Hands Ahead
Hands Ahead for Crisp, Spinning Chips
It's amazing the difference with which amateurs and professionals play shots from around the green. Take, for instance, a downhill chip shot from the rough. This is a shot where nearly every amateur will take out a 60-degree wedge, open the face, flop the ball onto the green, and hope it stops near the hole.
Tour players--because they know that a flop shot will hit the green and bounce over because it would be coming down from higher in the air--usually take a different approach. They'll hit a low chip that hits the green, takes one bounce, then spins. From there, the ball trickles down to the hole.
What type of technique is needed for this shot?
The two things to remember with this shot are to have your hands ahead of the ball and the ball slightly back in your stance. Your clubface will naturally close a little, which is fine. From there, hit the shot while leading with your hands.
The actual technique is not much different than a normal pitch shot. But in this case the actual swing should be firmer. What will happen is your club will be traveling downward, so the lack of forward momentum will keep the ball from going too far even with a firm swing. And the crisp, downward force will allow for the grooves of the club to put spin on the ball.
Keep in mind that the lie of the ball will ultimately determine what kind of shot you can play. This type of chip is good for very tight fairway lies, as well as balls that are sitting down. If the ball is sitting up, in a fluffy lie, you should go with the flop shot. Or, in some cases, if you have no green to work with, you have no choice but to try a flop shot.
Summary
Don’t assume that you need to loft every greenside shot way into the air to stop it. Try stopping it with the spin of the ball. The percentages with this shot are much better, especially for the average player. The chances of chunking or skulling your shot will decrease significantly if you avoid that large swing with a high-lofted wedge.
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Learn more about the #1 rated golf instruction book in the game today, 1 Step to Better Golf.
It's amazing the difference with which amateurs and professionals play shots from around the green. Take, for instance, a downhill chip shot from the rough. This is a shot where nearly every amateur will take out a 60-degree wedge, open the face, flop the ball onto the green, and hope it stops near the hole.
Tour players--because they know that a flop shot will hit the green and bounce over because it would be coming down from higher in the air--usually take a different approach. They'll hit a low chip that hits the green, takes one bounce, then spins. From there, the ball trickles down to the hole.
What type of technique is needed for this shot?
The two things to remember with this shot are to have your hands ahead of the ball and the ball slightly back in your stance. Your clubface will naturally close a little, which is fine. From there, hit the shot while leading with your hands.
The actual technique is not much different than a normal pitch shot. But in this case the actual swing should be firmer. What will happen is your club will be traveling downward, so the lack of forward momentum will keep the ball from going too far even with a firm swing. And the crisp, downward force will allow for the grooves of the club to put spin on the ball.
Keep in mind that the lie of the ball will ultimately determine what kind of shot you can play. This type of chip is good for very tight fairway lies, as well as balls that are sitting down. If the ball is sitting up, in a fluffy lie, you should go with the flop shot. Or, in some cases, if you have no green to work with, you have no choice but to try a flop shot.
Summary
Don’t assume that you need to loft every greenside shot way into the air to stop it. Try stopping it with the spin of the ball. The percentages with this shot are much better, especially for the average player. The chances of chunking or skulling your shot will decrease significantly if you avoid that large swing with a high-lofted wedge.
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Learn more about the #1 rated golf instruction book in the game today, 1 Step to Better Golf.
posted by Best Golf Tips at
10:21 AM
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