Moneyball Golf: Distance or Short Game?

Every week on the PGA Tour, the subject of distance is explored.  The big hitters are the gods of the fairway, as the rest of us dream dreams of taking two less clubs into the green.  Because of the fascination with distance, it seems we all worship at the long-distance altar.  We want to hit the big drives.  We want to grab the golf course by its throat, and wrestle it with our wedges and nine irons.  Every golfer, it seems is in love with the notion of distance.  We all want to bomb it!

Although for many golfers, and golf brands, distance may be a sales pitch as well as a 19^th hole long tale over several beers, the secret we will announce here is that our game is not won or lost on the tee, but from 125 yards from the green and in.

The real secret to lower scores is to drive it straight, and then to be an expert with your short irons, wedges and putter.  Think about it: you might use the driver 14 times in a round, from 125 yards in, you will have up to 2/3rds of your total scorecard……..time to reallocate practice time.  Becoming a better golfer is not a mystery, nor is it some secret that you cannot own.  It is about working with a PGA/LPGA Golf Professional.  Your professional will teach you the proper short game technique.  The proper technique is step one.

After that, you want to make certain you have the right clubs in the bag.  Your professional will make sure you not only have the proper lofts, and overall specs, but also make sure the gaps between wedge lofts make sense for your game.  This is important, in making sure you have most of the shots you need right there in your bag.  After technique and equipment, comes practice.  Once you understand how to execute, you now need to become good at execution.  Practice both in the approved practice areas, and on the course will make a huge difference in your confidence, in your ability, and in your score.

It is time to invest in the short part of golf.  Driving it long will not pay the bills.  If you want the lowest scores, and you want to win those $2.00 bets, be sure to take a great short game arsenal to the golf course.  The real distance is in the bragging rights around the smallest number….on your card.