Dear Pro,
Help! I have no trouble hitting the ball solid and straight when I take a full swing. But, taking partial swings for shots, say, inside 100 yards is maddening! Is there anything I can do to develop some touch when I get within 100 yards of the cup?

– Ryan, Lawrence.

Ryan,

When you set the club down, you’re going to close the face slightly so you can control the trajectory of the shot. You’re also going to play the ball back in your stance, and your hands are going to be slightly ahead of the ball. And don’t take a wide stance. Make sure you are always accelerating into the ball. The most common flaw is many think to hit it softer the thing to do is to decelerate. Wrong. You control the distance of the shot by how far back you take the club.

– Jon Zylstra, head pro, Lawrence Country Club.