Golf's Short Game For Dummies

Easy-to-grasp techniques for improving the short game About 70 percent of the shots in a round of golf are taken 75 yards from the pin or closer, making the short game the most significant factor in a golfer's score. This practical guide shows readers how to shave strokes off their game by improving their pitching, chipping, bunker play, and putting. Golfers will find expert tips on choosing the right wedges, putters, and balls, as well as illustrated step-by-step instructions on swings used in short-game shots. They'll also find information on how to beat bunkers and other hazards and how to play various lies-in deep rough, from the fairway, uphill, side-hill, and off bare ground. There's also a section on stretches, exercises, and drills to improve techniques, as well as tips on reading greens for accurate putting. Michael Patrick Sheils (Birmingham, MI) is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America. He has written four books, and his articles and columns have appeared in worldwide magazines and newspapers. Michael Kernicki (Miami Beach, FL) has been a PGA member for 27 years and is currently the Head Professional at the historic Indian Creek Country Club in Miami Beach.

Introduction 1 Part I: Walking the Short Game 7 Chapter 1: Sharpening Your Approach 9 Chapter 2: Discerning the Short Game Certainties 21 Chapter 3: Gearing Up for the Short Game 33 Part II: The Long and Short of It: Short Game Technique 51 Chapter 4: Chipping Off the Ol’ Block 53 Chapter 5: Pitch, Pitch, Pitch 67 Chapter 6: Climbing Bunker Hill 87 Chapter 7: Putting Your Best Foot Forward 105 Part III: Short Game Strategies 123 Chapter 8: Waging (and Wedging) a Ground Campaign 125 Chapter 9: Selecting Putting Strategies and Remedies 137 Chapter 10: Taking an Unconventional Approach 149 Chapter 11: Flipping to Flop 163 Chapter 12: Keeping Your Head in the Game 169 Part IV: Short Cuts to the Short Game 179 Chapter 13: Warming Up to the Short Game 181 Chapter 14: The Games People Play 195 Chapter 15: Tricks and Treats: Techniques and Tools to Improve Your Game 203 Chapter 16: Learning from the Stars 217 Part V: The Part of Tens 225 Chapter 17: Ten Simple Secrets of Short-Shot Success 227 Chapter 18: Ten Ways You Can Practice Off the Course 231 Chapter 19: Ten of the Greatest Short Shots Ever 239 Chapter 20: Ten Great Short Game Golf Courses 249 Index 257