Despite the rise in technology over the last 20 years - with longer-hitting irons and drivers designed to counter redesigned and lengthened golf courses - the skills needed to get the ball close to the hole have remained constant. While tour pros and club golfers can now hit the ball further than before, it is ultimately their ability to save shots around the green that is the deciding factor between winning and coming second. A sloppy short game - whether it be duffing pitches, thinning chips or failing to escape that cavernous sand trap that always seems to have your name on it - will not only cost you and your game, but it can leave you totally frustrated and bereft of confidence. It will undo the good work that has gone before. For proof, head to any tour event and watch the world's best players practise - they spend endless hours working on their scoring clubs because they know the importance of the short game.