Chipping Yips

[Juan Quidonqui]

Hi All.
Just joined this forum so apologies if this has been covered before or is posted in wrong place but has anyone got any suggestions for curing chipping yips?
I struggled with chipping for years but this year I was determined to improve things. So I’ve worked hard on my technique and things have improved considerably when I’m practicing. But no matter how well I chip in practice (which can now be very good), whenever there is the slightest element of pressure everything goes to pieces (I can literally stub my club a few inches behind the ball !!).
I’ve read many differing views on whether the chipping yips is a technical or mental problem and in my view it’s probably a bit of both - so many previous years of bad technique created bad shots that still stick in my mind and so when I’m faced with a chip in a comp I ‘panic’ with thoughts of all the bad shots I’ve hit before which creates the inevitable bad chip.
With the significant improvement I’m now seeing when I practice I should be much more confident... but no matter how confident in my chipping I now feel as I go out to play a round (even if I’ve just been warming up chipping like a scratch golfer !), you can guarantee that the first time I’m faced with a chip in a comp, all that confidence goes and I end up looking like I’ve never played the game before.
I’m guessing that after years of being a poor chipper it may just take quite a long time before the good memories of my new improved technique overrides the years of bad memories associated with my chipping.
Anyone had similar problems and found something that helps get over this problem?

 

[Crow]

I used to be a good chipper but about three or four years ago the yips set in and I'm pretty much in exactly the same postilion you're in, practice and casual play I'm okay but anything meaningful and it can go anywhere.
At the moment I get my best results by limiting my backswing to the absolute minimum and then using mostly body turn to hit the ball.

I shall watch this thread with interest.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

My short game issues on here are well documented. I have for a long time been an advocate of the Gary Smith linear method (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEtjF7eJdvIAvUv-HbwxVBSQ7l8d1KnNb) which I have always felt sat better in my head, gave me more confidence (a massive plus when on the course) and even under pressure seemed more reliable than a more conventional method.

However, the linear version has far more moving parts than a standard way of pitching and chipping and as I still had lesson vouchers to use, I decided to have an hour, learning how to chip and pitch "normally". All was good and the pro had me using a high to low action (sure Bob can elaborate) and making sure I was turning with the torso and was told that the rotation would help with the strike and implementing the check on the ball. I felt I had emptied my head of any previous "normal" technique and basically felt I was starting from scratch and so left very happy. I've subsequently put in some practice sessions and really felt I had it working and was pleased with my chipping dispersion on the putting green and my distance control on pitches.

Fast forward to Saturday. Got up the club early to work on it before going out. It was like someone had stolen all the information I had received from the lesson and it was as bad as any chipping/pitching I had ever done (normal method) in memory to the point where I was shanking pitches. As you can imagine as soon as I hit the course and faced with my first chip and pitch I panicked and the results were not good (low point being a shank with a simple 40 yard pitch off a good lie to lose the hole). I was tempted to revert to linear as my fail safe but decided to keep persevering and trusting what I had learned and what I know had worked up until Saturday.

Suffice to say I am also in a pit of short game misery. I know I can use linear and even poor shots get mediocre (but acceptable results) but I am trying to really simplify everything in my golf game so I really want to keep using a simple method. I wanted to go back to the club tonight and banish the memories but the weather looks set to put paid to that. I have a lesson booked for Wednesday night at 7.00pm which was supposed to be refining my full swing but may now have to be a refresher. How can such simple shots prove so difficult? Not quite got to the yip state yet but beginning to feel it can only be a matter of time

 

[Juan Quidonqui]

My short game issues on here are well documented. I have for a long time been an advocate of the Gary Smith linear method (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEtjF7eJdvIAvUv-HbwxVBSQ7l8d1KnNb) which I have always felt sat better in my head, gave me more confidence (a massive plus when on the course) and even under pressure seemed more reliable than a more conventional method.

However, the linear version has far more moving parts than a standard way of pitching and chipping and as I still had lesson vouchers to use, I decided to have an hour, learning how to chip and pitch "normally". All was good and the pro had me using a high to low action (sure Bob can elaborate) and making sure I was turning with the torso and was told that the rotation would help with the strike and implementing the check on the ball. I felt I had emptied my head of any previous "normal" technique and basically felt I was starting from scratch and so left very happy. I've subsequently put in some practice sessions and really felt I had it working and was pleased with my chipping dispersion on the putting green and my distance control on pitches.

