Short-Sided
Also known as: short sided, short-sided, being short-sided, short side of the green, short-siding yourself
Short-sided means your ball missed the green on the same side as the flag. There is very little green between you and the hole, so the next chip is hard to stop close. Smart players aim for the side of the green with more room.
Imagine a flag cut near the left edge of the green. If you miss left, you are short-sided. You have only a few paces of green to land on, and the ball must stop fast.
If you miss right instead, you are on the fat side. You may face a longer chip, but you have lots of green to land on and let the ball roll. That shot is far easier to get close.
Good course management aims away from short-sided misses when the flag is tucked. Aim toward the middle or the fat side, and accept a longer putt.
Tips by skill level
Before an approach, ask where the flag is cut. Aim at the side of the green with more room.
Use your shot pattern. If your dispersion is wide, the flag must be well inside the green before you aim at it.
Example
The flag is tucked behind a bunker on the right. She aims at the middle of the green, misses a little left and chips up easily instead of facing a delicate flop.
Why it matters
Being short-sided turns an easy up-and-down into a hard one. Aiming to avoid it saves strokes without any swing change.
Common mistakes
- Firing at a tucked flag
- Ignoring which side the trouble is on
- Trying a risky flop when a safe chip will do
- Not knowing your usual miss
Frequently asked questions
How do I avoid being short-sided?
Aim at the side of the green with more room when the flag is near an edge. Then a miss still leaves you plenty of green to work with.
How do I chip when I'm short-sided?
Use more loft and land the ball just on the green, or accept a longer putt. Forcing a perfect flop shot often brings a bigger score into play.
Related terms
- Course ManagementCourse management is your strategy for where to aim, which club to hit, and how to play each hole. The goal is to limit risk and score well for your skill level.
- Good MissA good miss is the preferred side to miss on a given shot. It is the direction or spot where an error leaves the easiest recovery or does the least damage.
- Up-and-DownAn up-and-down means holing out in two strokes from off the green: one chip or pitch (the "up"), then one putt (the "down"). It is a key short-game measure.
- Flop ShotA flop shot is a very high, soft-landing chip or pitch played with a wide-open lob wedge. It stops quickly and is used when there is little green between the ball and the hole.
- Approach ShotAn approach shot is any shot hit toward the green to reach or set up the putting surface. It is usually a par 4's second shot, or a par 5's second or third.
Related guides & benchmarks
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