iron on, 2 putts = 4.

Drove it left, punched out to 60m short of the green, wedge to 5 feet, holed it = 4.

[lagster]

You have to find what works for you!

Jack Nicklaus said he practiced his long game more than his short game. He figured if he was driving the ball well, and hitting greens... he would do well. Not that he didn't practice his short game at all, he did practice it.

He came in to speak one time just after Bob Rotella had been talking about the importance of the short game... 60% of scoring within 100 yards etc.. He said something like... "I heard that, but I didn't do it that way."

I believe he figured out what worked for him pretty well.

Someone else may do better with more emphasis on their short game. Others may do better by just playing a lot of golf, with only a little practice. Figure out what works best for you.

[EdZ]

I'd agree with this up to a point...however...

I'd rather be hitting 12 greens and shooting 75 than shooting 75 while hitting only 6 greens and getting up and down 75% of the time. The 6 greens scrambler is rarely going to shoot lower than 75...the guy hitting 12 greens has much more scoring "potential".

Now the real trick is learning to be the guy that hits 12-14 greens and gets up and down 75% of the time

While I certainly agree the shortgame is 'the' key to obtaining the best score out of any given situation, I had a harsh reminder this weekend of how much driving alters the scorecard...

birdied 5 out of my first 10 holes with only 1 par and every bogey was the direct result of a bad tee shot. Granted, I could have saved at least two pars, but the others were really 'good' bogeys.

[birdie_man]

Yup.....no matter what you have to keep the ball in play too.

Penalty strokes.....no good....

[Mathew]

A stroke is a stroke. There is a strong link between all the strokes from a basic pattern 12-1/2-0 - practicing one is practicing the other from a mechanics pattern standpoint... Basic, Acquired and Total Motion... and they should be very much viewed as a single entity....

However at the same time - there is individual uniquenesses to preforming each.....ie on full shots you strive for maximum lag pressure - on partial shots you need to control the degree....etc etc