Fast forward to Saturday. Got up the club early to work on it before going out. It was like someone had stolen all the information I had received from the lesson and it was as bad as any chipping/pitching I had ever done (normal method) in memory to the point where I was shanking pitches. As you can imagine as soon as I hit the course and faced with my first chip and pitch I panicked and the results were not good (low point being a shank with a simple 40 yard pitch off a good lie to lose the hole). I was tempted to revert to linear as my fail safe but decided to keep persevering and trusting what I had learned and what I know had worked up until Saturday.

Suffice to say I am also in a pit of short game misery. I know I can use linear and even poor shots get mediocre (but acceptable results) but I am trying to really simplify everything in my golf game so I really want to keep using a simple method. I wanted to go back to the club tonight and banish the memories but the weather looks set to put paid to that. I have a lesson booked for Wednesday night at 7.00pm which was supposed to be refining my full swing but may now have to be a refresher. How can such simple shots prove so difficult? Not quite got to the yip state yet but beginning to feel it can only be a matter of time

Thanks very much for your reply Homer. Your experience sounds very similar to mine.
About 5 years ago I had a lesson with a local pro who was an advocate of Gary Smith’s linear method and to be fair it did seem to get better results - but then again I hadn’t exactly set the bar very high so any improvement was noticeable.
I always felt the linear method was a good damage limitation approach but it would only get me to an OK level rather than a good level of chipping and as you probably found out it does feel a bit unnatural.
So without really thinking about it I sort of slipped back into something that feels more natural to me.
Having said that, when I started spending more time working on my chipping earlier this year I did revisit the linear method and I do retain some elements that I felt worked well. So I do tend to have the ball positioned a little further forward and then “lean” on my front leg to get my sternum over the ball - as this seems to stop my weight falling back onto my trail leg .... but I can overdo this ”lean” at times and it can mean I end up with a steeper swing - and that then brings the dreaded fat shot into play.
I think one of the biggest problems I have when faced with a chip under pressure is that because of previous bad experiences, I get so focussed on trying to get an absolutely perfect contact on the ball that this becomes my ONLY focus.
I’ve tried thinking instead about where my club head finishes in a effort to take some of the focus off the actual strike and that does seem to help a lot. I will even count (1-2-3-4) in my head as I play a chip shot with (1) being as I take the club away and (4) being as the club stops on the follow through. By making sure I’m concentrating on getting to (4) I take a lot of focus away at what is happening at (2) or (3) as the club is actually hitting the ball.
This work really well for me when I’m practicing.... but once the pressure is on me my brain has a way of chucking all of that out the window and screaming at me to just make sure I get a perfect contact on the ball - and that’s when it all goes pear shaped again.
Don’t you just love this game !

 

[bobmac]

Have you tried this drill?
Try and hit the ball low under the shaft.
When you get it right, the ball goes over the shaft.
It's a good clear swing thought to have on the course.

 

[Juan Quidonqui]

Cheers Bob.
Looks a very interesting drill. I can certainly see this helping to change my mindset from one of trying to get the ball up - and the more level/descending stroke should ensure the bounce of the club is used and the loft does all the work.
All sounds so simple as I type this out ... now all I have to do is convince my brain!
Will definitely try that.
Thanks again.

 

[bobmac]

Cheers Bob.
Looks a very interesting drill. I can certainly see this helping to change my mindset from one of trying to get the ball up - and the more level/descending stroke should ensure the bounce of the club is used and the loft does all the work.
All sounds so simple as I type this out ... now all I have to do is convince my brain!
Will definitely try that.
Thanks again.

It's all about confidence.
If you are scared to hit the ball, it could go anywhere.
If however you are confident your technique is good, you will play the shot well and your confidence will rise.
Keep us informed.

 

[Juan Quidonqui]

It's all about confidence.
If you are scared to hit the ball, it could go anywhere.
If however you are confident your technique is good, you will play the shot well and your confidence will rise.
Keep us informed.

Yes - Logic tells me it’s just a confidence issue as I can’t be consistently chipping well when I practice and then look like a different person when I play in a comp.
Hopefully, regular consistent chipping in practice will eventually convince my brain that I can actually chip well.
Of course by that time I’d have probably forgotten how to drive and putt !
Will let you know how it goes.

