Golf for Beginners. Short game

Hi all.

Left an introduction in the first post section and my second port of call is here

Just looking for overall tips on helping me move forward

I understand the fundmentals of the game and I am taking tips from friends who play. I have played 8 rounds and 2 I have scored at 125 and 124.

The short game is where I struggle the most as I assume is the case with most beginners. What tips can you give me bearing in mind I don't know alot.

Pitching wedges - What situation should this be used.

Sand wedges - Are these for bunkers only.

Chip and run - Which club should be used? 6/7 iron?

After 8 rounds I am starting to reach the edge of the greens around 1 under par on a good day but end up with 7's and 8's. I know practice will be the key here but A few situations on club choice would be gratefull.

Cheers

YB

Hi 

I change the club i use for a chip and run, depending on how far the pin is from yourself, how much fairway or rough there is beteween you and the green and how much room there is between the edge of the green and the pin.  I try to get the ball to bounce just off of the green when i am playing a chip and run shot so that the ball does not roll to far on the green. This is just what i do, and what i think about when i play my shot.

 If it is a small green and there is not much room for it to run.  Genrally i would playa more lofted chip, so that there is less roll on it.

I hope this helps.

Daniel, making the first bounce off the green is not the way to go, as the bounce cannot be guranteed. The first bounce should always be on the green and the nearness of the pin dictates what club and what shot is required. There are exceptions of course when the pin is tight but in the main, use the regular surface of the green for the first bounce.

Graham

Its good to keep a record of your scores like you are doing,  and the early stages are the best when you can see dramatic changes.

I like you started off 120's (was just using an iron off the tee at first with big jumps coming down 116, 110 then hovered around 102, 103 for 2 months.

Feeling of breaking 100 was great and now scoring high 80's low 90's and the progress has slowed.  I'm still a high handicap player but for me my problem is keeping a good score going.

Last week was 5 under my par in coming to the 15th and then blew up - think I got excited and then went 8, 7, 8 and messed up my card.

Around green I just try to concentrate on no worse than 2 putting and also worth a try if you are just a few inches off the green using a 5 wood or a rescue club as then you are just concentrating mainly on the distance control, thats really helped me but may not be for everyone  - and if you think about scoring one over par then gradually that par's will start to come as your game improves.

Sand wedge - i find ive got to really concentrate on accelerating down into the back of the ball and keep my hands in front of the ball at impact and this has really helped me.

Good luck.

John

My advice for the short game for what it is worth is commit to the shot.  If you are worried that you are going to hit the ball too hard or it is going to run away down a slope do not play the shot softly shorten your backswing instead.  This advice includes putting.  Make sure your follow through is twice as long as back swing with the putter.