By Robin All
Years ago, Bobby Jones remarked during the Masters that Jack Nicklaus played a game of golf he was not familiar with.
After watching this year’s U.S. Open, I know exactly how he felt.
While most senior golfers can’t hit the ball the distances achieved by today’s professionals, there is still a great deal we can learn from watching them play. The biggest lessons often come around the greens rather than off the tee.
How often do you practice bunker shots? Tour players make them look easy, routinely getting up and down in two shots and occasionally holing one from the sand. Their success isn’t luck—it’s the result of practice and sound fundamentals.
The same can be said for long putting. Watch how the pros handle a 50-foot putt. Even when they don’t make it, they consistently leave themselves a short tap-in, virtually guaranteeing a two-putt. That’s a skill every golfer can develop.
Then there are the short pitch shots. Professionals strike these shots crisply, even from tight lies, producing the spin and control needed to stop the ball quickly near the hole. While most amateurs won’t generate tour-level backspin, practicing these shots can dramatically improve scoring.
If you want to become a better golfer over the long run, play the game as it was intended. Resist the temptation to improve your lie, take mulligans, or give yourself putts that haven’t been holed. Following the rules and practicing the shots that save strokes around the green will do more for your game than any shortcut.
The U.S. Open reminds us that golf is about much more than power. For senior golfers especially, a dependable short game remains the fastest path to lower scores.
For more information about golf instruction, contact Robin All, PGA Life Member, at 803-238-1655.
