Short Game Thoughts

[Lucifer MorningStar]

I can genuinely say I never even think about my technique or bounce when I play any sort of chip or pitch. I’ll chip with anything from a 3 wood-60° wedge. I have no idea what the 3 releases are or care about the bounce, I never watch short game videos either.

I would say my short game is really strong if not the strongest part of my game overall. I spent hours playing games as a kid on the practice green where I would get 10 balls and launch them into different areas around the place including some shocking lies, behind trees, downslopes, upslopes, side slopes, tight pins, pins miles away etc and I would just try to invent ways of getting the ball close enough to the hole to make it a 1 putt up and down. Then I’d rinse and repeat that process over and over again, to this day I still imagine the shot, pick a club and make what feels like the right practice swing.. sometimes I’ll chip with a putting grip if that’s what feels is required for a low runner, some off the front foot, back foot, open face, hooded face, firm wrists, soft wrists etc I’m hugely a feel player around the greens the only constants I can really tell you I do is and that’s I never play a shot around the green wearing a glove as I like to feel my hands working, and my weight is toward my left side but that’s not a conscious thing it’s just what evolved through that practice.

Same with bunker shots, I don’t open my stance on them I saw Seve play once as a kid square stance, weight forward, club face open and hands really low by his knees, tried that and stuck with it ever since.

So the only advice I can offer is practice, practice, practice, be inventive, have fun and see what happens. Most all see the shot and hit it with full commitment.

 

[kp17]

The secret is in the dirt a wise man once said

 

[Lord Tyrion]

The secret is in the dirt a wise man once said

Was it Chubbs Peterson by any chance ?

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

The secret is in the dirt a wise man once said

Still not as insightful as Tai Webb, “be the ball”

 

[kp17]

Still not as insightful as Tai Webb, “be the ball”

They’d the same flatcap

 

[Hobbit]

Played the majority of my golf on links courses. I avoided clubs with lots of bounce. Chipped with 8,9,wedge depending on the distance from the green. First motion was a forward press with the hands, which helped promote a steeper takeaway. Worked well for me.

 

[Oggie41]

My short game was dire for a long time. The more I practiced what most of the YouTube tutorials recommend (using the bounce etc.) the worse I got.

Eventually I've started listening to Joe Mayo (the coach who turned Viktor Hovland's short game around). He recommends the exact opposite - forward shaft lean and a steep angle of attack. He's put loads of video's on his Instagram showing pretty much all the best short game players use plenty of forward shaft lean with a steep angle of attack. Its massively improved things for me.

Best money I ever spent on my short game was a month's sub to his Patreon. Loads of good videos on there, but this series with Adam Young made it all click for me:

 

[Oggie41]

Here's an interesting video I watched the other day:
Alex Elliott getting a chipping lesson from Justin Rose's coach.

Finally got round to watching that. Good video. It's funny, I remember watching an Alex Elliott chipping video last year where he was confidently saying that using the bounce was the key to great chipping

 

[Orikoru]

Finally got round to watching that. Good video. It's funny, I remember watching an Alex Elliott chipping video last year where he was confidently saying that using the bounce was the key to great chipping

On the one hand maybe it's a bad look to change what he's teaching, but I think it shows he has an open mind and willingness to learn. The way I see it, there are always multiple ways to skin the cat in golf, and different techniques will work better for different people. You've just got to try a few and see what works best.

 

[Orikoru]

Well, my chipping was back in the absolute toilet this weekend. Mostly chunking it. At worst I'm yipping it - sort of decelerate a lot at impact, dump the club into the ground, then speed up again on the follow-through - this has even caused me to double-hit the ball twice. It's embarrassing at this point. Ok there were some horrendous muddy lies involved, but a yip and a double-hit shouldn't be happening no matter what the lie is.

Just a bit baffled now and not sure how to proceed. Not gonna throw more money on another lesson - the biggest problem now is the yippiness which is only going to happen on a proper shot during a round, so even if I did go back for a lesson I'd probably be chipping fine and he'd be wondering why I was there. As I've mentioned before, I don't really have anywhere to practice since our chipping area at the club is pretty useless.

