3 Most Important Golf Shots To Practice

I think we can all agree that golf is tough and that you never have enough time or energy to practice EVERYTHING. This is why I gathered 3 most important golf shots to practice. These 3 shots are my personal favorite because they’re proven to improve your game as much as possible in the shortest amount of time so make sure you practice them in your next training session 😉

Greenside Chip Shot

One of the most important golf shots to practice is definitely a greenside chip shot, it’s definitely a no-brainer. Why would you practice greenside chip shots? It’s actually a really simple explanation - because this is where you land most of the time when you miss the green.

Even if you miss the green by 10 yards or more, there are still times that you don’t hit the green with your next shot and you’re left again with a greenside chip shot.

What Is A Greenside Chip Shot?

It’s every chip shot from the edge of the green. For your better understanding and easier practice I marked out with BLUE approximately where the zone of greenside chips is. Believe me, this is the area where scores are made. Not from the tee, but here!

Why Is The Greenside Chip One Of The Most Important Golf Shots To Practice?

There’s no such thing as hitting every hole close to the hole. Even if you watch the PGA tour and other professional golf tours, you see that they miss the green several times per round. 

Think of it, even if you hit it close to the hole 3 times per round and make 3 birdies, but the rest are bogeys, double bogeys and triple bogeys, this isn’t the best result you can have. It’s better to do some pars, bogeys, and a double bogey every now and then and I am certain that you can improve by just improving your chipping. 

I know it’s easier said than done, but somehow you will get your ball close to the green. After that it’s up to your chipping and also putting skills if you will make the up and down or not. Have you ever kept track of how many chips you had in a round and how many putts you holed afterwards? You would be surprised how low the percentage is…

Wedge Approach Shot From 40-80 Yards

Nr. 2 most important golf shot to practice is a wedge shot from 40-80 yards from the hole. This shot could be in the same category as the previous shot, i.e. in the short game because they're actually connected. Every time you miss the green from 40-80 yards, you end up with a greenside chip or a bunker shot, right?

But this is not all…40-80 yard pitch shots are very important because you often have up to 80 or even 100 yards when you are getting out of trouble. Sometimes you’re in trouble and you need to chip the ball out of woods or out of a deep fairway bunker and you place your ball on the fairway, usually somewhere around 40-80 yards away from the flag. 

Or sometimes your misses are bigger than usual and you simply attack the green with your 3rd, 4th or even 5th shot from this distance. So if you place it close to the hole, you still have a great chance for an up and down and a decent result although you were still in trouble 1 shot ago…

Don’t get me wrong, it would be a mistake to think that you'll be close to the hole with every shot, especially on shots that are 60 yards and longer, but if you manage to make at least one or two up and downs from 40-80 distance every round, that means 2 fewer shots each round, if not even more (sometimes a bad pitch shot leads to even more bad shots).

Nr. 3 Most Important Golf Shot To Practice - Clutch Tee Shot

Clutch tee shot is on the 3rd spot of the most important golf shots to practice. Especially on more demanding golf courses there are difficult tee shots and then even tougher approach shots. In cases like this you need to be on the fairway to have a good chance of keeping the ball out of trouble. Have you played on any golf course like that in the past? In difficult situations a clutch tee shot is a must-have.

What Is A Clutch Shot In Golf And What Is A Clutch Tee Shot?

A clutch shot in golf is a good shot when you are under pressure. Some would say a clutch shot is the last putt that could decide a winner on a PGA Tour, but I would say every tough shot where you need to hit a small and difficult target is a clutch shot.

A clutch tee shot is nothing else than a clutch shot from the tee boxes on a golf hole with a lot of dangers or with a really narrow fairway with water, out of bounds or anything similar nearby. It’s a tee shot that needs to hit the fairway if you don’t want to lose shots. And for the sake of it, you also need a club that you can reliably place on the fairway. Usually this is not a driver.

Some golfers use 3 wood, 5 wood, knockdown shot with their 3 wood. Or maybe even a shot with a hybrid, why not. With clutch tee shots your main goal is to hit the fairway, even if you are therefore further from the green.

How To Practice Clutch Tee Shots

To practice clutch tee shots go on a driving range and choose different longer clubs to practice. Define your goal and imagine a corridor 20-25 yards wide which represents a narrow fairway. With every club hit 10 balls and try to hit them in the corridor at least 5 out of 10, or even more - 7/10 or 8/10 shots. Write down the result and you will quickly see which one is the most suitable. I personally like to use a 2 iron.

Bonus Tip: 

Did you know that lack of good golf strategy is one of the most common reasons why golfers lose shots?

Golf strategy can be very simple, but very effective when done correctly. If you’re a golfer struggling to get better, feeling overwhelmed with all the swing improvement and technique, hitting bad shots in the worst possible positions and not having any clue what actually helps… I know how you feel. 

I used to struggle with the exact same thing until I discovered these 3 simple steps that lowered my scores by 10 shots. If you follow these 3 things I am 100% sure you will see drastic improvement in your game:

1. Golf Course Management. 

Golf course management is the most neglected part of amateur golf. Although it sounds complex, it’s very simple but very powerful if it’s done right. You need to analyze the golf course and know the optimal positions for your shots. 

2. Different Tactics. 

It’s not enough to JUST play golf without a clear goal in mind for every golf hole. I don’t talk about the result, you need to have a precise tactic where to place your shots for the lowest risk and best score. 

3. A Consistent And Reliable Golf Strategy. 

We could say that If you don’t have a golf strategy in place that’s adjusted to your strengths and skills, you’re basically not even playing golf. You’re just walking and hitting a golf ball in between without a clear system and goal. 

If you combine these 3 things, you will see instant results, you will feel like you have more control over your game. You will finally enjoy golf again and as a reward, the scores will go lower and lower. How great is that!? And if you'd like to LEARN MORE about how to improve your game, JOIN ME in our FREE ONLINE TRAINING HERE: link