Part III: The Short Game
Lesson #39: Hit Your Short Shots Hard

Have you ever watched Tom Watson play chips and pitches around the green? If you haven't you should, because he is just about the best there is. One quality you'll notice is that although the shots he's hitting are short ones, he hits them hard, with a brisk, compact, up-and-down stroke.

Acceleration through impact is as vital to the short game as it is with your longer irons and woods. It is the only way to put proper backspin on these shots, for maximum control. So be crisp and aggressive on even your shortest shot, leading the clubhead with your hands as you make a descending hit on the ball.

One way to check yourself is to imagine the short-shot swing as a race between your hand and the clubhead, with your left knee as the finish line. If your hands don't win that race every time, you need to develop a faster, harder-hitting technique.

Illustration by Jim McQueen

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