7 Short-Game Myths That Cost Amateurs Strokes

Updated for 2026: I've added more detail on a few of these myths based on your comments and questions.

We all know the full-swing myths, such as "keep your head down" or "slow it down." Around the green, there are just as many myths that keep getting passed around year after year. If you're ready to dig a little deeper and make sure your short-game fundamentals are sound, here are seven short-game myths to stop believing.

1) "Open your stance in the bunker and swing along your feet."

There's more than one way to hit a bunker shot, and the open stance is only one of them. If you've watched PGA Tour golf this year, you'll see plenty of players using a more square setup, while others still use an open stance with great success.

The problem usually isn't the open stance itself but how amateurs exaggerate it. Opening up too much causes most players to drag the handle and de-loft the club, so the ball comes out low with little spin.

What to try instead: Stand more square and let the clubhead release toward the target. This lets the bounce work and launches the ball higher with spin. To practice it, draw a straight line in the sand toward your target. Make swings that thump the sand on that line and finish with the clubhead pointing at the flag.

If a square setup doesn't feel right, an open stance can still work. Keep it small, and make sure the handle doesn't drift ahead of the clubhead.

2) "For long bunker shots, square a 60-degree wedge to make it go farther."

When you have a longer bunker approach, players may tell you to square up your higher lofted wedges. A squared 60-degree wedge exposes the leading edge which digs and kills loft. The result could be chunks and bladed shots.

What to do instead: Use a lower-loft wedge (52-54 degrees) but keep the face slightly open. The bounce glides and the ball carries farther with more control. Experiment for yourself and hit two balls with a 60-degree squared and two with a 52 open. Notice the difference in launch and rollout and the ease of the shot. Make adjustments based on the sand, for wet sand a square clubface is often the right call.

3) "Plugged lie? Close the face and chop it out."

Plugged lies are terrible. Many times they happen as no fault of your own and you're probably going into the shot with some frustration. The myth here is to close the face and chop it out of the plugged lie. However, shutting the face sends the ball out hot, often rolling out uncontrollably and setting you up for another recovery shot.

What to do instead: Play it with a slightly open face, stand a bit closer, hinge up and hit down with a short finish. This pops the ball out more softly with greater predictability.

4) "Don't use your wrists in the short game."

The myth of not using your wrists in your short game came to be because many players have overactive wrists. However, if you go into some of your short-game shots with the mindset that you can't use your wrists at all, it's going to hurt your game.

Locking your wrists makes you jab at the ball with no release. Distance and spin become guesswork.

What to do instead: Depending on the short-game shots you are hitting (especially higher-lofted shots), allow a small wrist hinge going back. That gives you something to release through impact and adds natural loft.

Hit a few chips with just your lead hand. Feel a gentle hinge on the way back and a soft release through.

5) "In thick rough, play it back and hit down hard."

If your ball is buried in the rough, you may have been told to play it back in your stance and hit down hard. This produces a low shot that runs forever. While you may be out of the thick rough, chances are you won't be close to the hole.

What to do instead: Move the ball slightly forward, keep the shaft neutral with an open face and swing like a bunker shot. The ball pops up higher and lands softer. When you practice green side shots, don't forget to simulate some of these out of the thick rough.

6) "Chip better by putting all your weight forward and playing it off the back foot."

Overloading weight on the lead side and moving the ball back steepens your angle of attack. That leads to chunks, thins and de-lofted shots that run out too far. It's hard to get consistent if you have set yourself up like this.

What to do instead: Aim for a 60/40 weight split (slightly favoring the lead side), ball closer to the middle of your stance and a more neutral shaft. This promotes a shallower strike, keeps the bounce engaged and produces softer, more controlled chips. If you can, draw a line at your practice station.

Practice brushing the turf just past the line with a 60/40 setup. You'll hear a softer "thump" instead of a dig.

7) "Pitching wedge is the best for pitching."

As great as a pitching wedge can be for short-game shots, it's not always the best for pitching. Many modern pitching wedges are only in the mid-40s of loft, closer to a 9-iron than the wedges of the past. For a true pitch shot, that's not enough loft to grab and stop quickly. The ball rolls out when you expect it to bite, and you may leave yourself further from the hole than necessary.

What to do instead: Use a 56- or 60-degree wedge for pitches that need height and spin, and save the pitching wedge for simple bump-and-runs. If you're a higher handicapper, a 50- to 52-degree gap wedge is a good middle ground: more loft than a modern pitching wedge, but still forgiving.

To test it, hit three shots from 30 to 40 yards with a pitching wedge, and three with a sand wedge or lob wedge. A shot much closer than that is usually a chip, so test from a true pitching distance.

Final thoughts

Short-game myths stick around because they sometimes look right. You may even pull off a good shot here and there. However, when you try to test out these myths under pressure, you'll see where the real problems are. By modernizing your approach and focusing on fundamentals like setup, release, and ball position, you'll turn wasted strokes into tap-ins.