Essential techniques for chipping, pitching, and bunker play. Provides concise drills, checklists, and progression steps to improve around the greens with printable practice routines.
Golf’s shortest paths to lower scores often lie within the short game. From delicate chips to high, soft pitch shots and escape tactics from greenside bunkers, mastery here translates to immediate, tangible gains on the scorecard. At GolfTips.net, the Short Game hub gathers time-tested techniques with clear progression steps, rooted in the sport’s enduring emphasis on touch, precision, and mental composure around the greens.
The short game has long been recognized as the great equalizer among players of varied lengths off the tee. In the early days of golf, courses favored firm turf and tightly guarded greens, demanding a tactile language of cutting, spinning, and lofted carries. As equipment evolved and greens grew faster, players developed a repertoire of concise motions—bump-and-run, flop shots, and precise distance control—that transcended raw power. The Short Game category reflects this heritage by distilling that tradition into practical, incremental drills suitable for modern greens.
Our approach honors the culture of practice routines handed down by coaches and pros, while embracing data-informed refinements. Readers are invited to treat each drill as a bridge between memory and muscle, between a concept seen on video and a repeatable feel at the course.
Chipping demands a compact stroke, a stable face, and a deliberate landing zone. The objective is predictability—rolling out toward the hole with minimal big deviations. Start with a simple high-to-low chipping motion, then progress to variations that suit different grass conditions.
Printable checklist: setup, rhythm, landing zone, roll-out expectation.
Pitch shots create height and distance when greens are just out of reach. Bunker play is a question of club selection, blast versus splash, and understanding sand interaction. A disciplined warm-up and a clear shot plan reduce anxiety and improve salt-of-the-earth consistency around hazard zones.
A curated set of drills helps you build a repeatable short game. Each drill includes a quick-start checklist, a measurable target, and a printable routine you can take to the practice area or the living room.
Access printable drill sheets, step-by-step checklists, and a glossary of short-game terms to reinforce learning. These textual resources are designed to be quick to download and easy to reference during practice sessions.
All content is textual by design, optimized for quick reference and easy sharing across devices.
Explore related topics across the site to build a holistic approach to scoring. Use the Home page to access featured tips, and browse categories such as Swing Basics, Putting, Course Management, and more to create your personalized practice roadmap.
Short Game reflects GolfTips.net’s commitment to an informational, non-commercial perspective. The section distills decades of coaching wisdom into approachable, actionable steps. The tone remains clear and encouraging, with emphasis on practical results and sustainable improvement. This is a space where beginners find a reliable starting point and seasoned players refine touch and consistency around the greens.