In your long game, if you can string together several quality shots with your full swing, that’s all well and good, but those shots aren’t going to help you shoot lower scores unless you have a short game to match. In this article, we are going to talk about steps you can take to become a more consistent player on and around the greens. Let’s get to it!

• Take the hands out of your putting stroke. This is one of the leading keys when talking about consistent performance with the flat stick. Rather than using your hands and wrists to move the putter, you should be simply rocking your shoulders back and through. By rocking your shoulders, you will be able to produce a smooth stroke that maintains a steady pace through the ball. Also, it will be much easier to hold the face square to the target line. If you aren’t already using a pendulum stroke to roll the ball toward the hole, get started on this fundamental right away.
• Hit down on your chip shots. Another important skill you need to have in the short game is the ability to hit down t through the ball when chipping. Countless amateurs make the mistake of hitting up on the ball, trying to ‘scoop’ it into the air rather than letting the club to the work. Your wedge has a high degree of loft for a reason – it was designed to get your chip shots airborne. All you need to do is hit down and make clean contact and the rest will take care of itself. Of course, you’ll still need to learn how to control these shots from a distance perspective, and the only way to do that is with plenty of practice.
• Prepare for the day. The work you do ahead of time with regard to your short game is meant to solidify your technique. However, that work is only going to pay off if you also take the time to get ready for each specific round. Before your round begins, you need to spend some time putting and chipping to get familiar with the conditions for the day. How quick are the greens? How receptive are they to your chip shots? Are you able to use spin to stop your chips, or will you need to rely on loft? There is a lot to learn about the course conditions before you head to the first tee to get started.

On the one hand, it would be great if consistency in golf was easier to achieve. After all, it sounds like fun to hit one beautiful shot after the next, and your scores would obviously be impressive. However, part of the charm of this great game is its tremendous difficulty. It’s hard to be consistent, and you should enjoy those days where everything comes together and you play at a high level. We hope the advice we have offered will help you find a string of good shots on a more frequent basis. Good luck!