Think Right Wrist

Much has been made over the years about focusing on the left arm during a chip shot. More specifically, the left arm and wrist. The idea has been to make the left arm and wrist very firm through impact, to prevent either of them from breaking down. A broken down left side could lead to a fat or thin chip shot.

This may be true, but too often when people think of keeping their left side firm, they end up creating too much force at impact. They try to straighten their left arm just before impact, and when they do this they produce unwanted clubhead speed. Almost every solidly struck bump-and-run chip shot from amateurs goes past the hole. Have you ever noticed that? It usually ends up short of the hole only if it’s mis-hit.

What’s worse is a lot of these shots are hit thin and go well past the hole. This is because the left arm actually lifts up too far in an effort to keep it straight and firm, and the club’s leading edge hits the middle of the ball.Therefore, you would be better served to think of your right wrist while chipping. Try to keep the angle you form with your right wrist constant through the impact area. This will at the same time keep the left side firm, but you won’t be as inclined to jerk your left side and produce too much force because you won’t be thinking about your left side.

This motion should feel like a pendulum. To hit the chip shot a bit shorter or further, simply alter the length of the swing. Your arms don’t have to feel straight and rigid, either. Just feel as though everything moves in one piece.

You will find that by focusing on your right wrist, your distance control with your chip shots will improve considerably.

Golf Ball Under Foot

The "ball under the outside of your back foot" drill has been a favorite of many good players for years. The idea is to take your set-up position and put a golf ball underneath the outside of your back foot. This will prop your foot up and allow you to build tension on the inside of your back leg as you make your backswing.
This drill will prevent you from moving your weight too far laterally on the backswing, which is a common, distance-robbing flaw of many high handicappers. These players let their weight travel to the outside of their back leg. When this happens, there is no coil produced, and not a lot of energy is created to produce clubhead speed on the downswing.

You want energy, tension, and coil on the inside of your back leg. You should feel a lot of pressure there, just waiting to be released on the downswing. One of the main reasons why this drill is so popular is because of the non-mechanical nature of it. You are not thinking of wrist angles or clubface positions. It is simply an athletic movement--not unlike a quarterback getting ready to throw a long pass--which will help you to produce clubhead speed, and in turn increase your distance. This drill will make you feel exploded, or propelled through the shot. If you practice it enough times, it will come natural on the golf course.

In fact, you don’t even need a golf ball to do it. Anything that will prop your foot up and keep the weight on the inside of your back leg will work. It’s also a good idea to put the ball you are hitting on a tee so you don’t have to move around and replant your foot after each shot.