Short Game vs. Long Game & The 1/3 Rule

It is said that full shots constitute less than 45% of the scoring in golf for almost all levels of players.  In fact, it is considerably less than 45%.  Based on data collected by noted Short Game Teacher Dave Pelz, the Short Game accounts for approximately 63% of scoring while the power game only accounts for 37% of scoring.  More important, about 80% of the shots golfers lose to par occur inside of 100 yards!  That is quite powerful.  Yet whenever golfers gather, the full swing monopolizes the practice time, the effort and the conversation.  The fact that you are reading this blog means you are one of the aware golfers.  What is interesting though, if you ask any golfer if the Short Game is the key to scoring, without question, they will tell you that it is and they will correctly tell you why.  However, if you documented those same golfers practice time, you would most likely find that they spend most of their time practicing the long game.  Why would they do that if they understand the reality of it?  Well, hitting the golf ball a long way is fun.  There is nothing like hitting those perfect drives on the practice range.  I love hitting that boring 5 iron into the wind.  So, what do we do?  Instead of walking over to the bunker and spending 10 to 15 short minutes working on sand shots, we stay on the range and pound away balls until we are too tired to practice anything else.  We figure that those great long game shots will make up for any deficiencies on or around the greens.  It all feels good; better in fact than it ever has.  You feel like your swing is finally grooved.  Things will be different next time out on the course.  That low score is right around the corner.  Watch out course record, I’m coming!    

Now, you may very well hit some long shots better the next time you go out to play.  The drive on the first hole goes straight down the middle.  Your second shot flies perfectly straight, right at the pin.  Unfortunately, you caught it too perfectly and it flies over the green into some thick gnarly rough.  You take out your trusty sand wedge and chunk it about three feet and it stays in the rough.  It is now time to put a little more muscle into this one.  You swing as hard as you can, catch the ball clean and the ball travels into the deep bunker on the other side of the green.  You blade the ball out of the bunker, back over the green, to where you were in the first place.  You get the idea.  This stuff happens all the time.  

Remember this; your goal in the long game is to keep the ball in play, between the trees, if you will. The distance the ball travels is not the key.  No out of bounds.  No penalty drops.  No hitting the ball back out into the fairway from behind a tree.  No just getting the ball out of the fairway bunker so you can attempt to hit the next shot onto the green.  Just get the ball somewhere around the green and use your Short Game skills to get that ball up and down into the hole. 

Try practicing this way in the future.  Use the 1/3 Rule.  Spend 1/3 of your time practicing the Short Game, 1/3 of your time practicing Putting and 1/3 of your time practicing the Long Game.  This way you will definitely improve that short game while just maintaining the Long Game enough to keep the ball in play.  Practice the Long Game last.  When you do practice the Long Game, start with the wedges and work your way up to the driver.  Save the driver for last always.  When you finish hitting drives, you’ll be so tired; you won’t want to practice anything else.