chipping issues

[richard_warwick76]

Hi guys,my short game is really frustrating me at the minute especially as my driving has never been so good. At least 3 thinned chips or pitches a round is killing and confidence is very low. I know I tend to come inside and roll the wrists on a normal shot ,is this leading to my problems chipping and pitching? Anyone any drills or tips ?

 

[garyinderry]

http://www.golfwrx.com/192925/possibly-the-worst-swing-shape-in-pitching/

 

[London mike 61]

To save you getting repeated replies on this subject , have you tried entering 'chipping problems' or just ' chipping' into the search bar at the top of the forum home page.

Many folks on here only too willing to help you but you may find that there are tips and videos on this forum already that may solve your chipping woes.

If you can't find anything to help then I'm sure you will get a lot of replies soon.

 

[the_coach]

Hi guys,my short game is really frustrating me at the minute especially as my driving has never been so good. At least 3 thinned chips or pitches a round is killing and confidence is very low. I know I tend to come inside and roll the wrists on a normal shot ,is this leading to my problems chipping and pitching? Anyone any drills or tips ?

The key issue here is most likely overactive intentioned use of the hands/wrists (particularly probably the right hand) in a 'hit' to govern the distance needed for the chip/pitch being played.

Important before anything else to have a decent correct neutral grip.

What's happening through the motion is coming into impact or at impact the palm of the right hand is working upwards to look at the sky, this collapses the left wrist & moves the club head in front of the hands coming into or at impact so it presents the leading edge of the club smack into somewhere around the equator of the ball, so the thin shots.

But because of this unwanted hand/wrist motion it's a good ways easy to have thins, tops, fats & the dreaded 'hosel'.
This right palm skywards action also slows down & stops the handle but accelerates the clubhead in a ways you don't want it to so producing the outcomes you don't want.

Sometimes this happens with a good set-up, often this kind of motion is somewhat pre-set by having a good ways too much forward leaning shaft at address with the hands set well in front of the ball (by a good number of inches) & also the weight being too much 50/50 at address, & sometimes all this exacerbated by trying to 'lift' the ball in the air coming into impact.

Speaking of normal shots from reasonable lies from the fairway/apron or first cut, the best chippers, short pitchers of the ball all have a shallow swing path, they are do not have added wrist action.

Their 'engine' governing distance is a shoulder/chest turn with a completely connected arm swing, head still, vertical body height unchanged so staying in posture throughout. Weight on the lead leg.

This body turn & arm motion governs a smooth swing through, not hit at, ball.
It's best that the length of the backswing is matched by the same length throughswing, that ways you get a smooth acceleration through the ball thats easier to regulate because your using the bigger engine of the chest/shoulders/arms so you have connection & importantly rhythm.
(using an unconnected arm swing with 'hand/wrist action is much more difficult to 'time' & regulate acceleration consistently)

Ball position is at the middle of an little ways open foot line stance, shoulders square to target line {important as this governs the path of the swing, so accuracy}, weight on the lead leg & stays there throughout the complete motion both back & through.

Hands position just level with the front of the ball (so not 3" or 4" in front) so just a gentle forward leaning shaft butt end of the handle just a little ways in front of ball, this has at address an 'angle' formed between back of right hand & right arm, this 'angle' needs to be kept throughout the whole motion both back & to & through impact (so not allowing the right palm to look skywards through the stroke)

Shoulder/chest rotation with connected arms, quiet hands, keeps both the butt end of the handle in front of the club head, key to hands leading clubhead so solid strike & also keeps the handle moving through the stroke.

Great thing to focus on keeping the handle moving through impact as this vid explains pretty well, also shows a good an more neutral set-up. (the guy gets a bit tongue-tied at the get go but it's worth sticking with it, as it you can follow this a model for a basic chipping motion you won't go too far wrong at all)

[video=youtube_share;ijSB37X5GNA]http://youtu.be/ijSB37X5GNA[/video]

Don't know if you do always reach for the GW, SW or LW, but higher loft a ways more difficult to use in a lot of ways. So while practicing I'd limit yourself for a while to using a 9i & PW until you get the basic motion down some.

Also will practicing push an alignment rod down the hole in butt end of the club so you've got 2 feet or so sticking out from the top of the handle. At address the stick will just run past the left side of your body.
Set-up as in the vid, & use this swing motion, if you go back to overusing the right hand the stick will give you a reminder by whacking you in the side!
But use the body/shoulder turn & arm swing with quiet hands, so keeping the handle ahead through the motion & keep the body turning smoothly through the whole motion & the stick won't hit you, great incentive & reminder during practice!!

