Paul Runyan wrote a book called, The short way to lower the score. He had a reputation for having an above-average short game among his fellow tour professionals. I bought a copy of his book in 1980 and even today, some thirty-two years later, I consider buying his book one of my best purchases. Don’t let the simplicity of the illustrations and instructions fool you about the quality of the instructions provided. I can tell you in no uncertain terms, his instruction is some of the most effective I’ve ever implemented and my short game improved tremendously as a result.

I don’t know if the book is in print today, I suspect not, I’ve seen used copies for sale on Amazon.com. If you come across a copy of The short way to lower the score, I highly recommend that you purchase a copy. This book is in the top five of all golf books ever written.

Knowing how effective Paul’s techniques are, it amazes me that I don’t see touring professionals and the golfing public using his technique. Golfers are always looking for ways to improve their chipping and putting, and yet Paul’s technique remains obscure. A contradiction that I find myself thinking about too often for comfort. I can only conclude that golfers don’t know how simple and effective his technique is. I urge you to try his technique.

A little above his technique. The notable difference in his technique compared to the conventional way of putting and chipping is that both hands grip the club with the palms facing the sky. This is done because both arms are bent at forty-five degrees. The arms are bent so that you can stand close enough to the golf ball that your eyes are directly on the golf ball. Standing this close to the golf ball requires the heel of the club not to touch the ground. With the heel off the ground, the toe of the club touches the ground.

Paul Runyan’s putting and chipping direction position takes some getting used to. However, none of the learning is particularly difficult. The book is easy to read and follow. The illustrations used clearly demonstrate the instructions.

When I first started using his chipping method, it took me about two weeks of practice before I could get the ball off the stick correctly. You know when you have the right technique because your chip shots will hold their line and roll correctly.