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Short Game
Short Game
Golf Instruction

Your Practice Swing Could Be Hurting Your Shot

You've got to pay attention to what you're doing before you hit it.

When it comes to short game shots, swing coach Jeff Ritter says to be mindful of what your preparation for the shot looks like. Just taking a haphazard practice swing or two isn't going to do it. Ritter says that if you pay attention, you’ll notice that a lot of people actually use a motion in their practice swing that has them hitting behind the ball. If you’re practicing hitting behind the ball, you’re a lot more likely to chunk it when you get up to hit it.

Instead, Ritter says to pay close attention to what you're doing during that minute before you hit your shot. He says to make a few practice swings where you’re making sure you're creating a shallow cut, and that these practice swings should be bottoming out at the ball. This will help you keep the leading edge from digging when you actually hit your shot.

More mindful practice swings will help give you a bit more consistency in your short game.


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