W
ith the new
Shots in the
Night golf
experience set to open
for play this fall, now is
the time to focus on
your short game – so
whether you're playing
a competitive round or
you're mixing it up
with a group of friends
over drinks after dark,
you'll be as sharp as
possible with your put-
ter and wedges. Tom
Burley, the PGA Head
Golf Professional at In-
dian Wells Golf Resort,
has a few tips for keep-
ing your short game in
good working order…
u u u
Get out of
your comfort zone
We tend to practice
shots we are comfort-
able with, but don't be
afraid to spend some
time outside your com-
fort zone. The last
thing you want to have
happen is fearing a
short shot around the
green because you
never practice it.
u u u
Think your way
around the greens
Another good idea is
managing your shot se-
lections around the
putting surface. When
chipping, you need to
be in control. Make
sure you select the club
best suited for the up-
coming shot. Try play-
ing more roll than loft,
as roll is much easier to
gauge and will give
you a sense of direction
for your next putt.
u u u
Practice lag putting
Get comfortable hit-
ting putts from 25 feet
or so. Speed is crucial
when lagging putts.
Most of your three-
putts tend to come
from not hitting a good
first putt, most often
due to speed. Many
amateur golfers typi-
cally don't end up
close to the hole when
hitting from the fair-
way or tee boxes, so
make sure you practice
those longer putts.
u u u
Become automatic
from short range
Practice making as
many putts as you can
from inside 3 feet.
When you're feeling
good with the short
putts you can become
more aggressive with
your birdie tries. A
great drill for this
would be to hit putts
from 3 feet along a
yard stick. You want
the ball to stay on the
yard stick along the
way to the hole – if
your club face is not
square to the target, or
your stroke is off, the
ball will not make it all
the way to the cup.
u u u
Make practice
time simple
When I ask golfers
why they don't prac-
tice as much as they
should, I hear that
there isn't enough time
in their day. High or
low handicap, you
should always try to
make practice simple.
Although the course
should be the mainstay,
don't forget that you
can putt on a yard
stick in your living
room or chip some
balls in your back yard
when time is tight.
.........................................
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details on golf clinics,
lessons and more.
TARGET
PRACTICE
Simple steps to help
master short shots
BY TOM BURLEY
Head PGA Professional
LESSON TEE
BOOK
A TEE
TIME
Dial in your short game for Shots in the Night.
