' ''Would You Like To Lower Your Golf Scores?''
NEXT LEVEL CHIPPING
The fastest way to lower your golf scores is to get really good at the short game. In the last lesson we talked about putting being an essential part of scoring. If you're not a good putter you'll never reach you scoring potential in golf. In this lesson we're going to talk about another very important part of the short game; chipping. If you get good at the little chip shots around the green,you can take a lot of pressure off of your putting. I think we would all agree that it is a lot easier to make 2 foot putts than it is to make 6 footers.
I would define a chip shot as one that rolls farther than it travels in the air. The technique for chipping is really pretty simple and somewhat similar to the putting stroke.
1. "Set Up" To set up for a standard chip shot, start with your feet very close together, so that your heels are only a few inches apart. Play the ball opposite your right toe and only about a foot away from your toe. Once you have good ball position, flare your feet about 15 degrees to the left, or toward the target. The ball is going to feel like it is very far back in your stance, that's ok, that's where we want it. By having the ball back in your stance, it makes it easier to make clean contact with a slightly downward stroke on the ball. Set 60% to 70% of your weight on your left foot. This also encourages a downward strike on the ball. So we're going to have the ball opposite your right toe (for a right handed golfer), about one foot away from your toe, your weight set on the left foot, and the handle of the club even with the inside of your left thigh, so that the handle of the club is closer to the target than the club head. I would suggest that you use your normal golf grip for this shot although I think it's a good idea to choke down a couple of inches.
2. "Stroke" We want to keep our chipping stroke as simple as possible, and control it primarily with the bigger muscles of the upper body, with minimal hand action. Once you've taken the good set up described above, we're simply going to move the triangle formed by your arms and chest, back and through. You always want to follow through in the forward swing at least as far as you take the club back in the backswing. Remember, we want the stroke to produce a slightly downward strike into the back of the ball. The biggest mistake I see players make when chipping, is to try to help the ball get up in the air. The loft of the club will get the ball up if you hit slightly downward. One more tip: keep light grip pressure for better club head feel.
3. "Club Selection" There are two schools of thought when it comes to club selection for chipping. Some very good players are successful using several different clubs, depending on the amount of green they have to work with. They use a lower lofted club, such as a 7 or 8 iron, when they have a lot of green to work with, or a pitching or sand wedge when there is not so much green. Other players find it easier to use only one or two clubs, and change the length of their backswing to control the distance. I think it depends on the amount of time you have to practice and your own personal preference. It takes more practice time to get the feel for distance using several clubs than it does to get used to one or two. For most players I would recommend using a sand wedge for shots where the pin is close, and a 9 iron for longer chips. Use the same chipping technique with both clubs.
4. "Practice" The most important thing about getting chip shots close to the hole, is being able to control the distance. A good idea when practicing chip shots,is to pick a spot on the green where you want the ball to land. Once you have your spot try to land the ball on that spot with your sand wedge, then take your 9 iron and do the same thing. Pay attention to how far the ball rolls after it hits the ground with both clubs. With a little bit of practice you will begin to develope a feel for distance with both clubs. As with putting use you imagination to make up games for yourself, or with a practice partner to make your short game practice more fun. If you spend time practicing the short game, it won't be long until you see measurable results on your scorecard.