Need to go back to basics I think. Bit less loft, take my wrists out of it completely and really focus on a very simple straight back and turn through with the chest movement. If that fails, God knows - maybe a Matty Fitz left below right next??

The only time I chip well now is bump and running with a hybrid, I'm genuinely so good at that it's night and day. But the problem is I only feel comfortable doing that off a short fairway lie, I don't fancy it out of longer grass unless I'm literally just a couple of feet off the green.

 

[RichA]

Standard putting stroke backswing but turning through the downswing is working for me. Just be positive and know that those 45-56° will provide the loft you're looking for.
It's pretty much what one of the videos you posted a few weeks ago describes. I was doing it already by chance. If a duffer like me can make it work you should be smashing it.

 

[Orikoru]

Standard putting stroke backswing but turning through the downswing is working for me. Just be positive and know that those 45-56° will provide the loft you're looking for.
It's pretty much what one of the videos you posted a few weeks ago describes. I was doing it already by chance. If a duffer like me can make it work you should be smashing it.

Like anything in golf, it's between the ears at the moment. The yips come when confidence is gone and you haven't chipped well for a while. If I can find something that works even for a round or two to start with, it will start to come back.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Well, my chipping was back in the absolute toilet this weekend. Mostly chunking it. At worst I'm yipping it - sort of decelerate a lot at impact, dump the club into the ground, then speed up again on the follow-through - this has even caused me to double-hit the ball twice. It's embarrassing at this point. Ok there were some horrendous muddy lies involved, but a yip and a double-hit shouldn't be happening no matter what the lie is.

Just a bit baffled now and not sure how to proceed. Not gonna throw more money on another lesson - the biggest problem now is the yippiness which is only going to happen on a proper shot during a round, so even if I did go back for a lesson I'd probably be chipping fine and he'd be wondering why I was there. As I've mentioned before, I don't really have anywhere to practice since our chipping area at the club is pretty useless.

Need to go back to basics I think. Bit less loft, take my wrists out of it completely and really focus on a very simple straight back and turn through with the chest movement. If that fails, God knows - maybe a Matty Fitz left below right next??

The only time I chip well now is bump and running with a hybrid, I'm genuinely so good at that it's night and day. But the problem is I only feel comfortable doing that off a short fairway lie, I don't fancy it out of longer grass unless I'm literally just a couple of feet off the green.

Are there any ranges near you with chipping/short game areas, one I use near work has one and it’s brilliant but swear I’m the only one who uses it. It could work wonders if you can at least find somewhere to practice especially if your club’s facilities for it are useless.


Or there’s always https://www.eleven-golf.com/product-page/eleven-steel-shaft-chipper-masters-green . People mock them but I know several low guys that’s have one of varying brands due to chipping yips and it’s saved their games.

 

[RichA]

Like anything in golf, it's between the ears at the moment. The yips come when confidence is gone and you haven't chipped well for a while. If I can find something that works even for a round or two to start with, it will start to come back.

Just be positive mate. Golf doesn't matter. A small element of golf like chipping matters even less. If you can putt then you can chip. Just do it knowing you're going to add a little turn after the strike.
Within a few chips you'll be finishing off with a twirly flourish.

 

[Orikoru]

Are there any ranges near you with chipping/short game areas, one I use near work has one and it’s brilliant but swear I’m the only one who uses it. It could work wonders if you can at least find somewhere to practice especially if your club’s facilities for it are useless.


Or there’s always https://www.eleven-golf.com/product-page/eleven-steel-shaft-chipper-masters-green . People mock them but I know several low guys that’s have one of varying brands due to chipping yips and it’s saved their games.

I always used to say a chipper was a waste of a spot in the bag, since you can just grip down an 8 iron and do the same shot. And I have 14 clubs with pretty good gapping so I don't know what I would take out for one anyway.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

I always used to say a chipper was a waste of a spot in the bag, since you can just grip down an 8 iron and do the same shot. And I have 14 clubs with pretty good gapping so I don't know what I would take out for one anyway.

