As golfers, we've all been there. You stand over what should be a simple chip shot and suddenly nothing feels simple. That has been my relationship with the short game recently. Not all the time — but I never quite knew which version was going to turn up.
After spending time this year analysing my game through TrackMan performance testing, working on my full swing with Ryan, and improving my putting with Steve, one thing had become increasingly clear. The next stage of improvement wasn't going to come from hitting the ball further. It was going to come from getting better from 100 yards and in.
That's what led me to spend a day with former DP World Tour professional Chris.
// The coach
Chris Hanson
Former DP World Tour professional. Short game specialist. A full day focused on building structure from 100 yards and in.
One Shot Wasn't Enough
One of the biggest takeaways from the day was that I had become too reliant on trying to play every short game shot in a similar way. Chris introduced structure. Instead of hoping a shot would come off, we built a system.
The best short game players aren't magicians. They simply have more answers available when questions are asked.
A reliable stock shot became the foundation — a shot with a consistent setup, ball position and motion that I can trust under pressure. From there, we developed additional options.
// The short game system we built
The stock shot
The foundation. Consistent setup, ball position, and motion. Trustworthy under pressure. The default answer when no other answer is needed.
The soft shot
Lands with less energy and releases less. A deliberate choice for tight lies and firm greens.
The high shot
More height when required. Stops more quickly. A specific choice, not a desperate one.
Bunker technique
Built around using the bounce correctly. Athletic rather than mechanical. Commitment over caution.
Wedge matrix
A simple system to remove the guesswork from pitching distances. Clarity before the shot, not during it.
What struck me most was how logical everything became. The stock shot became the default. Everything else became a deliberate choice. The result was immediate clarity.
The Power of a Framework
// The same principle — different arena
In business
The best salespeople don't rely on luck. The best leaders don't rely on instinct alone. The best organisations build frameworks that create consistency.
In golf
One of the reasons my short game had become frustrating was because I was making too many decisions on the fly. Chris simplified everything. Structure replaced guesswork.
Pitching With Purpose
We also spent time on pitching — and this was probably the biggest eye-opener of the day. TrackMan data showed that my attack angle had become too shallow and my low point control wasn't where it needed to be.
The solution wasn't to hit harder. It was to improve how I loaded into my left side, control my head movement, create a steeper backswing and allow my body to continue rotating through the strike.
// The results after working on the changes
Attack angle
Improved dramatically
Spin rate
Increased substantially
Strike quality
Far more predictable
For someone who has recently identified approach play and scoring shots as the biggest opportunity in my game, this felt like an important breakthrough. Launch reduced. Strike quality became far more predictable. The numbers confirmed what I could feel.
Learning to Love Bunkers
A sentence I never thought I would write.
One of the simplest but most effective concepts Chris introduced was the idea of allowing the clubhead to "whip under" through the sand. Instead of a short, forced motion, we worked on using more loft, staying taller through the shot and allowing the club to release naturally.
// What changed in the bunker
Before
Short, forced motion. Mechanical. Too much caution. Hoping rather than committing.
After
More loft. Staying taller. Natural release. Athletic. Less fear, more commitment.
Suddenly bunker shots became less mechanical and more athletic. A theme that seemed to run throughout the entire day — less fear, more commitment.
The Unexpected Outcome
The technical improvements were excellent. The structure was valuable. The practice plan was clear. But the biggest outcome wasn't any of those things.
For the first time in a long time, I left a short game session excited to practise. Not because I felt I had mastered anything. Far from it. I left because I finally had a roadmap.
// What the roadmap looks like
Instead of wandering onto a short game area and randomly hitting balls, I now have a clear understanding of what I am trying to achieve and how I am going to measure progress. In short, there is a purpose behind the practice.
// Final thought
One of the things I love most about golf is that there is always another level available if you're willing to learn.
At 48, balancing a demanding career, family life and everything else that comes with modern life, practice time matters more than ever. You cannot afford to waste it.
This session with Chris has given me a framework that I believe will make every practice session more productive.
More importantly, it has made me genuinely look forward to spending time on my short game again. And if that enthusiasm translates onto the golf course, I suspect the scores will take care of themselves.