The term ‘short game’ in golf refers to the category of golf shots which are made when the golfer is situated relatively near the green or on the green itself. Generally speaking, shots that are made from inside of 100 yards may be considered to be part of the short game as opposed to those that are made from further and belong to the long game category. As such, putting goes into the short game category as do greenside bunker shots.

A golfer with a great short game will shine when shots need finesse and precision and will be able to bounce back from approaches which missed the green. A golfer with a fantastic short game will excel when utilising short clubs such as wedges.

What Is A Pitch Shot?

A pitch shot is one that spends a lot more time in the air as opposed on the ground and with more carry. It has a higher trajectory and more spin that assists it with stopping faster after it lands on the green. Pitch shots frequently occur farther away from the green than chip shots and so require a slightly longer swing.

What Is A Pitch-And-Run Shot?

This is a shot that is played from near the green, which flies a short distance and then rolls towards the hole. The pitch-and-run shot is typically played with a wedge or other short iron and generally flies a little higher than a chip shot and rolls farther than a standard pitch shot.

What Is A Chip Shot?

A chip shot is the easiest way to get the ball moving towards your target when there is no obstructive in your path. Chipping depends on the golf club doing the work in order to get the ball rolling on the ground. This golfing technique takes some of the “guesswork” out of the short shot that you need to hit and is as satisfying as playing the bingo Australia has to offer.

Chipping Technique

The first thing that you must do correctly to hit quality chip shots is getting set up correctly.

Stand closer to the golf ball than you would on your full swing. Open your stance a little and step your feet closer together. The golf ball needs to be back in your stance and closer to your back foot. As you stand over the ball, feel a lot more of your weight on your lead foot.

Your hands should be just slightly ahead of the ball, resulting in a forward shaft lean. You don’t want to have too much forward shaft lean because this can result in the club’s leading edge digging into the turf and a poorly struck shot.

The technique utilised to hit a chip shot is quite simple. The stroke is like the putting stroke, a back-and-forth pendulum motion, with the length of the stroke differing according to the distance of the shot. Your wrists should not break during the stroke.

What Is A Bump And Run Shot?

For a bump-and-run shot, the golfer will hit the ball so that it makes a hop for a short distance before rolling a great distance afterwards.