I suppose you noticed that Graeme McDowell laid up on the 72nd hole a few days ago instead of going for all the distance he could muster. Smart. You should do that, too.

It’s good to be able to pitch on from 30-70 yards or so, but it’s even better to avoid those distances if you can. Shots from there require finesse. You never know just how they’ll work out.

Find a distance that is comfortable for you to hit into the green with a pitching wedge using a full, not-holding-back swing. That might be right around 100-110 yards.

You’ll use this strategy most often on a par 5. Say after your tee shot you have 280 yards to the green. If you hit your fairway wood, you might leave yourself 70-80 yards into the green. Tough shot.

Instead, hit a shot that will cover no more than 180 yards. That will set you up at your comfortable distance with that pitching wedge.

Or say there’s only 240 left. Hit a 7-iron and a wedge. If you can’t reach the green, divide up a big distance into two easy ones.

Closer is not always better. Eating up yards doesn’t help you if it leaves you with a difficult shot. Play easy shots that set up easy shots. Golf is much simpler that way.

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The short game is complicated. So many clubs, so many shots, it got all too much for me. I just needed to get down to the basics.

So I got rid of the extra wedges in my bag. There were three, and I took out two and put a different one back in. Two are all I really need.

For the last month, I’ve been using the PW for everything over 30 yards, and the SW for the shorter pitches and chips that need some air time.

And you know what? I have more confidence and am hitting them closer. Sometimes scary close. With only two choices in the bag, I need only concentrate on how to hit the shot, not on whether I’m using the right club.

The fewer variables we put into our game, the easier it is to make good decisions and execute the decisions we do make.

There are people who have four wedges in their bag. They’re touring professionals, who have the time to learn how to hit the head of a pin from any distance you can name. That’s not us.

There are also people who would love you to have four wedges in your bag. They’re the people who make the wedges that they hope you will buy. But what makes them happy doesn’t make you a better player.

Take a few wedges, learn how to hit a few basic shots with them, and hit those shots over and over. That’s all you need to do to shoot good scores.

Oh, yes. This is my 100th post to The Recreational Golfer. I hope you are enjoying the ride as much as I am.

My new book, The Golfing Self, is now available at www.therecreationalgolfer.com. It will change everything about the way you play.

There was a time when I thought that golf was about swinging and putting, and the short game was for the times when your swing didn’t work that well. Damage control, I called it. No longer.

About twice a year, my swing goes on automatic and I turn my 82 into a 77. I finally figured out that with a better short game I could turn those 82s into 77s every time out. Score when my swing isn’t on fire. If I hit nine or more greens in regulation, I’ll score low. I usually hit six, but I could still break 80 by getting more up and downs if I work on that part of the game.

The point of golf is to get the ball in the hole, not to hit good shots. Why wait around for those golden days to have a low score? Why not have a good enough short game to shoot a low score most of the time? And when my swing is clicking, it could take me down to par.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

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Yogi Berra said you can observe a lot just by watching. It’s a funny comment, but there’s a heavy element of truth in it. You can learn a lot about the short game by watching the pros on TV, provided you know what to look for.

First, look at their setup. With the right setup, the shot is halfway hit. Where do they place the ball–up, center, back? Is the clubface open to any degree? Are they leaning toward the target a bit? Is the stance square or open? Where are the feet pointing? How much knee bend is there? Are their hands even with the ball or ahead of it?

Watch the backswing. Does the club stay low, or is it allowed to swing up? Do the wrists break or not? How much longer or shorter is the backswing than you might expect, given the distance between the ball and the hole?

Impact happens too fast see carefully, but the follow-through is telling. How much of a follow-through is there? Does the club stay low? Is there any wrist break?

Finally, watch the flight of the ball–distance in the air, distance on the ground, how quickly the ball stops. This tells you what the other things you noticed were trying to accomplish.

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