Hitting Short

Every golfer hits wayward shots from time to time. Its an integral part of the game and should only be a cause for concern if it happens with embarrassing regularity. The main causes of hitting short stem from errors in technique and judgment.

Technique
The schlaff and top result in a lack of distance. The top causes the ball to scuttle along the ground. The schlaff causes the clubhead to be slowed down on impact with obvious results. Other sections examine these in detail and illustrate how the primary cause is in the set-up particularly, ball positioning and stance.

It is important to remember that the power with which the ball is struck comes from the uncoiling of the body during the downswing. A smooth swing is of paramount important. Any desperate attempts to leverage the ball will usually result in any number of classic wayward shots. Besides in golf, accuracy rather than distance usually pays larger dividends.

Judgement
If you know that you are hitting the ball properly yet still find your shots landing short then you may be underclubbing. Typically in golf, we say that certain clubs have certain loft and generate a certain distance. However these averages can vary substantially between individuals. It is important that you know your clubs. Practice on the range and learn how far on average, you drive the ball with any given club. When playing the course, refer to your own statistics rather than standard averages when selecting clubs.