Golf Glossary
Short Game
In short
The short game in golf covers all shots close to the green: putting, chipping, pitching and bunker shots. As a rule of thumb it includes shots from about 100 metres or less to the flag. Distance matters little here. Feel and accuracy decide the result, and the short game shapes your score on every hole.
What is the short game in golf?
Golfers divide their game roughly into two areas: the long game and the short game. The long game moves the ball over large distances, for example with the driver, fairway woods, hybrids and long irons. The short game starts where distance no longer matters. The aim is to get the ball close to the hole and then hole it.
There is no fixed boundary. Many coaches and golf glossaries give about 100 metres as a guide. Anything closer to the flag counts as the short game. Some golfers talk about the area around the green and treat longer wedge shots as approach play. The transitions are fluid, and in everyday golf the exact distance does not matter.
What matters is the attitude. In the short game every stroke counts as much as a 200 metre drive. The scorecard only shows the number of strokes, and a one metre putt costs exactly one stroke, just like a tee shot.
Which shots belong to the short game?
The short game has four types of shot, each with its own technique:
- Putt: the ball is rolled across the green with the putter. For most players the putt is the most frequent shot in a round.
- Chip: a short, low shot from just off the green. The ball flies a small distance and then rolls towards the hole.
- Pitch: a higher shot from a little further out. The ball spends more time in the air, lands softly and rolls out only a little.
- Bunker shot: in a normal greenside bunker shot the club strikes the sand just behind the ball first. The sand carries the ball out of the bunker.
Special cases include the flop shot, where the ball flies very high and lands almost vertically, and the bump and run, where the ball rolls low over a longer distance. For almost all of these shots golfers use wedges, usually a pitching wedge, a sand wedge and sometimes a lob wedge. An 8 or 9 iron can also be a sensible choice for chips. The choice depends on the lie, the distance to the flag and the terrain in front of the green.
Why the short game matters: a simple calculation
When par is set, two putts per hole are usually built in. On a par 72 course, 36 putts are therefore included in the par, half of all strokes. Add chips, pitches and bunker shots, and for many club golfers the short game often makes up more than half of all strokes in a round.
It follows that over 18 holes you spend most of your time moving the ball around and on the green. If you save just one putt per hole, you save 18 strokes. With the driver you would have to hit much further and straighter on every hole to do the same.
For beginners this has a practical advantage. The short game needs neither speed nor power. It can be improved in a short time and shows up in your score straight away. This is one reason why golfers on a Platzreife course learn the short and the long game side by side from the start.
Practical example: a par 4
Take a par-4 hole of 300 metres. Your tee shot travels 150 metres onto the fairway, and your second shot with an iron adds another 120 metres. It finishes ten metres short of the green in short grass. Now the short game begins.
The flag is still 30 metres away. With a pitching wedge you play a chip. The ball carries about twelve metres, lands just onto the green and rolls on for around 17 metres to within one metre of the flag. The putt drops. You have taken four strokes, which is a par. Had you chipped it short and needed two putts, the card would show a bogey.
The example shows that the first two shots were only average, yet the hole still ended in a par. Getting down in two strokes from off the green is called an up and down. Here it saved the par. Players who manage this often score better than their long shots would suggest.
Short game, approach and long game compared
In everyday use some of these terms overlap, so here is a quick guide.
The long game covers tee shots, shots with woods and hybrids and long irons. Distance with good direction is what counts.
The approach is the shot that brings the ball to the green. It can be an iron from 140 metres or a wedge from 60 metres. Under 100 metres it is often counted as the short game, above that as the long game.
The short game in the narrower sense means chips, pitches, bunker shots and putts around the green.
Putting is a discipline of its own. Some golfers speak of the short game and putting as two separate parts, others combine them. Both are common and it makes no difference in practice. What matters is that you practise all areas regularly and not just the tee shot.
Typical short game mistakes
Beginners tend to make the same mistakes in the short game. Knowing them helps you work on them in a targeted way.
- Too much wrist: the hands hit the ball instead of the body moving the club. The result is thin or fat shots.
- Weight stays back: the club hits the ground first. A calm stance with the weight slightly towards the front foot works better.
- Playing it too high: many reach for the lob wedge by reflex. A low chip with less loft is often safer and easier to judge.
- No landing spot: if you only look at the flag you lose the feel for distance. It is better to pick a spot on the green where the ball should first land.
- Putts left short: a putt that does not reach the hole cannot drop. The ball should roll slightly past the flag.
- Too little practice: many players practise almost only with the driver. Yet an hour of short-game practice often saves more strokes.
Tips: how to practise the short game
The short game can be practised in a small space. A practice green and a dozen balls are enough.
- Ladder drill: set targets at 5, 10 and 15 metres and try to land each ball near its target. This builds a feel for distance.
- Fix a landing spot: play ten chips to the same landing spot and watch how the ball rolls out. Then use the same swing with a different wedge.
- Putting in a triangle: place three balls in a triangle one metre from the hole. If you hole all three, move out to two metres.
- Practice rounds with a game character: play nine holes with only a wedge and a putter and note how often you manage an up and down.
As a rule of thumb, many coaches recommend spending at least half of your practice time on the short game. A coach can also show you which shot costs you the most strokes.
Try it at Golf Lounge
At the Golf Lounge Resort you can practise the short game even without a Platzreife. The 6-hole short course, the ‘Red Course’, can be played without a Platzreife. A round usually takes under an hour, and up to four players can play per booking. In winter, from January to March, it is converted into a 9-hole winter course. There is also a putt and chip area and a putting green at the Elb-Lodge. If you want to work on your short game specifically, you can book short impulse sessions with a PGA Pro.
Frequently asked questions
What is the short game in golf?
The short game covers all shots close to the green: putting, chipping, pitching and bunker shots. As a guide, about 100 metres or less to the flag counts. Unlike the long game, distance does not matter here. Feel and accuracy do. The aim is to get the ball as close to the hole as possible.
Which shots count as the short game?
The short game includes the putt on the green, the chip as a low shot from beside the green, the pitch as a higher shot from a little further out, and the bunker shot from the sand. Special forms such as the flop shot and the bump and run also belong here. Most of these shots are played with wedges.
What percentage of shots is the short game?
There is no exact figure that applies to every player. What is certain is that par on a hole usually includes two putts, which means 36 putts on a par 72 course. Once you add chips, pitches and bunker shots, the short game makes up clearly more than half of the strokes for many players.
How can I improve my short game?
Practise with fixed landing spots and different distances, for example 5, 10 and 15 metres. Work on short putts from one to two metres and keep a calm stance. Many coaches advise spending at least half of your practice time on chipping, pitching and putting. A coach can point out your biggest weakness.
What is the difference between the short game and the long game?
The long game moves the ball over large distances with the driver, fairway woods, hybrids and long irons. The short game begins close to the green and consists of chips, pitches, bunker shots and putts. The dividing line is about 100 metres, but it is not set in any rules.
As of: October 2026