I’ve mentioned it a few different times, but working with Parker McLachlin, aka “Short Game Chef“, has changed how I approach shots near the green.
Not only have I had the privilege of working with McLachlin to gain more confidence using my 60-degree wedge and while hitting deep bunker shots, but he’s completely changed my mentality in how I approach the game.
When I first met McLachlin, I candidly asked him what I needed to focus on the most to achieve my personal goal of breaking 80 for the first time by the end of this summer. Without hesitation, he said, “master every shot within 100 yards.”
OK, that’s great and all, but how does an amateur golfer like myself do that? By reimagining different parts of the golf swing, that’s how.
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In the video above, McLachlin walks through how to setup for shots between 50-125 yards, explaining why a wider stance is the suggested approach.
“We get a little narrower on the setup when we get closer to the green, probably inside of 50 yards,” McLachlin says. That changes as you expand outwards, however, with the Short Game Chef describing the reason for a wider stance.
“Now, as we start to get from 50 to 125 yards, our stance is going to widen,” he says. “So we’re going to feel a little bit more like it’s sort of under our hips, under our shoulders. We’re not getting too wide, but we want to stay [about shoulder-width apart].”
Next, he focuses on both ball position and clubface action, saying it’s really important to keep the face square — unlike the importance of it staying open when closer to the green.
“When we talk about ball position, we’re going to get this ball position slightly forward to center,” he says. “I don’t really want it too far back here to flight it low, that’s kind of an artificial way to flight it low. I don’t really want that.
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“Our clubface is going to be on the square side. The only time that I want to open this clubface up is if I’ve got maybe 50-to-60 yards, and I’ve got to go high, or I really want to put some spin on it. Otherwise, from 50-125 [yards], this clubface is going to be square.”
Finally, McLachlin says the weight should “push the pressure forward just a little bit at address.” By doing this, you’ll give yourself a nice angle of attack, allowing you to be aggressive with your shot, and making sure you rotate all the way through.
So when you’re facing a 50-125-yard shot, this updated setup will give you confidence that you can strike the ball with purpose, giving you a better chance at sticking it closer to the pin.
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