It should go without saying that it is important to aim your short game shots accurately. These are shots which are all about precision – when chipping or putting, you are hoping to at least leave the ball very close to the hole, if not knock it right in. You can’t just hope to get lucky with your aim when setting up for a putt or chip. Instead, you have to have a plan in place to make sure the club face is pointed in the right direction each time.

Fortunately, you are going to be able to use nearly the same exact process used in the full swing when hitting short game shots. You can use intermediate targets in the short game, you can go through the setup procedure just the same, and you can start your swing after taking one last look at the target. Basically, you can copy the process from your full swing and put it into action in your short game right away.

With that said, there are a couple of differences that you will want to keep in mind. The first has to do with the target line you are going to use for your shot. In the short game, your target line is going to be based on the break of the ball as it travels along the ground, not the curve it takes in the air. Even a pitch shot from 30 or 40 yards away isn’t going to have enough time to curve as it flies, so you aren’t going to need to worry about that piece of the puzzle. Plan your target line around the slope of the ground, not the curve of the ball in the air.

The other main difference to note has to do with the importance of distance control. While thinking about aiming your short game shots – which is certainly important – you don’t want to lose sight of the fact that you need to control your distance nicely to come away with a good result. As you prepare for each short game shot, you need to plan out both your line and your speed before you step up to the shot. For most players, it is the distance control piece of the puzzle that is going to be more challenging. As you warm up for each round, be sure to spend plenty of time on the practice green to get comfortable with the speed of the putting surfaces on that day. Green speeds change daily, so you can never assume that you know how fast they’ll be rolling.

To play good golf, you need to aim properly. It can’t be said any other way. Aim is an important part of golf, even if it is not something you have paid much attention to previously. Take time during upcoming practice sessions to learn how to aim, and your game is going to gradually get better as a result of the effort. Good luck!