Can't chip, can't putt

The post title was actually a reference to someone who plays golf at a much higher standard than me, and who is actually somewhat better at chipping and putting than the average joe. My recent failings in this department of the short game do, however, confirm that I have lost a lot of my chipping and putting prowess while I've concentrated on the full swing.

I had 36 putts in the last round, which is not good enough. It wasn't just that I missed a couple of short putts, nor that I holed nothing, it was poor chipping. As close to the green as I was on maybe twelve holes, I should have been able to get up and down say six times. But no, I think the score was about one out of twelve, combined with a couple of three-putts, just to rub it in.

I think I need a better strategy for my short game. I've had reasonable results chipping and pitching with a gap wedge, but that's on a good day. Mostly, I just don't get the ball close enough to the hole. Putting brilliantly you could get away with it, but putting poorly, it results in a litany of missed opportunities and frustratingly wasted shots.

One good thing, however, is that I have re-discovered my one-plane swing and I'm hitting the ball much better. Even there, there are mistakes that I generally fail to recover from or poor course management decisions. It doesn't take much to wipe out the good with some poor decisions.

I am convinced that the one-plane swing is for me. I still marvel at the power a short flat swing can create when body turn is introduced. I am also impressed by how easy it is to hit a draw on command. Not so sure about hitting a fade; those attempts usually result in the double-cross or at best a straight shot. It is important, of course, to let the clubs do the work - not to try to force - that means convincing oneself that the swing will generate sufficient power and distance.

It's time for me to consolidate my one-plane swing, basically by trusting it. It's also time for me to get to work on my short game. That is an area any serious golfer needs to work on 'seriously' and not just fiddle while Rome burns. Who says I can't chip and can't putt? Not me.