[Stickner]

Stickner, I'm currently between a 5-7 handicap, with a typical range of 76-83. I am not nearly as structured as you are regarding practice, however, have recently noticed that I'm not getting nearly enough birdies to reach my goal of par. I love your short game practice techniques and I must get better with the wedges. There is nothing more frustrating then missing greens from 150yds in, or leaving yourself putts over 20 feet when your inside a 100.

I think your approach of hitting wedges to get more birdie opportunities, and chipping and pitching to save par, is definitely the way to go, if your swing is relatively solid. Thanks for the routine.

I will also tell everyone that pre-shot routine and knowing your strengths and weakness's are critical. When I get out of routine bad shots occur much more frequently. I utilize a routine that Ben Doyle demonstrated at Woodmont that has been greatly helpful. Also trying to play smarter. I have stopped shooting at pins and play to the known. I use to kill myself by firing at pins, ball goes a little long and falls of a cliff, as opposed to playing a bit short and having a longer putt. I use to make so many stupid decisions I would just dummy my way out of a decent score.

The short game is where it's at in my opinion. Whether you want to go low, or are trying salvage a poor ball-striking round, the short game must be working.