It's great to get up and down from the deep rough, like I did on 18 at the PGA last year, but the real key to saving shots is mastering the basics. Photos: Don Furore/J.D. Cuban

Golf Digest Cover Story

By Phil Mickelson
Golf Digest Playing Editor
with Matthew Rudy

Golf Digest
April 2006

The simplest way to save shots on and around the green is to accurately identify your short-game problems.

That might sound easy, but almost every average golfer I've played with struggles to do it, and it's the difference between shooting 92 and 87, or breaking 80 for the first time.

When you miss a putt, do you know why? Is it because you made a bad stroke or a bad read? When you were just off the green, did you pick the right kind of chip to set up an easy putt? Did you know which side of the hole to favor on that chip shot? The answer to these kinds of questions is often "No."

My goal here is to show you how to diagnose the most common problems you run into on and around the green, and how to pick the best solution to those problems. It starts with getting comfortable with your putting and chipping mechanics, and then moves on to elements like making the right read and leaving yourself the easiest shot coming back. I'll also show you how I've developed a lot more confidence over short putts.

Follow these tips, and I promise you'll shave at least five shots from your score the next time you play.

1. Build confidence in your putter
   
2. Master the basic chip
   
3. Read the true break
   
4. Understand the power of numbers
   
5. Challenge yourself