Short Game Revolution

[MashieNiblick]

As someone who struggles with chipping I was interested to read the article with the above title in this month’s GM about the new chipping method as advocated by EGU Coach Gary Smith. This is the so called linear method with the ball more forward in the stance. There is also an article by him on the website.

http://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/instruction/shortgame/531241/the-new-way-to-chip.html

On the website he says

"Your right hand should take over through the downswing, releasing the club as if you were trying to hit a draw. The right hand works under the shaft as this helps maintain loft through the ball."

He also says

"One of the reasons you should seriously consider using this method is the margin for error it gives you with the strike. The key to understanding why there is so much forgiveness is knowing how the angle of attack and bounce work together. Remember the club should work on a shallow plane through the ball. If you get this right - striking the ground with the bounce of your wedge - you don't need to worry about the ball. The bounce will keep the wedge moving through impact, delivering the sort of strike you are looking for."

Interestingly, however, on page 121 of the magazine John Jacobs (the young one!) says

"The relationship between your left arm and the shaft of the club should remain constant through impact. Many players struggle with their chipping because they let their wrists break at impact flicking at the ball. As you can see I've taken off my right hand here and at impact I'm returning to the same position I was in at address. This shows how solid your left wrist should be through the ball. This is the key to consistency, and a great drill to help you groove a better technique".

This is how I've always been taught and gives good results when I do it right. However I always find it difficult so keep my wrists firm and I get those flicky ones resulting in duffs and thins. On that basis I was dubious about what Gary Smith was advocating.

However this week I tried the Gary Smith method on the practice area.

Wow, amazing improvement! No duffs or thins. I felt like I was no longer working against something natural. The traditional method always felt wooden and I often tensed up. I wouldn’t say it felt like trying to hit a draw, more a question of simply not trying artificially to keep my wrists firm, just gently releasing the hands through the ball allowing my right hand to be a little more active. More like a mini pitch. I had the ball about middle of my stance and still stood a fraction open.

After hitting a few I also noticed that there was a grass stain on the back edge my wedge's sole, so clearly I was using the bounce just as Smith suggested.

Going to practice it a bit more over the week-end and try it on the course on Sunday.

Don't know if anyone else has tried this but thought I'd share my experiences.

 

[Hobbit]

Back in the mists of time Peter Alliss used to suggest the method Gary Smith is now coaching. There's not much new in coaching, just a rebranding of what has worked for donkey's years...

P.S. I'd definitely recommend going with the Gary Smith method if anyone is struggling with their short game.

 

[bluewolf]

I tried it a few times and found it much more consistent than my previous method. I like the neutral set up, with no shaft lean, and it does feel like the margin for error is much reduced. Even a loose stroke resulted in decent contact and roll. I'll see whether it holds up under pressure on Monday.

 

[Qwerty]

I use a similar method myself, it's not anything I've looked up or read its just something that's evolved through tinkering whilst practicing.

Personally I find when the ball is further back in the stance Theres less margin for error and the spin becomes a little unpredictable, this may be ok for the pros with their perfect strike everytime, but for a digger like me I find putting it further forward and mentally thinking of it as as putt (with a reverse overlap) overall gives me much better, consistent results :thup:

 

[bignev]

Yep was struggling a bit with my chipping trying the "old method" but my short game has now improved immeasurably with the new one
finding much more consistency in contact with the ball. Dropped .8 on Wednesday and the new short game helped.

 

[Scouser]

I tried it a few times and found it much more consistent than my previous method. I like the neutral set up, with no shaft lean, and it does feel like the margin for error is much reduced. Even a loose stroke resulted in decent contact and roll. I'll see whether it holds up under pressure on Monday.

Classing Monday as pressure interesting.... I will also be trying out my new short game approach.... A true battle

 

[louise_a]

I find my chipping is better when I barely use my right hand.

 

[MashieNiblick]

I find my chipping is better when I barely use my right hand.

Yes this is the interesting thing.

When I do the traditional method properly it works great. It's just that I find it hard to do properly consistently.

The active role of the right hand is quite different in the Gary Smith method and in my opinion is a much bigger change than moving the ball forward and standing squarer which seem to have attracted more attention. It goes against all received wisdom. It really shows up if you compare the photo of Gary on page 111 of the current GM with the one of John Jacobs (using a virtual V-Easy ) on page 121.

To this extent, despite the implication of the GM magazine article, I think Gary's method is different to John Jacobs'.

I was sceptical but I couldn't dispute the results.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I have always been told no shaft lean and a centre position is correct.

Does anyone teach it at the back of the stance with shaft lean? Or is it more variations on a theme around the centre of the stance ie Gary's hand turning and John's stable hands plus changes in swing path and stance open/closed/square etc.

From experience I think it is probably a natural thing that golfers do, they move it back in the stance to stop things, not because they are taught to but because the brain is reacting to a problem and finding a solution.

The golf swing is quite an unnatural action, we need to hit down to get the ball up which makes no sense to the brain. The brain finds solutions along a logical route, hit up to hit up (results in a "flick", hit down to avoid thins (move the ball back in the stance) etc.

The only way around this is through practice to instil muscle memory and show our brain we need to do something contradictory to an instinctual action or solution.

 

[JustOne]

You need more than 1 method.

80% of your chips will be using method (a). The rest will be a combination of method (b) (c) and (d) according to how the ball is lying and what you have in front of you. If you try to use method (a) in all circumstances you'll soon be doubting it.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Been banging on about the Gary Smith linear method for many months. Given me far more consistency and margin for error

 

[Imurg]

I find my chipping is better when I barely use my right hand.

I find my chipping is better when I don't think about it - Just do it!

 

[Sweep]

You need more than 1 method.

80% of your chips will be using method (a). The rest will be a combination of method (b) (c) and (d) according to how the ball is lying and what you have in front of you. If you try to use method (a) in all circumstances you'll soon be doubting it.

Exactly. There are so many different methods for so many different shots (off the fringe, over a bunker etc). The whole chipping thing is a nightmare and recently it has scrambled my brain. I have put in tons of practice but on the course nothing works. The fact that it should be so easy just makes it more frustrating. That said, I will definately be giving this a go

 

[lawbird]

i made it simple for myself.
putt with the face of the wedge in the direction of the flag. aiming to drop the ball at a distance to the flag. the drop zone depends on the loft of the wedge, and your distance from the flag.
far simpler and much more effective.
have developed a killer short game because have not permitted convoluted theories of the short game to complicate me life.

 

[ScienceBoy]

i made it simple for myself.
putt with the face of the wedge in the direction of the flag. aiming to drop the ball at a distance to the flag. the drop zone depends on the loft of the wedge, and your distance from the flag.

Picking a landing spot is essential, was pretty much the first thing I was taught when chipping. If you can land it roughly right the chances are it will roll out as needed. If you aim at and only thing about the hole the brain cannot work out a landing area on its own!

Try to hole a chip by picking a landing spot and focussing on that, apart from making sure you don't decelerate and flick are the best things I have found to help with chipping.