Small chips!

[London mike 61]

Now over a period of six months my chipping in general has improved immensely and I am confident with most medium range chips onto the green.
But just recently I have had a few occasions where my ball is say about two or three feet off the green in lush grass and the flag is four or six feet away. I set up as usual with the ball off the big toe of my right foot and the left foot slightly open , and brush the grass a few times to gauge the distance then step in and make the stroke and.........disaster the ball is duffed to a foot in front of me and me facing another shot to get on the green with the chance of par or better gone.

Has any one got any advice/ drills that I can use to chip small distances with confidence?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[the_coach]

At a guess sounds like you may be having a decel on the real shot.

But is this the ball a little ways down in thick-ish lush rough just off the cut & prepared or a normal-ish lie sitting up some on the apron? Where's your weight? What club you using mostly when this happens?

 

[London mike 61]

At a guess sounds like you may be having a decel on the real shot.

But is this the ball a little ways down in thick-ish lush rough just off the cut & prepared or a normal-ish lie sitting up some on the apron? Where's your weight? What club you using mostly when this happens?

Its when the ball is sitting on the normal fringe grass and I normally have my weight favouring my left side.
for these small chips I try to use a sand wedge or a gap wedge , both have enough loft in my mind to do the job but I either jab at the ball to limit my back swing or take a short back swing and try to limit my follow through but either way I duff it.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

You don't need any loft for such a short shot. I'd use something like an 8 iron and almost putt it so it just pops over the fringe and runs the 3-4 feet to the hole

 

[nemicu]

Chip like you putt. Adopt the same grip and stance as you would when you putt and let the club do the work. Simples:smirk:

 

[bobmac]

Are you hinging your wrists during the stroke?

 

[London mike 61]

Are you hinging your wrists during the stroke?

Well, I tried that and it just seemed to send the ball off like a rocket, tend to get it to pop up ok but the overall distance was too long.

 

[the_coach]

Thing is with the length of shot, couple feet to green then say 6 to 8 feet to flag off a normal lie.
My take, what I'd advise, (what I do)-

It's a shot length you aren't going to be able to generate spin on, stroke a ways too short because of small distance involved, but also there's no need to, as you're not looking for 'stop' here. You're not needing height, spin & stop.
It's pick a landing spot just on the green (flatter smoother truer straighter first ground contact) so to that a spot on the green, you're just looking to clear the apron, land & let it run out to the flag. To that you don't really need LW.SW even GW, better a W or 9i a ways more easier for you to control no big 'bounce sole' to worry over.

Ball position would be a ways better center stance (no need to be right back off big toe as you're not in rough don't need steep approach, best chippers have a shallow chipping motion from a 'normal' lie) weight left & stays left throughout the small backswing easy to let it go to the right foot if you don't monitor it.

Real solid legs, steady head, it's a shoulder controlled movement. Hands on the middle of the handle (not in the normal shot placement at the end of the handle) for greater control of stroke. Hands also at address just level with front of ball, so slight forwards leaning shaft but not hands a ways exaggerated in front of ball makes you pick the club up a ways too much.

You have a lawn, place at home you can hit some of these small chips, place a garden chair 4 or 5 feet or so in front of ball, make the arm shoulders motion to hands just past right thigh, keep weight left, then smooth forward stroke at least the same length as backswing, you're 'job' with a 9i/PW is to chip the ball under the chair seat is just after the chair, doesn't matter for this you haven't got a 'green' to see the roll out, if you can do this, when you get to somewhere on course or practice area to see that you'll already be a little more confident of the stroke you need.

So solid base, weight left, steady head, ball central, concentrate on shoulders controlling a smooth same length back, same length through motion, no independent hand action, keep the slight angle set in the right wrist you have at address both in the backswing then through impact.
If it's a very bare tight lie, then same stroke & you can then have the ball back some at right big toe.
You want to try to develop a real smooth shallow chipping swing motion, no hand action for these short shots as you're not looking to generate any distance, keep that right wrist angle, arm triangle through the stroke.

 

[London mike 61]

Thing is with the length of shot, couple feet to green then say 6 to 8 feet to flag off a normal lie.
My take, what I'd advise, (what I do)-

It's a shot length you aren't going to be able to generate spin on, stroke a ways too short because of small distance involved, but also there's no need to, as you're not looking for 'stop' here. You're not needing height, spin & stop.
It's pick a landing spot just on the green (flatter smoother truer straighter first ground contact) so to that a spot on the green, you're just looking to clear the apron, land & let it run out to the flag. To that you don't really need LW.SW even GW, better a W or 9i a ways more easier for you to control no big 'bounce sole' to worry over.

