One particular Saturday in my life stands out in my mind as if it were only yesterday. Let's just say it was one of those “light bulb” kind of days.

It was the early eighties and here I was, LPGA neophyte Debbie Meisterlin paired with the soon to be Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez during an LPGA event on a muggy, early morning day in New Jersey. Nancy was in the height of her career while I was struggling to earn enough money to get to the next tournament.

It was always a pleasure to be paired with Nancy Lopez. Obviously, if you were paired with Nancy, you were in the thick of things, so the butterflies were in my stomach and I was anxious to get started.

The game plan was to hit all the fairways with my drives and all of the greens with my approach shots. My ball striking had been strong coming into this tournament so I was anxious to show off my skills to “my” unusually large gallery.

As the round unfolded, I was right on game plan, down the middle with my drives and onto the greens with my approach shots. Two putts later I looked like a human robot playing golf.

Surprising, Nancy was not on her game at all. She was all over the golf course with her tee shots and she spent half of the round in the thick woods hitting her ball back onto the fairway.

While my game was in fact boring, Nancy's game was dramatic and exciting. She scrambled from deep into the woods starting from the first hole. To the galleries delight, Nancy had two chip ins, holed a dramatic sand shot from a green side bunker, and sank just about every putt she looked at. She was having fun and we were all thoroughly entertained.

When the round was complete and we arrived to the scorer's tent, Nancy commended me on my great ball striking day. She asked me what I had shot. Answer - 72. She stared at me in disbelief and said it had looked more like a 68.

I happened to be in charge of Nancy's score card and it was incredible to look at all those low number's when I had in fact witnessed one of the wildest ball striking days of her career. No doubt, I would have personally turned her round into an 88 had I driven the ball as wild. Bottom line, when the numbers were tallied up, Nancy Lopez had shot a 67 and moved up well into contention for the tournament on Sunday!

The obvious reason Nancy Lopez went on to win over 50 tournaments in her career is not because she could hit a long golf ball, but because Nancy Lopez knew that the over all goal in the game of golf is to get the ball into the hole in the fewest strokes. It was Nancy's “short game” that earned her a place in the LPGA Hall of Fame!

I tell this story because it is amazing to me as an instructor, that so many golfers watch top professionals winning golf tournaments every week, and they can witness for themselves that the winners usually have excellent short games. Yet these viewers still spend most of their valuable practice time hitting balls on the practice range searching for the perfect golf swing, dreaming about adding 20 yards to their drives.

I can certainly attest from my own experience, a good golf swing is nice, and hitting a long ball certainly makes the game easier and more fun, but a great short game is where the money is. Learn something from a humble pro who would have loved to have borrowed Nancy's putting stroke for just one week. (I could have been a contender!)

Put your focus where you can shave strokes off your handicap, with a strong short game!

Venus Golf was founded by CEO Debbie Steinbach (aka Venus), author of the popular book, Venus on the Fairway, former LPGA touring pro and a Golf for Women Magazine "Top 50" instructor. Steinbach competed for 12 years on the Tour and now devotes her time to instruction and motivational speaking plus other activities associated with her company. Venus Golf is dedicated to women's golf. From instruction to motivational speaking…from health and fitness to wedge selection, Venus Golf turns information into recreation, making golf fun for women. Venus Golf has headquarters in LaQuinta, Calif. The Venus Golf Website is located at www.venusgolf.com.

What is your view on this issue? Send your comments to venus@venusgolf.com.

	"Venus on the Fairway" was created because of a lack of teaching methods designed for the way women learn. Rather than overload the reader with highly technical swing instruction, Debbie emphasizes practical drills that teach women how to "feel" key swing movements, reinforced by a simple and positive teaching style. Venus on the Fairway ensures readers will have fun while learning. (click on the book for more info about "Venus on the Fairway"
"Venus on the Fringe, Introducing the “V Factor” Creating a Short Game That Works for Humans" In this book, from putting and chipping to the lob shot, Venus simplifies the short game. “Give Me Another ‘V'” reminds us that “Chipping is nothing more than putting with a lofted club.” “Light bulb moments” to practice drills will really help your short game. Jan Stephenson, 1981 Short Game Player of the Year on the LPGA Tour, says, “In tournaments, the short game is the key to not dropping shots and losing one to the field. You can hit it to eight feet all day, but if you can't finish, you can't score and you can't win. Debbie's refreshing and educational approach to teaching in Venus on the Fringe is long overdue.” (click on the book for more info about "Venus on the Fringe"
Debbie Steinbach (a.k.a. Venus) is available as an entertainment-styled speaker. She has spoken to a wide variety of corporate groups and organizations including Kraft, Sony, Nabisco, the Executive Women's Golf Association, the Women's Southern California Golf Association and the LPGA. Her narrative about life on and off the course is filled with wit and humor. Debbie's view on the differences between men and women golfers will leave you smiling all the way to your next tee time. Visit her on the web at www.venusgolf.com.