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This Chipping Drill Inspired By Lydia Ko Will Improve Your Short Game
By Brendon Elliott, PGA
Published on
As Lydia Ko continues her impressive performance at the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore, currently sitting in first place after 54 holes, I find myself pointing to her exceptional short game as a teaching model for my own students.
With 22 LPGA Tour titles to her name, three major titles and an Olympic gold medal, Ko has established herself as one of the best players in golf, thanks in large part to being a premier short game specialist. Ko's touch around the greens has been a cornerstone of her success throughout her career. Her ability to get up and down from virtually anywhere has saved countless strokes and contributed significantly to her impressive tournament record.
Here's an excellent example from Round 2:
Today, I'll share a great step-by-step drill inspired by Ko's approach to chipping and pitching that I regularly use with my students to help elevate their short game.
Drill: The Landing Zone Precision Pitch
One of Ko's greatest strengths is her ability to land the ball precisely on her intended spot, allowing her to control both distance and roll-out.
Equipment Needed:
- Two dozen golf balls, preferably your own and not range balls
- Three small towels
- A practice green with room for 20-40 yard pitches
Setup:
- Place three small towels flat and spread out on the green at distances of 5, 10, and 15 feet from the edge.
- Position yourself about 30 yards from the green.
Execution:
- Choose your first landing zone (start with the closest towel).
- Take four balls and attempt to land them on that first target towel.
- Move to the middle target and repeat with four more balls.
- Finish with the farthest target.
- The goal isn't necessarily to get the ball close to the hole but to land on each towel.
Ko-Inspired Tip: Lydia maintains a remarkably consistent tempo in her pitching motion regardless of distance. To control distance, focus on changing the length of your backswing rather than altering your swing speed.
Putting Ko's Techniques into Practice
What makes Lydia Ko's short game exceptional is her commitment to routine and fundamentals. Before each shot, she visualizes the trajectory and landing spot, commits fully to her decision, and executes with confidence.
In my decades as a PGA Coach, I've observed that the majority of amateur golfers spend about 80% of their practice time hitting full shots—yet nearly 70% of shots during a typical round occur within 100 yards of the hole. That's why I challenge all my students to dedicate at least half their practice time to short game work.
When implementing this short game drill into your practice routine, focus on quality over quantity. I tell my students to spend 15-20 minutes on each drill with full concentration rather than mindlessly hitting balls for an hour. Record your success rate and track improvement over time.
By incorporating these Ko-inspired drills into your practice routine, you'll develop the touch, feel, and precision that has made Lydia one of the most formidable players around the green. And I can promise you this: commit to these drills over the next month, and you'll see lower scores and renewed confidence in your short game—just like my students do.
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his three weekly columns on RG.org, and to learn more about Brendon, visit OneMoreRollGolf.com.
