Let’s be honest. Most golfers don’t hate the practice of shredding because shredding is boring. They hate it because they practice it in a boring way.
They drop a bunch of balls, hit the same shot over and over, maybe take a look to see where some ended up, and call it “work.” This may help some, but it usually doesn’t go over well on the course because golf isn’t played in predictable blocks. Played one stroke at a time, with consequences.
This is why games work.
Good slicing games create pressure, require concentration, and make you react to an objective instead of just making move after move. They make the practice feel less like a chore and more like something you actually want to keep doing.
Here are five of my favorites.
1. Challenge up and down
This is a classic for a reason.
Drop a ball into a chipped spot around the green. Wait for it and then remove it. This is a point. Now move to another location and do it again.
Play nine balls from nine different lies and keep your total score.
If you chip it and make the putt, that’s a 2.
If you need three shots, it’s 3.
Simple.
This game is great because it combines the chip with the putt. Many golfers judge a chip solely by how good it looked in the air. On the course, the only thing that matters is what you decide next.
2. Levels of landing point
Set up three or four landing spots with tops, towels or head coverings. Place them gradually farther on the green.
Now use the same club and try to land a ball on each spot in order. Miss one and you have to start over.
This is one of my favorites because it trains the skill that matters most in chipping: controlling where the ball LANDS. Most players fixate on the hole when they should call the putt.
You can make it easier by allowing a small margin around each spot or harder by requiring a straight shot.
Either way, it sharpens the touch quickly.
3. A worldwide club
Choose five different chipping stations around the green and use only one club for each shot.
This can be a hindrance. It could be a sand wedge. It doesn’t matter.
The goal is to learn how to create different trajectories and openings with your placement and landing, not by changing clubs each time.
Keep score based on the number of people who end up inside a three-foot circle.
This is a good hide and seek game because it teaches creativity. Good chippers are not only mechanically sound; are adaptable.
4. Beat-the-par game
Create a short game course around the green with six to nine holes. Give each station a pair, usually 2.
Then play the course.
Cut and pop each ball out and try to beat the same level.
This is different from basic repetition because it gives the practice a beginning, middle, and end. It also creates enough pressure to make you care. Suddenly, that five-footer behind the chip means something.
This is exactly what you want. The pressure in practice shouldn’t be overwhelming, but it should be real enough that your brain knows the shot matters.
5. Worst breaking ball
This is humbling. It is also remarkable.
Drop two balls from the same spot. Hit both chips. Then play the worst.
Always.
If one ends up two feet away and the other runs to 12 feet, you play 12-foot.
This game punishes careless repetition and rewards consistency. On the course, your best chip doesn’t matter if your pattern is all over the place. Worst ball practice exposes it quickly.
It also adds pressure because you can’t just celebrate the good and ignore the sloppy.
How to keep these games useful
Change the lies.
Change clubs.
Change the objectives.
And, most importantly, keep score.
The result is what makes it real. Without it, most golfers go right back to hitting the ball silly.
I also like to set a time limit on games every now and then. Give yourself 15 minutes to complete one and see if you can stay focused. This keeps the pace and helps you practice with purpose.
Why games work better than random replays
Games force your brain to reset between hits. They create consequences. They make you react. This is much closer to actual golf.
They also make practice enjoyable and that matters more than people think. Golfers stick to practice routines they like. If your short game work feels like punishment, you won’t be doing enough to improve.
The simple truth
If you want to become a better chipper, you don’t just need more reps. You need better reps.
Games do that.
They give practice a purpose. They train touch, creativity and pressure management. And perhaps best of all, they make you want to stay in short game area a little longer.
That alone can change a lot.
