Short-Game Shortcuts

Unless you’re a single-digit handicapper, chances are you’re hitting fewer than a handful of greens in regulation each round. To save pars, you need to have some short-game skills. One of those is having a go-to chip, a shot you can use from any greenside lie and that you can rely on under pressure. In this video, Golf Digest Best Young Teacher Mario Guerra shows you how to get the ball close to the hole when chipping.

One of the biggest tests you face around the greens is the mental challenge an intimidating shot can present. Which club should you use? How far should you take it back? Should you hit it high or low? In this video, Mario Guerra shows you how to remove all those confusing thoughts and hit a perfect pitch shot that has a high percentage of finding the green and getting close.

When your ball rolls into a greenside bunker, your immediate reaction is probably fear of the upcoming shot. But it’s much easier than you might think. The trick is having a clear concept of what the club needs to do through the sand. In this video, Mario Guerra teaches you a bunker shot that will work anywhere in the sand and get you on the green.

Arguably the toughest shot around the green isn’t one that’s in a bunker, but one where the bunker sits between you and the green. This is when you need to loft it high and land it softly next to the hole, a skill that teacher Mario Guerra demonstrates in this video. Use this shot with discretion, and you’ll have a great weapon when you need it most.

On those holes where you do hit the green in regulation, you’re likely facing long putts. The key to a good lag putt is maintaining stability and swinging with a smooth rhythm. A well-played lag is the No. 1 way to avoid a three-putt. In this video, Mario Guerra teaches you how to save strokes with the putter from long distance.