Short game not so sweet

In golf, the scoring game is definitely the short game. And, unfortunately, this is currently a serious issue for me. The absence of a decent short game is turning excellent rounds into average rounds and average rounds into disasters.

The main issue has been putting and having once been regarded as a good putter I am now almost regarded as a joke. Two to four-footers are nightmarish, at best fifty-fifty propositions. Even eighteen inches seems too far. Basically, I've got the yips with short putts and even my lag putting is terrible.

The cause of my putting woes is not technique, although some say technique can be a cause, and I'm inclined to think it is psychological. I'm getting angry and I'm getting worse.

Most of my practice in golf is actually putting and on the putting green before a round I'm fine. I don't have the yips there, no matter what technique I use. I think what I'm doing on the course is placing too much pressure on myself - trying to make a score. I really should be playing some rounds without scoring - hard to do when the only rounds I have the opportunity to play are with friends in club competitions.

Anyway, I do need to find a way to take pressure off my putting game. One suggestion I've received is to slow down my tempo - and I think that is a good place to start. Another good idea is to make sure I finish the stroke and hold the putter at the finish point, something I have tried before, but might be worth another go. Finally, I intend to adopt a double-overlap Vardon grip to reduce the amount of right-hand domination. The feel is fairly natural, not like some of the other grips that don't feel comfortable and don't work for me, no matter what they are supposed to achieve.

So much for putting. My chipping has been OK, my pitching tolerable, my approach shots acceptable. But these are areas ripe for improvement. More practise would be good, so I'll see what I can do. I have certainly acquired enough (too much?) information in this area of the game.

As for the long game, I'm still using 'connection theory' and hitting the ball reasonably. More width in my takeaway with driver and more emphasis on ball position are things I will be addressing. But it is the short game that for me at the moment is not so sweet.