Shorty
A shorty is colloquially a very short putt that, from close range, appears almost impossible to miss.
The shorty belongs to the slang of the green and appears in no rulebook. What is meant is the putt from perhaps half a metre that only has to be nudged in. It is closely tied to the gimme, the conceded assumption that such a short putt will drop anyway. In relaxed play among friends, the shorty is often given away; in stroke play or a tournament, that is strictly forbidden: there, every ball must be holed, no matter how close it lies to the hole.
In practice, the shorty is more treacherous than its reputation. One example: your first putt stops 40 centimetres to the right of the hole, the round is going well, you want to move on quickly. You casually reach after it with one hand, the ball catches the edge and lips out. Suddenly there is a bogey on the card instead of a par. Such blunders happen even to professionals and annoy more than any missed long putt, because they are avoidable.
A typical misconception is the assumption that short putts need no concentration. Precisely on the shorty, the full routine pays off: reading the green, address the ball calmly, swing through cleanly. In a tournament, the half metre counts exactly as much as the drive from 250 metres — every stroke is one stroke. Anyone who plays the short putts consistently with the same care as all the others saves one or two strokes per round that would otherwise be lost to carelessness.
FAQ
Do I really have to hole a shorty in a tournament?
Yes, without exception. In stroke play and at every tournament, every ball must go into the hole, no matter how short the distance — half a metre counts exactly as much as a drive. Only in a private round among friends is such a putt sometimes conceded as a gimme.
Why do I miss precisely the very short putts?
Usually out of carelessness: you think the putt is a formality, skip the routine and casually reach after it with one hand. Then the ball catches the lip and lips out. The solution is banal — give the shorty the same care as every other putt: read the green, address it calmly, swing through cleanly.
How many strokes can I save if I hole shorties consistently?
Experience says one or two strokes per round that would otherwise be lost to pure lack of concentration. That sounds little, but it decides result classes — especially if you are working on your handicap. Short putts are the cheapest strokes you can pick up in golf.