Is there anything better than missing greens in regulation but getting it up and down consistently? A solid short game is deflating to your playing partners, builds momentum in your game, and can help you lower your handicap fast.
You really can’t practice your short game enough.
However, most of the time chipping/putting greens are nearly empty as most golfers spend all their time at the driving range. While you do need to work on your full swing, don’t neglect the importance of short game practice.
Today, we’ll cover short game practice routines so you can have plenty of ideas to make the most of your time.
Short Game Practice Ideas
First off, what is the short game?
It’s the shots that happen around the green, typically inside 20–30 yards. This includes chipping, pitching, greenside bunkers, and putting.
Key Takeaways
- Most golfers avoid the short game area and focus on the driving range in practice. When, in reality, shots inside 100 yards are responsible for more than 60% of all strokes during the round.
- Short game practice is one of the most important things you can do to improve your scores fast.
- You want to have a mixture of wedge practice, chipping, pitching, bunkers, and a large emphasis on putting.
Keep reading to learn more about detailed practice routines so you can improve an important part of your game.
Chipping/Pitching
The first area of the short game to focus on is chipping and pitching.
Chip shots are lower, more bump and run type of shots. While pitch shots are higher shots that hit the green and check up quickly. Learn more about chipping vs. pitching here.
Start by dialing in your fundamentals using the guides below:
Bunkers
Another important area of the short game to practice more often is bunkers. Most amateur golfers are terrified of greenside bunkers and can lead to blow up holes if you find the sand.
When it comes to bunker practice, you’ll want to start by reading our guide to greenside bunkers. Because you need to first get the proper fundamentals so you learn how to get the ball out of the sand in one shot. Once you have proper technique, then you can focus on more drills and hitting from different types of lies.
Putting
Did you know that putting represents nearly 30% or more of all shots during the round? It’s safe to say that you can’t spend too much time working with your flat stick.
Before getting into the routines, make sure to first choose a putter that suits your stroke. You might even consider a custom putter fitting too.
Then, break your putting practice up into three areas:
- Technique/proper form
- Short putts (3-6 feet)
- Lag putts (30–50 feet)
The right technique can help you find the sweet spot more often and get a more true roll. Once you have a steady stroke, spend a lot of time (roughly 60-70%) on putts inside 10 feet. This is low-hanging fruit for most amateur golfers and can save you tons of shots.
Then, spend time on lag putting so you can reduce the total number of three putts every single round.
Short Game Practice Routine: 30 Minutes
If you can practice your short game a few times per week, it’ll make a big difference. Here is a quick and effective way to dial in your skills in only 30 minutes.
Routine 1
- 10 minutes of bunker shots. Hit from straightforward, good lies, focusing on getting the ball out in one shot.
- 10 minutes hitting chip shots. Hit easy chips where you use a gap or pitching wedge with a bump and run technique.
- 10 minutes pitching. Hit easy pitches where you miss the green in the light rough as if you just missed the green.
Focus on the mechanics and straightforward shots to dial in fundamentals. Save the more challenging ones for a longer practice session so you can make the most of your time.
For bonus points, you can also record your short game shots using a tripod or iRange Sports Stick. This will help you analyze your swings and learn more about your game.
Routine 2
- 10 minutes of short putts. Use a putting mirror to make your eye position is over or slightly underneath the golf ball.
- 10 minutes of 30–40 footers. This is the average length birdie putt you’ll have when you hit the green.
- 10 minutes going through your full pre-shot routine. This will help you simulate playing golf and get comfortable going through your process before hitting the putt.
This short game putting routine will help you with the flat stick and focus on the distances that matter most. Make sure to read our guide of the best putting drills too.
Routine 3
- 15 minute bunker. Focus on making a solid strike and getting as many as you can on the green.
- 15 minutes pitching. Using a LW or SW, focus on hitting your landing spot.
Routine 4
- 15 minutes short putts. Set up tees or markers around the hole to create a clock drill at 3, 4, and 5-feet. See how many you can make from 12 different spots.
- 15 minutes lag putting. Practice putting from 30, 40, and 50-feet and see how many you can get inside a 3-foot circle.
Short Game Practice Routine: 60–90 Minutes
If possible, try to sneak in a few longer short game practice sessions each month. Here are three ways to structure longer days at the short game area.
Routine 1
- 20 minutes putting. Focus on short putts 3–5 feet, then incorporating your full routine.
- 20 minutes chipping/pitching. Focus on hitting your landing spot and use real golf balls from a shag bag if possible.
- 20 minutes playing 9 holes of up/down game. Playing out the chip and putt with one ball using your full routine.
This is an effective way to structure your routine as you can work on chipping and putting. Then, going through your routine will help simulate what it’s like on the golf course. Try to get four or more up and down while hitting nine different chips.
Routine 2
- 30 minutes putting. Spend 10 minutes on short straight putts with a mirror, 10 minutes on breaking putts, and 10 minutes on lag putts.
- 30 minutes putting routine. Hit 18 different putts from different distances and go through your full pre-shot putting routine. Try to not three putt any of them and stay loyal to your routine like you would on the golf course.
Routine 3
- 30 minutes bunker. Hit all types of shots from different lies including buried lies, fried egg, and uphill/downhill.
- 30–45 minutes pitching/chipping. Hit from all types of shots by throwing golf balls around the green and playing it as it lies.
See how many shots you can get inside a 3-foot circle (on easy chips) and inside a 6-foot circle on more difficult shots.
Routine 4
- 30 minutes hitting flops and pitches. Grab your lob wedge and work on high shots that land quickly for when you’re short sided.
- 30 minutes hitting chip shots. Use less loft (SW, GW, or PW) and focus on basic chips around the green. Try to hole out several shots to get into a “make it mentality.”
At Home Short Game Practice
Also, don’t forget, you can work on your short game at home too. This is great if you’re in the offseason and/or don’t have as much time as you’d like to get to the golf course.
Here are some ideas to hone your short game without leaving home:
- Buy a set of chipping buckets.
- Invest in an indoor putting mat and focus on short putts.
- Build an outdoor putting green to go alongside a DIY simulator.
Don’t Forget Full Swing Wedges
As mentioned earlier, the short game is primarily known for shots inside 20–30 yards.
However, it’s still a great idea to spend plenty of time from the 30–100 yards working on your wedge game. This is a big part of the game and can also help your overall score a ton.
Here are a few articles that will help in this part of the game:
My Experiences
I’m convinced that you can’t practice your short game enough. If you’re serious about breaking 80 or even becoming a scratch golfer, you need to spend more time in this area.
When your short game improves, it frees up the rest of your game. Make sure you have the right equipment, a good short game routine, and plenty of practice to strengthen your game.
Plus, make sure to track your statistics and analyze your statistics properly so you spend time on the areas that need improvement.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you understand how important it is to practice your short game relentlessly. Use the different drills and routines to make the most of your practice time and hopefully watch your scores drop.
If you’re a mid to higher handicapper, consider getting some more forgiving wedges. Cleveland makes some forgiving wedges that are a great choice with their cavity back design.
Also, learn more about how often you should replace your wedges next.
Michael Leonard
Michael is an avid golfer of 25 years who played in high school, college, and now competes in Arizona amateur events. He is a full-time writer, podcast host of Wicked Smart Golf, and mental golf coach.
