Coming off one of the most dominant years we’ve seen in the past decade or so, Scottie Scheffler’s entered a new stratosphere as a golfer.
Not only did the world No. 1-ranked player win his first-ever Masters and Olympic gold medal this year, while carding victories in six other PGA Tour events, but he also earned a total of over $62 million — which is the highest-earning season in PGA Tour history.
As Scheffler’s rise continues, it’s clear that he’s become the new face of the sport.
But forget about his star power, because, at the end of the day, what separates him from anybody on the golf course is his ability to hit every single shot — and his short game is a major part to his success.
Scheffler ranked 16th in shots gained: around-the-green, 6th in scrambling, and 4th in scrambling from 20-30 yards — so the guy’s an absolute wizard with a wedge in his hands.
While there’s no chance you or I hit it like he does, getting tips from the best golfer on the planet never hurt anyone. So take a look below to see how Scheffler executes two different short game shots from 30 yards out: The high spin shot and the low runner (video courtesy of TaylorMade’s YouTube channel).
Scottie Scheffler shows how to hit 2 different types of short game shots
One of the keys to success in the short game is having a diversity of shot types, since there will be times you’ll need to hit it high and soft, and others when you’ll need to run something up there with perfect distance control.
Knowing that, Scheffler’s here to help with both types of options.
“I’m going to teach you two different kinds of wedge shots,” Scheffler says. “One of them being a higher shot with some spin, and the other one being a low shot with not as much spin.”
Next, Scheffler talks about the different pin locations and how he plans his shot type depending on his target — making sure he avoids allowing the golf course to control the outcome of his shot due to ridges or slopes on the green.
He then dives into his short game tips.
How to hit a high, spinny wedge shot
“You always need an open clubface, that way I can hit it harder, because it’s that speed that creates the spin on the ball — and to avoid having it go super far, you need to add loft,” he says. “Open it up, then grip the club, and put the ball in the front of the stance.”
He then describes the feeling he prefers on this kind of shot, explaining its importance for him.
“One of the most important things for me to feel on this type of shot is a ‘hookie’ feeling,” he adds. “If I try to hit a lot of cut spin on this, I’m going to go too far across the ball, causing the ball to ride up the face rather than catching in the grooves — which is why I need to feel as if I’m hooking it.”
The reason for wanting this feel? So Scheffler can have more control of the spin.
“This way, I can get more spin on the ball, and it shallows out [the club] so I can use the bounce to get it up in the air as well,” he adds.
How to hit a low, running wedge shot
Admitting that there’s “a lot of stuff going on in the front of that green,” Scheffler says hititng a low, running wedge shot can be an effective way to use any undulations on the putting surface to execute your shot.
“I’m not trying to get a ton of roll-out on a lower shot, so this is just a lower, normal pitch,” he says. “If I was trying to get a lot of run, I’d square the face and hook it, so when the ball hits, it kind of starts running [end-over-end].
Instead, Scheffler says he’ll use a square-to-open clubface to hit this lower running shot.
“I’ll still be hitting it low, but it’ll hit and hopefully check a bit when it gets on top of that tier [on the putting surface],” he adds.
Next, he says envisioning the shot in your head is key, not only to lock in on your landing spot to help control distance, but also as a safety net for any mishit.
“I see it landing in that valley there and then hopping up to the pin,” he explains. “This also gives me some room for error, to where, if I’m trying to land it closer to that tier, if I hit it a little too hard, it’ll land in that tier — but it’ll probably still end up pretty good. So just taking a high-percentage shot and giving me some room for error.”
Finally, he walks through how the setup should look before executing the shot.
“Ball back in your stance, clubface a little bit open, and more of a square feeling on this one — and not so much of a hook,” Scheffler adds. “Making sure my hands are staying low and the body’s moving towards the target.”
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