Worst Short Game Tips Still Circulating in 2025 (And What to Do Instead)

You know that guy at your local course who insists on giving tips — even when no one asks? The one shouting “Keep your head down!” like it’s a sacred golf commandment passed down from the gods of St. Andrews? Yeah… it’s time we had a word about that.

Because if you’ve been listening to advice like that — the kind that sounds wise but wrecks your short game — you’re not alone. And you’re definitely not improving.

Let’s break down the worst short game advice still doing the rounds in 2025 — and what to actually do instead.

❌ “Keep Your Head Down” — The Swing Killer

It’s the zombie tip that just won’t die. But keeping your head down during a pitch shot? That move is sabotaging your short game.

Parker McLachlin calls it “the most persistent swing-killer in golf instruction.” And he’s right. Forcing your head to stay down locks up your body. You stay flat-footed, lose rotation, and end up topping the ball or chunking it short. Sound familiar?

✅ What to Do Instead: Let Your Head Move Naturally

This feels weird at first, but it works. Try McLachlin’s simple drill: take your normal backswing, then turn your head toward the target during the downswing. Not after — during. Let your head start moving earlier than you think it should.

It unlocks your upper body, smooths out your swing, and gives you cleaner contact and better spin. Kevin Haime backs this up too: rotation needs your head to move with your body — not against it.

❌ Outdated Bunker Setups (That Still Haunt Range Sessions)

If you’ve been told to open your stance 45 degrees and swing along your feet line in the bunker… welcome to 1983.

That technique used to be standard. Not anymore.

✅ What to Do Instead: Go Square and Let the Club Do the Work

Today’s best players use a square setup — not a circus-level open stance. It keeps your hands more neutral, helps you engage the club’s bounce, and makes it easier to stay consistent under pressure.

Also: ditch the myths like leaning hard on your front foot, gripping down too far, or making a U-shaped swing. Those just set you up to dig or scoop the sand. A slight downward strike with full-length leverage is where the magic happens.

❌ Using the Same Wedge for Every Shot

Raise your hand if you instinctively reach for your 60-degree wedge the second you’re off the green. Go ahead. We’ve all done it.

But here’s the truth: more loft doesn’t mean more control. It just means more margin for error. Mishits with a lob wedge can go anywhere — especially when your technique is sketchy.

✅ What to Do Instead: Match the Club to the Shot

Sometimes the best shot isn’t a high, soft flop — it’s a boring bump-and-run with an 8-iron. Lower flight equals more predictability, better rollout, and less risk. If you can land it early and let it run out, do it.

Be like the pros who don’t overcomplicate it. They don’t always reach for the sexy club — they reach for the smart one.

❌ Flicking Your Wrists for “Touch”

This one gets people in trouble fast. Flicking the wrists might feel like it adds finesse… until you blade the ball into oblivion or leave it halfway to the hole.

✅ What to Do Instead: Keep the Wrists Quiet, Stay Connected

Focus on soft arms, connected shoulders, and a short, controlled motion. The “pocket drill” is a great visual: try to finish your chip in a way that your club could tuck into your lead-side pocket. That gentle flick comes from rotation — not slappy hands.

If you’re feeling handsy around the greens, try the “trail hand open” drill. Keep your trail hand literally open while chipping. You’ll be amazed how much that quiets things down.

👉 For a visual demonstration of these techniques, check out this video by Chris Ryan where he shares his top five short game tips that deliver instant results:

❌ Always Chipping from the Fringe

You’re two feet off the green, ball sitting in light rough. Your instinct is to grab a wedge and chip it close. But should you?

✅ What to Do Instead: If You Can Putt It, Putt It

Jim Murphy says it straight: taking the wedge when a putter would do just increases your chance of error. There are fewer variables with a putter. Even from the fringe or first cut, putting minimizes risk.

You wouldn’t pull a sand wedge on a putting green — so why do it when you’re barely off it?

❌ Controlling Distance by Speeding Up

This is a silent killer. Players try to “feel” distance by accelerating through impact. But that usually means short backswing, rushed motion, and inconsistent contact.

✅ What to Do Instead: Focus on Backswing Length

Murphy suggests using backswing length — not acceleration — to control distance. Keep your arms soft, your tempo smooth, and your backswing a little longer than feels comfortable. You’ll notice better consistency and cleaner strikes almost instantly.

Bonus: Practice Like a Pro (Even in the Sand)

At the 2024 Open Championship, players were literally throwing balls into bunkers during practice — on purpose. Why? To simulate the worst possible lies.

That’s the point. Practicing from perfect lies is great for your ego… but not your game.

Try drills like:

The Towel Pitch Drill — Teaches difference between chip and pitch setups.
Follow-Through Control — Practice stopping at different follow-through points for better trajectory control.
Connection Drill — Keep arms and body moving as a unit through the shot.

The Real Fix: Ditch the Myths, Embrace the Modern Game

PGA teacher Jim Waldron says it best: “The short game is an under-taught and poorly taught aspect of golf.” But that doesn’t mean it has to stay that way.

If you let your head move naturally, simplify your bunker setup, pick smarter clubs, quiet your wrists, and focus on solid contact — you’ll start to save strokes. Not someday. Now.

And when someone yells “Keep your head down!” during your next pitch shot… just smile, nod, and do the exact opposite.