If you want to improve your game in 2026, you don’t have to blow up your swing or start from scratch. Sometimes the best way to make a profit is to start with something simple and manageable.
While it’s tempting to spend all your practice time hitting the ball and hitting endless drivers on the range, dialing in your shots around the green will likely have a double impact on your score. So what’s the ultimate opportunity to master to strengthen your short game repertoire? I asked Fiddler’s Elbow teaching professional Gia Liwski for her pick.
“Every player needs a nice little shot,” she said. “Something very basic, with a 7-iron or a 6-iron or even a hybrid. You want something that gets the ball low and rolls toward the target so you have a chance to get it on the green.”
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What is the best technique to perform a shot like this? Liwski says the first thing to do is gauge the quality of your lie.
“For super tight lies, you stand a little closer to the ball,” she said. “Raise the lever a little to absorb some bounce from the club.
“Lean against the lead foot, which brings the lever a little more forward. It also takes the club out of the air and adds even more bounce.
“Then the move actually looks like a putting stroke,” she continued. “Sometimes you have to soften that back arm so the club can move far enough.”
Liwski says you can experiment with a straight-back-straight-through motion, or more of a swing, depending on the distance you’re trying to cover. Ultimately, the key to this simple bump is eliminating as much bounce as possible with your setup so the ball can roll.
“With this technique you can just pick it off the grass and let it go,” Liwski said. “All you have to do is practice with it to get comfortable with it.”
You can use Lowski’s bump method with any club in your bag. Give it a try during your next practice session to take your game to the next level in the new year.
Golf.com editor
As a four-year member of Columbia’s first class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can beat anyone on the masthead. She can also outshine them in the office, where she is primarily responsible for producing both print and online articles, as well as overseeing major special projects such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Issue, which debuted in February 2018. Her original interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November 2015 and appeared in both magazine and video form on GOLF.com.
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