I'm at a loss......

[Coopsarama]

recently, over thepast few rounds I've played I seem to have somehow managed to develop a fault in my short game. When i'm attempting a pitch from say 10-15 yds i manage to somehow get the ball to come off the clubface at about 45'! I'm clueless as to whats going on here. Any ideas? I've always struggled with a slice, which I've tamed to A fade with my irons and woods ( still a slice with the driver though )

 

[birdieman]

coopsarama,
if you want to keep it lower then play with quiet hands (no wrist hinge) and get the ball right back in the stance, opposite back foot. Sounds like you're playing a flop shot where the left arm slows and the right hand flicks through.
Alternately you could hit a stronger lofted club to keep it down. The folow throug should be longer than the backswing on these shots to prevent deceleration through impact.
You dont say what club you're hitting for these shots but the shot you're describing is about normal for a wedeg or sand wedge as the lofts on these wedges are generally about 48 to 56 degrees. There may be cases when a high shot is required to get it over a bunker etc so you want to be able to play it high or low, whatever the situation needs. There is nothing wrong with a high shot unless you are trying to play it low. As long as it gets to the hole!

 

[USER1999]

sounds more like a shank to me. If you find a cure let me know....

 

[birdieman]

Oops I thought you meant 45 degrees up not 45 degrees to the right. If it is to the right then it's a shank as murphthemog says. Have suffered this affliction myself in the past, if you're a slicer then the club will be coming across the ball from the outside of the correct path. The temptation is to stand further away to cure a shank but that makes it worse, stand closer to the ball and be more upright with good knee flex for balance, also swing more steeply, a flat swing is bad news.

 

[Alex]

Chipping is never straightforward. But a few rules and it can become your "get of jail free card".

Keep the weight on the front foot, do that by easing the heel off the ground of your rear foot. Choke down the club as well.

Check your back swing, shaft parallel to the ground, not behind you, club head should be pointing to the sky. If faced with a chip you must get cleanly on the green from about 15 yds, use a putting motion instead. Don't flip the hands forwards at contact.

I've bought a 37 degree Howson Chipper, use it instead of my 9 iron sometimes, will do 110 yds off the turf if needed. Everyone scoffs at the thing, until I chip over a bunker.

Alex