Jack Nicklaus always believed that when you warm up before a round, you should establish your feel first.  He believes that you should figure out the feel of shots from 15 – 45 yards first, before moving onto full swings.  This is a great tip, and many players do this today.  Incorporating this into your practice sessions or your pre-game routine is a good idea.  Hitting pitch shots or shorter shots from this distance will help you bring the feel to the golf course and should lower your scores.  How many times do you hit a good drive and miss the green on the first few holes by 15 – 45 yards?  That is a challenging distance to manage if you have no feel for it.  The next time you practice or warm-up before a round, work on this distance first to see if it will help you save some shots on the course.
Jason J. Bauer, Director of Golf