Short Game Improvement

Short Game improvement is usually defined as improvement on short distance golf shots that lies within the range of around 100 yards. These are usually the partial-swing shots performed by wedges or lower number clubs used in chipping, etc.

It is said that Improvement in short game will improve my overall golf game. I always wonder what exactly this mean. Talking to a friend makes me realize that this statement is so misleading. Improvement in short game means increasing my capability of rescuing shots that I have missed earlier and capable of bringing troublesome shots back to play. This will save me from wasting unneeded strokes that I am incapable of performing if my skill in short game is unsatisfactory.

Two IFs arise:
If my “Long” game is not so poor that they are devastating, than my short game left for me should be easy, e.g. a normal bunker shot, a normal chipping.
If I focus on improving my short game, then I will master my short irons and wedges better, I will be able to perform these clubs easier than others. On the opposite, if I focus on improving my long irons instead, then I will perform better shots in longer distance relatively. Thus, if I just focus on few clubs, no matter long or short, I will bring improvement to the game.

It is the long woods and long irons that put troubles into a short game at the first place, focusing on rescuing might immediately lower my score significantly. Think about it, if I am bad enough to put a shot into the bush, most likely I am bad enough and not have the skill to bring it back into play. Being able to rescue it will significantly lower my ballooned score overall. Though, this does not mean it improves my overall golf game, because I still did not resolve the source that causes it to be disastrous at the first place.