Short Game Clinic Review

Ladies Short Game Clinic Notes

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Chip Shots

Club Selection – PW, 9iron, 8 iron – It really depends on your own personal tendencies and the shot you have in front of you.  Remember a chip shot is a shot played low to the ground from just off the green that spends very little time in the air.

Setup Fundamentals

Ball Position – Back; just inside your back heel is ideal for this low running shot.

Weight Distribution – Lean your weight 60% forward to assist you in striking down into the back of the ball first.

Body Centerline – If you draw a straight line down to the ground from where the center of your body is (the buttons on your shirt) this should hit the ground 3 to 4 inches in front of the ball if you are setup correctly with the above two points.

Grip Pressure – This should be fairly loose, maybe a 4 to 5 out of 10 on a pressure scale.

Club length – Some people really like to choke down on the golf club as they prepare to hit a chip shot.  This makes the overall length of the club similar to that of a putter.  This can help as the chipping motion itself is similar to a putting motion.

In Swing Fundamentals

Arms & Shoulders Pendulum Swing – Overall the main driving forces in a fundamentally sound chip shot are the arms and shoulders which will swing in a pendulum type fashion.  On longer chip shots it can be helpful to feel a little more weight shift to your front foot and a little body turn as you hit through the shot.  The thing to avoid is really using your hands and wrists in this shot as this will lead to many disastrous shots.  

Drills

Towel Drill – Place a towel or other object approximately a club head length behind the ball you intend to hit.  Find your good setup position, hit the shot and avoid striking the towel.  This really helps you visualize the needed downward motion into the golf ball.

Ball Assist Drill – If you are having trouble with your setup, position a second golf ball under the outside portion of your rear heel.  This will really force you to lean your weight forward which is very much needed at setup in this shot.