I find that the biggest struggle in teaching short game is distance control and ball reaction based on different clubs and shot selection.
To work on that, I’ll find a spot on the short game area and then pace off 5 steps (use paces when working short game because that’s how you’ll do it on course) and put down a tee, 5 more than a tee, all the way up to 25-30 paces.
From there I’ll hit 5 back foot bump and runs and 5 front foot softer chips with each wedge. With the tees, you now have a distance grid for how far the ball rolled out with each shot, as well as using the tees to monitor carry distance in comparison to roll out. I’ve even had students write all the data down and keep a card in their yardage book or bag to give them a reference.
You can repeat this process with different lies, uphill vs downhill, and even out of the rough. For low handicap and “high spin“ players, I’ll also recommend practicing with the same golf balls you play on course. Range balls are like hitting stones!
#trainyourgame