60° wedge! There’s nothing a 60° can do that you can’t do with your 54°. Your 54° is the perfect loft for bunkers and usually has more bounce for that exact reason, need more loft open the face, to play a shorter pitch then shorten the swing. End of the day if it gets that bad putting a chipper in and enjoy golf for the sake of a 60° wedge that is pretty superfluous to most handicap golfers, well I say that’s not even a sacrifice.

Hopefully you can sort it before it gets that far but don’t rule it out when you have options. Of the 6 lads I know using them their highest handicap is 4 and 1 is a club pro who had severe chipping yips, a couple were close to quitting the game completely but now play without anxiety. Practice is key and being patient with yourself but there’s always a fall back if it gets that far.

 

[anotherdouble]

Got a par 3 course near you. Quiet times, couple of balls and play about with different techniques

 

[Orikoru]

60° wedge! There’s nothing a 60° can do that you can’t do with your 54°. Your 54° is the perfect loft for bunkers and usually has more bounce for that exact reason, need more loft open the face, to play a shorter pitch then shorten the swing. End of the day if it gets that bad putting a chipper in and enjoy golf for the sake of a 60° wedge that is pretty superfluous to most handicap golfers, well I say that’s not even a sacrifice.

Hopefully you can sort it before it gets that far but don’t rule it out when you have options. Of the 6 lads I know using them their highest handicap is 4 and 1 is a club pro who had severe chipping yips, a couple were close to quitting the game completely but now play without anxiety. Practice is key and being patient with yourself but there’s always a fall back if it gets that far.

That's not true unfortunately. I am absolutely horrible out of green side bunkers, 60 is the only thing I can get out with. Sometimes. Whenever I try and open the face I shank it, so I need the 60 so I can play it pretty square. Also our bunkers are always compacted and hard so I need the lower bounce usually.

My mate had one for a few years, but even that stopped working for him after a while and he got rid of it. Not sure why! When I was like a 20+ handicap I used to chip with an 8 iron and a putting stroke (basically like using a chipper) and it works pretty well, but I just lost this technique over the years somehow. Might've been guilty of thinking I need a 'better' shot when my overall ability improved when I just need anything that works.

 

[Slab]

I'm really disappointed with my on course chipping over the last few rounds. Fully a mental issue I need to somehow overcome

We’ve a good short game area and I’ve been practicing for 1-2 hours a week for a couple of months and practice has progressed well, 90% are not ‘duffed’ & will be on the green and decent direction from 20/30/40 meters.
I have a tendency to under hit for the required distance, so most balls are short of the hole, but I still hole out occasionally and drop enough close that it’s a good chance of up & down

But, when I get on the course and the stroke actually counts towards a score (even no-stakes social/practice golf) it gets into my head and more often than not I will chunk it fat/thin

I need to find a way to relax my anxiety so that I chip with the same confidence as I do on short game area

 

[Orikoru]

I'm really disappointed with my on course chipping over the last few rounds. Fully a mental issue I need to somehow overcome

We’ve a good short game area and I’ve been practicing for 1-2 hours a week for a couple of months and practice has progressed well, 90% are not ‘duffed’ & will be on the green and decent direction from 20/30/40 meters.
I have a tendency to under hit for the required distance, so most balls are short of the hole, but I still hole out occasionally and drop enough close that it’s a good chance of up & down

But, when I get on the course and the stroke actually counts towards a score (even no-stakes social/practice golf) it gets into my head and more often than not I will chunk it fat/thin

I need to find a way to relax my anxiety so that I chip with the same confidence as I do on short game area

Yup, that's me all over. Back in my lesson I had a lovely repeatable technique that worked every time. Out on the course though I crumble like a shortbread cookie.

Another classic example yesterday - on one par 3 I hooked my shot 15 yards left of the green, had a really tough shot where I had to chip it low, through trees, under branches, through a patch of mud and release up a slope to the green - I executed this perfectly and left it 4 feet from the pin. Because I had no expectations of playing it well so no pressure on myself. But the 'easier' the shot is, where I start thinking I should get up and down, that's when the yips and chunks come.