Parker McLachlin, aka the short game boss, says these are the cues to master the 30-yard shot.
Dennis Scully/D Squared Productions
Being able to call in your remote control on each of your golf shots it is essential to get it close and give yourself chances to score low. But it’s even tighter when you can do it in the short game.
But most amateurs really struggle with controlling their distances near the green, as it requires great touch and an understanding of how long (or short) the backswing should be.
For example, if you are using same club from 30 meters away as you would from 50 yards away, common sense tells us that you will need to shorten your swing. The question now becomes “for how much?”
Since this can be tricky to determine yourself, GOLF Teacher to watch Parker McLachlin, aka Short game bossthere are a few cues to help you master those difficult 30 yard shots.
So the next time you find yourself just short of the putting surface and fearing it will either take too long or come up a little too short, just use the following tips from McLachlin to trust your process and hit with secure your shot.
Master the 30-yard shots
There are a number of reasons why you might hit a 30-yard putt, with the most common being on par-5s when you couldn’t make it in two. But for handicappers like me, getting out of here can be about saving a hole and avoiding a big number on a par-4 – which is why it’s important to figure out how to close it. .
“It’s a tough yard, but it really helps if you can find in the test drive where you need to be at the top of the back drive,” says McLachlin. “For me, that’s about 30 yards (hip height, or about halfway). This is 30 meters in the air.“
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Knowing what the back length should be in a wardrobe is the first order of business, with the trial giving you a feel before you hit the ball.
“My goal for this shot is to have good width (on the backswing), good stance, good shaft placement at address, I want to feel a lot of spin on the drive and build a shallow angle of attack,” McLachlin says. . .
So why come into shallow impact versus steepness? McLachlin says it’s all about adding some protection against a miss, where the leading edge of the club can dig in if you come in too steeply on a shot from this distance.
“If I’m getting a divot from 30 yards, for my style, that’s not what I want to see,” he says. “I know I’m very steep on it (if I do a split), so I’m going to make sure I’m really wide and I’m creating a nice shallow angle of attack.”
