The Shot I Thought Was “Good Enough”

I once hit a chip shot to about 12 feet and felt pretty satisfied walking up to it.

Missed the putt. Walked off with bogey.

Did the same thing on the next hole. And the next.

By the time I got home, it hit me — I hadn’t actually hit a good chip shot all day. I’d just hit a bunch of “not terrible” ones and convinced myself that was acceptable.

That’s the mistake.

Most Golfers Aren’t Trying to Get It Close

They’re trying not to mess up.

There’s a big difference.

Watch any group of weekend golfers around the green and you’ll see it. The goal isn’t to get the ball within a few feet. The goal is just to get it somewhere on the green without blading it across or chunking it halfway there.

So they decelerate. They guide the club. They play it safe.

And they leave everything 10–20 feet away.

Over and over again.

I Used to Think “Safe” Was Smart

I genuinely believed that avoiding disaster shots was the key to a good short game.

No skulls, no chunks, just keep it on the green and rely on putting.

Sounds reasonable, right?

It doesn’t work.

What surprised me was realizing that this “safe” approach actually creates inconsistency. When you’re just trying to survive the shot, you end up manipulating the club, slowing down through impact, and hoping for a decent result.

Hope is not a strategy.

Deceleration Is Killing Your Contact

If I had to pick one thing I’d argue with anyone about, it’s this: decelerating in the short game is worse than being aggressive.

Not reckless. Aggressive.

When you slow the club down into the ball, a few things happen. The clubhead passes your hands too early, the bottom of your swing gets unpredictable, and your contact becomes a guessing game.

That’s why you get those chunks and thin shots that feel like they came out of nowhere.

They didn’t.

You created them by trying to be careful.

You Need a Landing Spot, Not a Vague Intention

This is one of those small changes that completely shifts how you approach the shot.

Most golfers look at the hole.

Better players look at a spot on the green where they want the ball to land.

Not “somewhere over there.” A specific spot.

Two feet onto the green. Three steps past the fringe. Just over that darker patch of grass.

Because once you pick a landing spot, the shot becomes about distance control, not survival. You’re no longer just trying to avoid a mistake — you’re trying to hit a number.

That changes your swing without you even thinking about mechanics.

The Club You Choose Matters More Than You Think

I used to grab my sand wedge for almost everything.

Felt like the “right” club. High loft, more control, safer.

That was wrong.

Using too much loft makes the shot harder than it needs to be. The more loft you use, the more precise your strike has to be. Slightly off, and you either chunk it or send it way too far.

These days, I’ll use a pitching wedge, 9-iron, sometimes even an 8-iron around the green.

Let the ball roll.

It’s easier to control a rolling ball than a flying one. That’s just physics. Less time in the air means fewer variables.

I resisted this for years because it didn’t feel like a proper golf shot.

It works anyway.

Your Setup Is Probably Working Against You

This is one of those boring fundamentals that people skip.

Ball position too far forward. Weight too centered. Hands neutral or even slightly behind the ball.

That setup almost guarantees inconsistency.

Try this instead: ball slightly back in your stance, weight favoring your front foot, hands just a bit ahead of the ball.

Why?

Because it helps you strike the ball first, then the ground. It also keeps the loft more predictable and reduces the chances of the club bouncing or flipping through impact.

You’re basically setting up in a way that makes a clean strike easier.

It’s not about making it perfect. Just easier.

The Shot Doesn’t End at the Ball

This one took me longer than I’d like to admit.

I used to think the goal was to hit the ball cleanly and let it do its thing. So my focus stopped at impact. Sometimes even before.

That leads to short, jabby swings that never quite get through the shot.

Instead, think about where you want the club to finish. Low and toward the target for most basic chips.

This encourages you to keep moving through the ball instead of slowing down.

Again, you’re not trying to hit at the ball. You’re swinging through it.

Practice Like You Actually Care About Results

I’ll be honest — most short game practice I see is kind of useless.

People drop a pile of balls, hit the same shot over and over from the same spot, and call it practice.

That’s not how it works on the course.

Try this instead: one ball, different spots, different lies. Treat each shot like it matters.

Because it does.

When you only have one attempt, your focus changes. You pick a landing spot. You commit to a club. You actually think about what you’re trying to do.

It’s a completely different mindset.

I’m Still Not Sure About One Thing

There’s this idea that you should always keep your wrists quiet in the short game.

I’ve tried it. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it feels too rigid.

I’m not fully convinced it applies to everyone.

What I do know is that excessive hand action — especially when you’re trying to “help” the ball — usually leads to trouble. But locking everything up doesn’t feel right either.

Somewhere in between seems to work best, but I’m still figuring that part out.

The Real Problem Nobody Talks About

Most weekend golfers don’t fix their short game because they don’t spend enough time missing on purpose.

They stay in their comfort zone. Same shots, same clubs, same safe swings.

They never push it.

So they never learn what actually controls distance, how the ball reacts, or how different clubs behave.

They just keep hoping the next chip will be better than the last one.

And sometimes it is.

Just not often enough.