The foundation of any good short game starts with solid fundamentals and clean contact. But to truly lower your scores, you must master distance control — and that comes from touch.
Touch is the ability to control distance through feel and instinct. It takes time to develop and is a skill you’ll see consistently in better players. Here are five ways you can start sharpening yours.
1. Develop your hands
Feel starts with your hands. They control the club’s loft, face angle, and speed — all of which influence distance and direction.
Practice moving the clubface and shaft angle using only your hands and arms to understand their role better. Becoming aware of how subtle changes affect the ball is the first step toward real touch.
2. Let your eyes lead
Watch any skilled player during short game practice, and you’ll notice that they spend most of their time looking at the target, not the ball.
With experience, your eyes tell your hands and arms what to do. The same principle applies in putting — your distance control improves when your focus shifts from the ball to the target.
3. Match your swing length to distance
Aside from club selection, the length of your swing or stroke has the biggest influence on distance. You can calibrate this through structured practice — here’s a link to my short game calibration course. Over time, with repetition, you’ll begin to instinctively feel the right swing length for each shot.
4. Feel the club “fall”
As your backswing lengthens, you store more energy, which naturally increases speed and distance. If your hands and arms stay relaxed, you’ll sense the clubhead “fall” toward the ball. That softness — combined with the club’s natural weight — enhances both feel and distance control.
5. Learn your release
Different release patterns create different ball flights and rollouts. A body-driven release tends to be shallower, producing a lower flight and more roll. A hand-and-arm release, like on a true pitch shot, launches the ball higher with a softer landing. Learning to adjust between the two helps you fine-tune trajectory and distance on command.
