Dan’s Top-10 Short Game Practice Drills to put PURPOSE to your PRACTICE

Key points

• Place the trail foot back on the tiptoe to lock downward pressure into the lead hip and knee
• Rotate the torso around the fixed lead-side axis without shifting weight back
• Strike down slightly to create a crisp pinching contact on the ball for a Release 1 finish

Common mistakes

Dropping the trail heel to the ground during the backswing, shifting weight back and scooping.

Key points

• Keep triceps and elbows softly pinned against the front of the rib cage throughout the motion
• Rotate the chest around the lead side rather than swinging the arms independently
• Allow the hands to follow a natural shallow inside-to-inside arc while keeping the clubhead outside the hands

Common mistakes

Letting the elbows disconnect and wing away from the torso, leading to long and uncontrollable arm swings.

Key points

• Position the ground club's shaft pointing parallel to your trail trouser seam
• Take the club back feeling the hands work slightly inward while the clubhead stays outside
• Clear 2 to 3 inches in front of the upright shaft to avoid an excessively flat takeaway

Common mistakes

Snatching the clubhead inside on the takeaway and colliding with the reference shaft.

Key points

• Hold the handle entirely in the fingers with both thumb pads hovering off the shaft
• Feel the natural pause and momentum drop of the clubhead at the top of the swing
• Rotate the chest smoothly through impact without pulling the hands down aggressively

Common mistakes

Squeezing down with the thumb pads, which adds shaft lean, removes dynamic loft, and causes the ball to launch low and hot.

Key points

• Let the back part of the wedge sole glide through the grass fibers
• Ensure the butt of the grip points directly at your belt buckle just after impact
• Keep the chest rotating through without stabbing the leading edge into the turf

Common mistakes

Leading with forward-leaning hands and stabbing the sharp front edge into the ground to create a deep divot.

Key points

• Rest the grip extension against the outside of your lead hip at address
• Push the club back on plane without letting the grip detach from the body
• Rotate the hips and torso through impact, ensuring the butt does not poke or separate from your side

Common mistakes

Flipping and scooping the wrists through impact, which violently detaches the handle from the hip.

Key points

• Secure the towel firmly under both armpits against the upper pectoral muscles
• Limit swing size to 20-30 yards to preserve technical mechanics
• Rotate the chest through toward the target while keeping the towel from falling

Common mistakes

Attempting full 70-80 yard swings that dislodge the towel and over-accelerate the arms.

Key points

• Hover the clubhead at the equator of the ball at address
• Adopt a shallower, more rounded swing path rather than chopping steeply down
• Clip the ball cleanly from the peg, leaving the tee standing upright in the ground

Common mistakes

Steep chopping angles that hit high on the clubface or smash the tee out of the turf.

Key points

• Check that the open clubface points directly back at your eyes halfway in the backswing
• Maintain the open clubface pointing back toward your face through the follow-through
• Create shallow, even-depth sand divots from entry point to exit point

Common mistakes

Closing the clubface on the backswing or rolling wrists over through impact, digging the leading edge deep into the sand.

Key points

• Tuck your lead hand behind your back or place it lightly on your lead shoulder
• Grip below center on the handle using only your trail hand
• Allow the clubhead to freely overtake the grip through impact to create an effortless sand splash

Common mistakes

Pulling the grip rigidly forward with the lead side, preventing the bounce from sliding beneath the ball.