A key to being a great short game player is being able to alter the flight of your shot.
Sometimes you'll need a high ball flight landing on the green soft, stopping quite quickly.
Other times, you'll need a lower ball flight when it comes off the club face a little faster,
and when it hits the green, it will release a little more. Now one of the easiest ways
to do that is by altering your tempo. If I wanted a lower ball flight releasing up to
the pin, what I'll do is I'll make quite a short swing with quite a brisk tempo. Naturally,
this will produce quite a low ball flight with a little bit of run when it hits the
green.
If I wanted a little higher ball flight, let's say the pin is not cut so close to the edge
of the green. What I'll do is I'll lengthen my swing slightly, slow the tempo down slightly.
This will produce a slightly higher ball flight, one that lands in the green a little softer,
and stops a little faster. And if I take it to the extreme, let's say the pin is cut very
close to the edge of the green, you need a very high ball flight. I'll lengthen out my
swing further, making a much slower tempo, and naturally this will produce a very high
ball flight, with virtually no run when it hits the green. It's a simple way to control
the flight of your shot. Give it a try.