I’m having trouble with the quality of contact with the simplest shot in golf. The chip. Especially off tight or dodgy lies or when short sided (often hit it fat). I know wrist flipping is the problem, but I can’t break the habit.

It’s really holding me back. Anyone have some sure fire drills to get rid of this?? Any feedback appreciated thanks.

Get a bit of pine 4*2 and place it about 8” behind the ball, wood laying the flat side rather than on the skinny side. Make sure you have the ball at the rear of your stance and lean a little heavy onto your target side foot to kill any need to shift weight in what is a tiny shot. Now you should have that ‘y’ look happening. Lock it in an lift with a bending right elbow, over the wood a few inches. Now drive the entire structure back at the ball avoiding the wood. If you hands get into the game you will hit the wood. If your pivot is too active, you will hit the wood. Learn how to avoid the wood by keeping things quiet. Use the loft of the club, not your hands having a scoopy party and life gets good fast.

Another thing to try is the reverse grip…just finishing off an article on that one this week. Use it like in a putt. Great for short chips.

Guru, I know you don’t need any endorsement for your suggestions, etc, but the 4be2 drill is right on the money. All chipping practice when working on technique should be done exactly as you suggest. Improved my chipping no end.
Get the FLW working on chipping and your on your way.
Baz

You can also grab a business card and put it underneath the logo on your glove so that it sits over your wrist. You will find it alot harder to flip your wrists then.

A few years ago I had the “yips” with chip shots from just off the green. I would be thinking, “it is just 30 feet to the hole, run a 8 iron or shut the face on a PW. At times, I would take a putter when I had some fringe in-front of me but still would yip it. It was destroying my game basically. I somehow lost my distance control either coming up short or too long. It was then tougher to make a 6 footer than a 2 footer and golf is frustrating close to the hole as we all know.
The problem was using my right hand too much and not the actual ball position or lie I may of been in. I overcame it by spending many hours on the chipping green just hitting balls with my left hand. I learnt that my right hand helps but my left hand is the key but I already knew that. A FLW is what one needs if you are a right handed player.
So, hitting a one handed shot with your wedge from say 10/20/30/40 50 metres is not easy but you can do it if you have trust in what you are doing. Ask any one armed golfer how they do it and can still hit great shots…amazing they are. If you ever have the chance to play golf with a person who has one arm or one leg and they can still knock it around in 90-100 gross in a comp? I have learnt so many things from people with an arm or leg that is not available to them. It is just great to have a hit with these guys and they have no problem with playing for a few beers or skins. Game on!!!
Golf is a great game, frustrating at times….....Win or lose the game….who gives a shit?

Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll give them all a go. Chip yips is a pretty good description of my problem.

It’s not all the time, some days my short game is great, and I’m shooting mid 70’s but it crops up often enough to worry me.

FLW BRW FLW BRW…..... this has become my mantra. Thanks again.

I’ll keep my advice simple.

If you are a right handed player, keep your left arm straight and firm through the swing and try to minimise your body/leg movement.

There is also a very good chance that because you lack confidence in that part of your game you are looking towards your target before you’ve struck the ball.

Golf is 95% mental Gibbo and you have to be mental to play it.

Any ideas for chipping when the ball is sitting down in some rough and there isn’t much green to work with? I find it hard to hit the ball firm enough to advance it over the rough, without then flying it past the pin.

Could you open the face? Or is that a nono in the longer stuff?

Your could experiment with your 3 or 5 wood, hands low on the grip. It requires a lot of practice to perfect the distance.

Any ideas for chipping when the ball is sitting down in some rough and there isn’t much green to work with? I find it hard to hit the ball firm enough to advance it over the rough, without then flying it past the pin.

Reverse every natural instinct you have and do just the opposite of what you are inclined to do and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing. – BEN HOGAN, POWER GOLF

Anyone see Phil’s chip from 16 or 17 in the last round of The Colonial. In reasonably deep rough on back of green, chip with reasonably lofted wedge.
The key, which the commentators commented on, was he kept the face of the club way open all through the shot. Could have used the club face as a mirror at the finish of the shot.
Then again he makes all the short game look easy.

I’m having trouble with the quality of contact with the simplest shot in golf. The chip. Especially off tight or dodgy lies or when short sided (often hit it fat). I know wrist flipping is the problem, but I can’t break the habit.

It’s really holding me back. Anyone have some sure fire drills to get rid of this?? Any feedback appreciated thanks.

gibbo70

Gibbo,

All super ideas there.

No one mentioned the obvious one. Maintain the same pressure on the club “The Secret To Golf”, which produces the correct acceleration and calls for a pivot the permits the freedom of movement.

The eyes closed drill.

Thanks Dart, will give it a go. There’s no doubt when I have to hit one I’m worried about, my grip tension increases and I lose rhythm in the shot. All big NO NO’s in the short game. I think the key is practice and confidence as mentioned earlier. I know I can hit the shots around the practice green. It’s more between the ears than not knowing correct technique.

Isn’t it funny, the older you get, the more you worry about chipping and putting and the worse you get. Oh to be 14 again and hit perfect flops and charge putts into the back of the cup without a worry in the world!

Yeah, kids have no fear of failure. They just see the challenge of getting it in the hole and being happy to be within a putt if it does not go in.