Ball position would be a ways better center stance (no need to be right back off big toe as you're not in rough don't need steep approach, best chippers have a shallow chipping motion from a 'normal' lie) weight left & stays left throughout the small backswing easy to let it go to the right foot if you don't monitor it.

Real solid legs, steady head, it's a shoulder controlled movement. Hands on the middle of the handle (not in the normal shot placement at the end of the handle) for greater control of stroke. Hands also at address just level with front of ball, so slight forwards leaning shaft but not hands a ways exaggerated in front of ball makes you pick the club up a ways too much.

You have a lawn, place at home you can hit some of these small chips, place a garden chair 4 or 5 feet or so in front of ball, make the arm shoulders motion to hands just past right thigh, keep weight left, then smooth forward stroke at least the same length as backswing, you're 'job' with a 9i/PW is to chip the ball under the chair seat is just after the chair, doesn't matter for this you haven't got a 'green' to see the roll out, if you can do this, when you get to somewhere on course or practice area to see that you'll already be a little more confident of the stroke you need.

So solid base, weight left, steady head, ball central, concentrate on shoulders controlling a smooth same length back, same length through motion, no independent hand action, keep the slight angle set in the right wrist you have at address both in the backswing then through impact.
If it's a very bare tight lie, then same stroke & you can then have the ball back some at right big toe.
You want to try to develop a real smooth shallow chipping swing motion, no hand action for these short shots as you're not looking to generate any distance, keep that right wrist angle, arm triangle through the stroke.

Thanks coach, it's great to get a professional viewpoint , I would never would have thought to use a wood or nine iron on this type of shot and moving the ball forward kind of makes sense. Anyhow I will give the drill a go in the garden and see if I can transfer that to the course.

 

[the_coach]

Thanks coach, it's great to get a professional viewpoint , I would never would have thought to use a wood or nine iron on this type of shot and moving the ball forward kind of makes sense. Anyhow I will give the drill a go in the garden and see if I can transfer that to the course.

You dont' want any height here, no need, but the "W" was for wedge as in PW not wood. So PW, or 9i if there's nothing to 'get over' but the apron. Could use an 8i but if it's short-ish distance of travel you may find it more difficult to control distance with 8i or 7i. Start with a 9i have a go with PW, then try an 8i you'll then see the distance these all roll out if the landing spot is the same.
Just get them going 'under' the chair seat.

Don't forget if the apron is real smooth, you can always use the putter. Otherwise if the apron isn't smooth you're just looking to clear it & find a flat landing spot on the green so it can then roll out true.

 

[garyinderry]

the way I am reading this. if your ball is in lush grass you need to make a steep, cutting, out to in swing and keep the loft on the club. you must use plenty of loft. grip down, open the face and half way back half way through swing will pop it up and out.


to a tight pin, if its sitting in longish grass then you cant really pop it out with a 7 or 8 iron as it will shoot on if the ground is firm as it is at the minute.

 

[One Planer]

I found myself in a similar predicament yesterday.

The only advice I can give is keep the club head moving. Don't slow down into impact. Get the club through the ball and trust whatever loft you have decided correct for the lie to do its job.

 

[the_coach]

the way I am reading this. if your ball is in lush grass you need to make a steep, cutting, out to in swing and keep the loft on the club. you must use plenty of loft. grip down, open the face and half way back half way through swing will pop it up and out.


to a tight pin, if its sitting in longish grass then you cant really pop it out with a 7 or 8 iron as it will shoot on if the ground is firm as it is at the minute.

According to post ≠3, it's not 'down' in lush grass, but 'on' normal fringe grass. But yep, completely different technique & club for the 1st 'down' in the grass, to the 2nd kind of 'on' the grass, that's the reason I asked the question in my first post.

 

[garyinderry]

I think I have we have this now.

ok, ball sitting on top of normal fringe grass you MUST not lean to the left. big phil says to level out your weight. if you lean to the left you slide right under it.

all this is covered in his secrets of the short game! essential viewing! here is a quick clip which covers this shot.

[video=youtube;AaZ-Ka-AQGc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaZ-Ka-AQGc[/video]

sorted! :thup: