Very simply, as I turned 60 this year, I committed to practice my short game twice a week for an hour... it paid off.

Skip, you are right in your thinking.

So, I absolutely love this post! For one, I do most of my short game practice in my backyard because I have a lot of varying conditions from which I can practice distances, trajectories, elevations, turf lengths/thicknesses, etc. When I practice putting, I'm sort of hindered by distance from my club and a lack of daylight by the time I get home from work; however, I have a 6 x 12 rug on my back porch that is a pretty good simulation of a green and a putting target the size of a cup. The back porch has a slight decline for water drainage (it's a screened-in porch), so I'm able to place the target in different areas and practice different speeds and lines.

Now, I'm a pretty good driver of the ball, but if I have an area that hurts me most, it's my approach from 160-220. It isn't terrible, but I'd benefit from some more accuracy in that area. All of this to say that regardless of my deficiencies away from the green, my short game has been the reason I was a 16 handicap this time last year and a 2 handicap today. I shot par twice and my last 10 rounds before my father got sick and up until his death were all mid 70's. What do I practice everyday in rain or shine? Short game.

I have a bucket of 50 ProV1x's that I hit about 10 times per day if I don't get to go to the course, so I'm probably getting about 500 short game strokes per day . . . around 3500 per week, give or take, in all sorts of conditions for hardpan to straw, to bushes, to short/long bermuda. I even have an area that is always either soft or mushy. The only thing I don't have is a sand trap. My goal is to work to the point I can't (or probably won't) get it wrong.

Chip & putt practice is the most efficient way to lower scores for sure!

Let me add this up. If you use your driver on 14 holes that is 14 strokes plus 14 second shots we are at 28 and four third shots on par fives that would make it 32. Four par fours that would be 36. Let's two putt on every hole we are now at 72. Ever think what it actually take to shoot even par. Where can you actually cut out the most strokes.
Most likely in the second shots on the par fives and in your putting. Birdie a couple of par fives and cut your putting strokes down to the low thirties and you are in the high sixties. Sounds great on paper. The short game is where you can cut down you strokes the most. Most likely in your putting where most of us do not spend enough time on. For some it might chipping but all in all, the short game will help the most, along with the six inches between the ears. It seems to always get in the way of a good round. Block out the sand and turf monsters. Hakuna matata. Happy holidays. =)

Thanks, guys, for the great responses. Every winter, I urge ALL GolfRite students to sign up for our Winter Putting & Short Game Training Program. EVERY student has reported such positive results over the years, and the Program is a blast to present! I love it!!!!!

I worked on my short game a ton during Covid. Over that time, I went from a 8 handicap down to a 4. So many golfers will spend their time on the range beating balls. You can find me over on the short game practice area hitting every shot imaginable to hone my short game.

Totally agree, I believe for single digit handicappers, dialing in your short game is the best way to shoot lower scores. I'm fortunate that my home club has a very good short game practice area and I definitely take advantage of it.

Short game is the stroke saver for sure, you can hit it 300 but if you can’t chip and putt , you are going to struggle to go low

Skip-

very solid advice and suggestions about improving our short games. I was actually starting to work on my practice plans for the winter. I will definitely add more practice time to the short game.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the importance of short-game practice, Skip! It's great advice for golfers of all skill levels to focus on their short game and to develop a variety of shots around the green. As you mentioned, putting is a critical aspect of the short game, and spending time practicing longer putts can certainly help develop distance control and touch. It's also important to remember to be creative and have fun with your short game practice, trying different shots and experimenting with different clubs and techniques. With dedication and hard work, building a strong short game can pay dividends for years to come. I can't help but notice that besides golf, I have a possibly not so good hobby but this one has come up since I found this source casinosanalyzer.com/.../google-pay ; the idea is that I used to have the problem that I could not pay by other ways than google pay, now I found the possibility to do it by the payment method that suits me best, I think I should leave this here because not many people know about this good source, a friend gave it to me, I think for those who are looking for this kind of games will be satisfied and I think there you will find what you need. Merry Christmas to you too!