 

[Dando]

a tip that a fellow former gave me was to basically use my putting set up, grip and stroke and it has seen some improvements but I still need to work on it.

 

[Huwey12]

I suffered with a flicky chip sometimes blading the ball. I was put right on this forum saying I should use a putting grip with a little forward press to lock the lead wrist. Certainly put me right
Only problem I have occasionally is distance control

 

[Deleted member 25575]

I suffered big time with my chipping, so ive spent a lot more time practising, one of the things that's really helped me is trying different clubs for all of my chips in practice, so if im 10yd away from the green, practicing with my 56 wedge to flight one and also with my PW to run one, having a couple of options for each chip I face enables me to pull a club and if I dont feel comfortable, have a different option to fall back on. Of course a flick over a bunker to a short sided flag doesn't leave much by the way of options but most other chip shots I now feel I can look at the lie, conditions, flag placement etc and pick the best option, or if ive thinned a couple, to have a backup option for the rest of the round.

It's not fixed everything but it's given me more confidence not having all my eggs in one basket.

Last time out I was 20yd out of the par 5 9th in 2 just in the semi rough, snagged the club on my pitch to move it less than a yard, then stiffed the next one to about 2 foot to make the par.

 

[Orikoru]

Don't know if this will be of use, but I tend to chip by basically taking my 8 iron out and doing a putting stroke. Grip down a tad, heel of the club slightly off the ground. I've even started taking my glove off as well to make it feel more like a putt. I find even if you duff that you still get enough on it to be on the green - rather it going nowhere the worst you are is 10 foot short or 10 foot long if you thin it a bit. The putting stroke creates a sweeping motion anyway, so you're much less likely to just blade it into the ground.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Went up the club after work. Managed to find something better on the chips but once I started hitting pitches to 20 yards and over still issues including the odd shank. Sadly drizzle came down so put on my waterproof top and carried on grinding it out and then the heavens opened so a mad dash to pick up the balls (all old Pro V's) and back in to dry everything. Try again tonight. Think I've got an idea where I am going wrong but need to try it out to be sure.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Back out last night to work on my pitching. Had a very interested spectator standing about 30 feet away and definitely in shank range. On the plus side the pitching has begun to come back but not as coherent and fluid as it was after my lesson

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Stood out in the pouring rain for an hour on Saturday trying to play off wet and muddy lies and really hone a "normal" technique. Managed through block repetition to find some answers to the problems and to get something working. I figured if I learn to pitch and chip off muddy and wet lies now then I'm ahead of the game for winter. It worked reasonably well in the medal bar a couple of bad ones towards the end back on it tonight with more target related practice and also going to start recording scores for pitching challenges to different holes/different clubs so I can track progress and then do something similar on the course and see if practice is improving and feeding into the game when it matters

 

[garyinderry]

Get some of film to see what's going on.

I thought you had your short game in a decent place.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Get some of film to see what's going on.

I thought you had your short game in a decent place.

I do in terms of the linear method but the biggest negative is the amount of moving parts. I had some lesson vouchers to use so have revisited the conventional short game as part of that which would see a more compact action. I need to get some stuff on film to send to the teaching pro so I'll get something sorted

 

[Deleted member 3432]

I do in terms of the linear method but the biggest negative is the amount of moving parts. I had some lesson vouchers to use so have revisited the conventional short game as part of that which would see a more compact action. I need to get some stuff on film to send to the teaching pro so I'll get something sorted

If it was working before why look to change to a different method?

Video yourself and compare it to some of the stuff you have posted on your youtube channel. Should be able to self diagnose as you have a point of reference to work to.

I reckon the biggest think holding yourself back is you, way too much tinkering.

If I was in your position I would sort out your overswing, long game issues are putting pressure on your short game which is now failing.

Tighten up full swing over winter then work on short game in spring when ground is firmer.

I really want to see you achieve your goals, i like your determination but I think you don't have a method you can trust. I don't think working with different pro's is helping either.

 

[garyinderry]

In regards to Homer's long game I'd like to see where that is at the minute. I watched his lesson at the london club again the other day and would like to see If he is any closer to what the pro was asking of him.

 

[Dando]

In regards to Homer's long game I'd like to see where that is at the minute. I watched his lesson at the london club again the other day and would like to see If he is any closer to what the pro was asking of him.

Didn’t he dismiss it almost straight away?