I’ve mentioned it a few different times, but working with Parker McLachin, aka “Short chef gameI changed the way I approach shots near the green.
Not only did I have the privilege of working with McLachlin to gain more confidence with the 60 degree wedge and while hitting Deep bunker shotsbut it completely changed my mentality in the way I approached the game.
When I first met McLachlin, I bluntly asked him what I needed to focus more on achieving my personal goal of breaking 80 for the first time by the end of this summer. Without hesitation, he said, “I perfect every shot at 100 yards.”
Well, that’s cool and all, but how Would an amateur golfer like me do that? By reimagining different parts of the golf swing, this is how.
In the video above, McLachlin walks you through how to set up for shots between 50-125 yards, explaining why a wider stance is the suggested approach.
“We get a little tighter in the setup as we get closer to the green, maybe inside 50 yards,” says McLachlin. This changes as you expand outward, with Short Game Chef describing the reason for the broader situation.
“Now, when we start going from 50 to 125 yards, our stance will widen,” he says. “So it’s going to feel kind of like under our hips, under our shoulders. We’re not expanding a lot, but we want to stay [about shoulder-width apart]. “
Next, he focuses on both ball positioning and clubface movement, saying that it’s really important to keep the face square – as opposed to the importance of keeping it open when close to the green.
“When we talk about the position of the ball, we’re going to make that position of the ball a little bit forward to the center,” he says. “I don’t really want to come back here too far to fly it low, it’s an artificial way of escaping low. I really don’t want to.
“Our club face is going to be on the square side. The only time I want to open that club front is if I have 50 to 60 yards, and I have to go up, or I really want to put some spin on it. Otherwise, 50 to 125 [yards]This club front will be square.”
Finally, McLachlin says the weight should “push the pressure forward a little bit into the title.” By doing this you will give yourself a nice angle of attack, allowing you to be aggressive with your shot, and make sure you spin all the way through.
So when you’re facing a 50-125 yard putt, this updated setup will give you confidence that you can hit the ball with purpose, giving you a better chance of sticking it closer to the pin.
For more tips from Short Game Chef, visit Check out McLachlin’s website.