The game of golf is full of excuses. Whether it’s an excuse for a bad shot, a bad pair of slacks or the dreaded excuse for a late or missed tee time, golf is littered with blame. Rarely, however, does a golfer blame himself or herself for a poorly hit shot. It could have been a distraction, a bad lie, a miscalculated yardage or my favorite—an unexpected 40 mph gust of wind. In any case, and despite the plethora of excuses for what seems like everything in golf, if you want to get better at actually playing golf, you must check your ego at the door.

The most important thing you can do to improve your chipping game is to

know your distances precisely. Here’s a drill that can help. Find an

area where you can pace off 30, 60 and 90 yards. Then place a small

builder’s brick at each distance. Hit pitch shots at the 30-yard brick

until you land one on it. You’ll get a great thrill from seeing the

ball bounce way up in the air, and you should start to develop

confidence and an aggressive attitude when you begin to hit such a

small target with regularity. After you hit the brick from 30 yards, go

for 60 then 90 yards.