Hitting long is fun, but short game more important

Hitting the ball a long distance in golf is both intoxicating and fun. In fact, we are kind of obsessed with distance. The golf industry promotes it. New clubs and new balls are all designed to go the long distance. Our score may not get any better, but it feels great to hit it 10 yards further. The fact is that we need more than our speed in our swing in order to play the game of golf.

Generally, 70 percent of all of our shots are 60 yards and into the hole. We indeed use our putters for 40-50 percent of our strokes. Even the name of the area where we hit golf balls we call the "driving range." It should be called the "practice range." We need to spend more of our time working on precession (our short game).

Pitching, chipping, putting and greenside bunker shots are all a part of the short game. In this segment we will talk about pitching. A clear description of pitching is the ball spends more time in the air than rolling on the ground. In chipping the ball spends more time on the ground than in the air. Learning how to control distances from 100 yards, 50 yards, 30 yards, 20 yards and into the hole takes a plan of attack. Let's talk about some ways to practice these shots.

Shots around the green require good touch and creativity. By simply extending the principles of the chipping stroke and adding a more pronounced wrist hinge, we enter into the realm of pitching, perhaps the most important scoring shot of all. Remember, the difference between a chip and a pitch is that a pitch will spend more time flying in the air than rolling on the ground.

Characteristics of pitching:

n Grip down slightly on the club. Grip pressure should be lighter.

n Have a slightly open stance. Feet should be 10 to 12 inches apart.

n Ball position should be at the middle of the stance.

n Sixty percent of your weight should be on the forward foot.

n Hand should be slightly in front of the club head at address.

n The wrist hinges and the lower body is quiet on the backswing.

n Hand remains soft and quiet during the swing.

n Finish with the lower body facing the target at the finish.

n Distance is controlled by the length of the backswing and follow-through.

For distance control, use the image of a clock for a reference point. For a right-handed golfer, use your left arm as the hour hand. You should picture 12 o'clock above your head and 6 o'clock between your feet. Half way back would be 9 o'clock. Finish on the forward side at 3 o'clock.

You can practice 8 to 4 o'clock, 9 to 3 o'clock and 10 to 2 o'clock. Each swing length will result in different distances. If you can add clubs such as a lob wedge, sand wedge, gap wedge or pitching wedge you have the ability to create an array of different trajectories and lengths into your short game.

Finally, pitching is a relatively simple swing. One key reason people aren't getting any better is because they have no system to control distance. If you make a sincere effort with this plan you will find your scores improve dramatically from 100 yards and into the hole. Remember, 70 percent of our shots occur within 60 yards of the flag.

Tom Leese is a Class A PGA member and has lived in Las Vegas since 1999. He moved from Troon North Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., to become the director of instruction for Resort Golf Schools at Angel Park Golf Club. Since 2003, Leese has been rated by Golf Digest as one of Nevada's top teaching professionals. He teaches at Angel Park and Silver Stone Golf Club as well as the PGA Tour Academy both nationally and internationally. He can be contacted at 858-2498.