The key to a good short game is versatility. To consistently pitch and chip the golf ball close, you have to be able to adapt to a limitless variety of turf conditions, lies and green surfaces.

You have to be able to hit low shots that release and run, high shots that stop on a dime and everything in between. You have to be creative and If you only have one stock way of playing finesse shots, you’re putting yourself at a big disadvantage. Fortunately, playing different types of shots doesn’t have to be as complicated as we often make it.  As Titleist staff instructor Brandon Stooksbury shows in his latest video series, you can drastically change the type of shot you hit by making a few simple adjustments in club selection, ball position, how your orient the clubface and how you angle the club shaft at impact.

Try applying Brandon’s principles, starting with the most basic of short game shots in this video – the Bump & Run.  Let us know if they help you to add some shots to your short game arsenal.

“The most common pitfalls I see when people try to chip are positioning the ball too far back in the stance and leaning the handle too far forward. This essentially turns the leading edge of your club into a little shovel that wants to dig into the turf. You can still hit a low chip shot with a more neutral setup. And you’ll gain the advantage of using the entire sole of your wedge to glide through the shot instead of digging.” – Brandon Stooksbury