Master Your Short Game: Golf Scoring Drills with Arjun Malik
Golf is played from the green backward. If you want to drop your scores, you have to own the space inside 30 yards. That is where we start.
My book, "Inside 30 Yards," is a complete guide to purposeful short game practice. It's filled with 75 drills to help you master chipping, bunker shots, and putting.
Hitting the center of the putter face is non-negotiable. This drill, using a barrel-shaped flat ball, gives you immediate feedback on the quality of your strike.
This is the pro short game kit. We work on hitting shots with different flights from all kinds of lies to build creativity and confidence around the green.
Part two of my simple putting drills. Here, I demonstrate the "railway tracks" drill for path and a pressure drill to get used to sinking more putts.
The "gate drill" is one of the best ways to improve your putting. It forces you to focus on your start line, which is the key to making more putts.
Putting upgrades in progress. We are refining putter face alignment, foot and shoulder alignment, and arm structure for a more consistent stroke.
A before-and-after look at the putting stroke. The "after" image shows a more stable and connected movement.
From a different angle, you can see the improved posture and alignment in the putting setup.
Putting practice doesn't have to be boring. I use skill-building games and challenges like the tee gate, eyes-closed putts, and single-handed putts to make it fun and effective for my junior players.
Are you topping your chips? I explain three common reasons: a takeaway that's too inside, weight falling backward, or an early release of the wrists.
About Scoring Zone: The Short Game
Most golfers struggle with the short game because they lack a systematic approach. Whether you are topping chips or leaving putts short, it almost always comes down to two things: poor contact or a lack of purpose in your practice. We fix this by isolating variables—using drills like the gate drill to perfect your putter path and learning to retain wrist angles during chipping—so you can trust your swing when it counts.
The short game is where scores are truly made or broken. My coaching philosophy, detailed in my book 'Inside 30 Yards', is built on 75 specific tasks designed to remove the guesswork from your practice.
Why Your Practice Might Be Failing
If you spend hours at the range but struggle to make par, you are likely missing the 'purpose' in your practice. We stop 'beating balls' and start training for performance. For chipping, we look at why you might be topping the ball: often it is a takeaway that moves too far inside, weight shifting to the trail side, or an early release of the wrist angles. I help you diagnose these biomechanical constraints and apply physical cues to fix them.
Putting Mechanics
Putting is about consistency and confidence. We use specific drills to ensure your stroke holds up under pressure:
- The Gate Drill: Using tees to create a gate, forcing you to focus on your start line.
- Railway Tracks Drill: Using alignment sticks to ensure the putter moves on the correct path.
- Pressure Drills: Simulating the nerves of a real tournament to build mental toughness.
Coaching at ZEN GOLF
I coach out of the ZEN GOLF Range & Academy in Sector 59, Gurugram, where we have the space to work on all types of lies and flights. Whether we are doing a junior assessment or a high-intensity technical session, we use a mix of visual feedback and physical constraints to build a swing that works. If you are ready to stop guessing and start scoring, let’s get to work.
Arjun Malik
I'm Arjun. Golf is my thing, and I love helping students stop 'beating balls' at the range and start actually playing the game. My short game system is about one thing: results. We'll strip away the guesswork, drill the fundamentals, and get you feeling confident over every chip and putt.
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