 

[SocketRocket]

Coach's post is very good advice. I would only add that looking intently through the shot at back of the ball where it meets the grass will help making a good strike at the ball.

 

[the_coach]

[video=youtube_share;vPRxdxTHCGc]http://youtu.be/vPRxdxTHCGc[/video]

 

[bobmac]

If you need help keeping your hands/wrists quiet, there is something on the market which will definitely help

http://www.v-easy.co.uk/#/chipping/4536932962

 

[richard_warwick76]

The key issue here is most likely overactive intentioned use of the hands/wrists (particularly probably the right hand) in a 'hit' to govern the distance needed for the chip/pitch being played.

Important before anything else to have a decent correct neutral grip.

What's happening through the motion is coming into impact or at impact the palm of the right hand is working upwards to look at the sky, this collapses the left wrist & moves the club head in front of the hands coming into or at impact so it presents the leading edge of the club smack into somewhere around the equator of the ball, so the thin shots.

But because of this unwanted hand/wrist motion it's a good ways easy to have thins, tops, fats & the dreaded 'hosel'.
This right palm skywards action also slows down & stops the handle but accelerates the clubhead in a ways you don't want it to so producing the outcomes you don't want.

Sometimes this happens with a good set-up, often this kind of motion is somewhat pre-set by having a good ways too much forward leaning shaft at address with the hands set well in front of the ball (by a good number of inches) & also the weight being too much 50/50 at address, & sometimes all this exacerbated by trying to 'lift' the ball in the air coming into impact.

Speaking of normal shots from reasonable lies from the fairway/apron or first cut, the best chippers, short pitchers of the ball all have a shallow swing path, they are do not have added wrist action.

Their 'engine' governing distance is a shoulder/chest turn with a completely connected arm swing, head still, vertical body height unchanged so staying in posture throughout. Weight on the lead leg.

This body turn & arm motion governs a smooth swing through, not hit at, ball.
It's best that the length of the backswing is matched by the same length throughswing, that ways you get a smooth acceleration through the ball thats easier to regulate because your using the bigger engine of the chest/shoulders/arms so you have connection & importantly rhythm.
(using an unconnected arm swing with 'hand/wrist action is much more difficult to 'time' & regulate acceleration consistently)

Ball position is at the middle of an little ways open foot line stance, shoulders square to target line {important as this governs the path of the swing, so accuracy}, weight on the lead leg & stays there throughout the complete motion both back & through.

Hands position just level with the front of the ball (so not 3" or 4" in front) so just a gentle forward leaning shaft butt end of the handle just a little ways in front of ball, this has at address an 'angle' formed between back of right hand & right arm, this 'angle' needs to be kept throughout the whole motion both back & to & through impact (so not allowing the right palm to look skywards through the stroke)

Shoulder/chest rotation with connected arms, quiet hands, keeps both the butt end of the handle in front of the club head, key to hands leading clubhead so solid strike & also keeps the handle moving through the stroke.

Great thing to focus on keeping the handle moving through impact as this vid explains pretty well, also shows a good an more neutral set-up. (the guy gets a bit tongue-tied at the get go but it's worth sticking with it, as it you can follow this a model for a basic chipping motion you won't go too far wrong at all)

[video=youtube_share;ijSB37X5GNA]http://youtu.be/ijSB37X5GNA[/video]

Don't know if you do always reach for the GW, SW or LW, but higher loft a ways more difficult to use in a lot of ways. So while practicing I'd limit yourself for a while to using a 9i & PW until you get the basic motion down some.

Also will practicing push an alignment rod down the hole in butt end of the club so you've got 2 feet or so sticking out from the top of the handle. At address the stick will just run past the left side of your body.
Set-up as in the vid, & use this swing motion, if you go back to overusing the right hand the stick will give you a reminder by whacking you in the side!
But use the body/shoulder turn & arm swing with quiet hands, so keeping the handle ahead through the motion & keep the body turning smoothly through the whole motion & the stick won't hit you, great incentive & reminder during practice!!

Thanks for such a detailed reply. Of to the range to hopefully put some of these tips in to practice.excellent advice

 

[richard_warwick76]

Thanjs

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Simple answer... V-easy