Most of us are guilty of moving elements of our full swing into the short game. Quite frankly because that information has been handed down for what is now generations: “the small swing is the same as the full swing.”
Always, as in life, it is not quite that straightforward. The goals of full swing are much different from those of the short game.
In the full swing, maximum speed is important, while the bounce of club and added effective loft are often harmful.
In the short game, speed must be well managed, softness has a value and so does controlling the ground interaction of the club’s bounce.
Standing up and hitting a driver as far down the fairway as we can is a different skill from being able to hit the ball 15 feet with a controlled spin rate. The caveat is that in playing the game of golf we would like to be relatively skilled at both.
Here’s how to make that happen.
