CHIPS AND PITCHES
BEST TIP: Let left arm control club with little
wrist action.
Choke down on the club an inch or two for chips.
Use a narrow, open stance. Open the clubface and keep it
square to the target.
Use the same basic swing for a chip and pitch.
For chips, stand tall and raise your hands to get the heel of
the club up and the toe down. This promotes crisp shots.
Play ball off right foot, angle shaft toward target, open
stance, let shoulders control swing, keep left arm against
left side, let clubhead swing to left of target after impact.
Don't rush the downswing.
Make sure the shaft is leaning toward the target at impact.
To avoid hitting chips and pitches fat:
-- don’t sole the club at address.
-- use an open, narrow stance.
-- keep arms connected to chest and rotate body rather
than sliding hips laterally and jabbing at the ball with your
hands.
-- focus eyes on front of ball, with weight on front foot and
wrists ahead of ball at impact.
-- be sure to make a complete follow-through.
Use arm and shoulder swing, not hands, for short chips.
Let gravity do most of the work on downswing.
Let left arm control club throughout swing with little wrist
action.
Play ball back in stance with hands and weight towards
target.
For high pitches, start downswing with legs.
Open stance, square shoulders. Club should go straight
back and through. Rock (like a clothes hanger on a hook),
don’t turn shoulders. Let arms drop to start downswing.
Use a light grip.
Clubhead should trail, not lead, hands and wrists at impact.
Use inside out swingpath and be sure to pivot.
To avoid "scooping" chips and pitches, keep wrists ahead
of ball at impact.
In pitches, ball and shaft should be centered and weight
should be divided evenly.
For distance control, don’t let right hand take control of
clubhead speed.
Control the distance on short shots by limiting your
backswing.
To avoid thin chips, don’t try to help the ball into the air.
Use a low running shot when conditions permit for more
control.
For a low running chip, use a very narrow stance, play ball
off right foot, keep hands ahead of ball, and swing straight
back and through with firm hands. Keep your hands low at
the finish.
For a short, pop chip, use an open and narrow stance, an
open clubface, play the ball in the middle, hit ball from out to
in. Don’t flip wrists.
When chipping, keep butt of club pointed at belt buckle.
For short shots, move feet closer together and take shallow
divots.
Keep lower body still on short chips just off the green.
For long chips, keep lower body relaxed and let it react
naturally to actions of arms and upper body. Start
downswing by shifting knees toward target.
To improve your rhythm, make your backswing and forward
swing equal in length.
BEST TIP: Let left arm control club with little
wrist action.
Choke down on the club an inch or two for chips.
Use a narrow, open stance. Open the clubface and keep it
square to the target.
Use the same basic swing for a chip and pitch.
For chips, stand tall and raise your hands to get the heel of
the club up and the toe down. This promotes crisp shots.
Play ball off right foot, angle shaft toward target, open
stance, let shoulders control swing, keep left arm against
left side, let clubhead swing to left of target after impact.
Don't rush the downswing.
Make sure the shaft is leaning toward the target at impact.
To avoid hitting chips and pitches fat:
-- don’t sole the club at address.
-- use an open, narrow stance.
-- keep arms connected to chest and rotate body rather
than sliding hips laterally and jabbing at the ball with your
hands.
-- focus eyes on front of ball, with weight on front foot and
wrists ahead of ball at impact.
-- be sure to make a complete follow-through.
Use arm and shoulder swing, not hands, for short chips.
Let gravity do most of the work on downswing.
Let left arm control club throughout swing with little wrist
action.
Play ball back in stance with hands and weight towards
target.
For high pitches, start downswing with legs.
Open stance, square shoulders. Club should go straight
back and through. Rock (like a clothes hanger on a hook),
don’t turn shoulders. Let arms drop to start downswing.
Use a light grip.
Clubhead should trail, not lead, hands and wrists at impact.
Use inside out swingpath and be sure to pivot.
To avoid "scooping" chips and pitches, keep wrists ahead
of ball at impact.
In pitches, ball and shaft should be centered and weight
should be divided evenly.
For distance control, don’t let right hand take control of
clubhead speed.
Control the distance on short shots by limiting your
backswing.
To avoid thin chips, don’t try to help the ball into the air.
Use a low running shot when conditions permit for more
control.
For a low running chip, use a very narrow stance, play ball
off right foot, keep hands ahead of ball, and swing straight
back and through with firm hands. Keep your hands low at
the finish.
For a short, pop chip, use an open and narrow stance, an
open clubface, play the ball in the middle, hit ball from out to
in. Don’t flip wrists.
When chipping, keep butt of club pointed at belt buckle.
For short shots, move feet closer together and take shallow
divots.
Keep lower body still on short chips just off the green.
For long chips, keep lower body relaxed and let it react
naturally to actions of arms and upper body. Start
downswing by shifting knees toward target.
To improve your rhythm, make your backswing and forward
swing equal in length.
| A Sand Shot From The Rough When you find your ball in the rough just off the green, play it like a sand shot. Open the blade of your wedge and aim two or three inches behind the ball. Don’t quit on the shot and emphasize the follow through. An explosion-shot of this nature pops the ball up and lands it softly with very little roll. Richard Myers |
ERNIE ON THE SHORT GAME
| With bunker shots, and 99% all of the shots around the green, I always think it's best to grip down on the club a couple of inches. By shortening the club in this way, you bring your hands closer to the ball. And for money, that can only improve your feel of distance. Ernie Els www.ernieels.com |
| It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling -- Mark Twain |
| Golf appeals to the idiot in us and the child. Just how childlike golf players become is proven by their frequent inability to count past five -- John Updike |
| All chip shots should be made with the right elbow tucked in reasonably close to the right side. Do not allow the elbow to move away from the side even after impact. Imagine that it is clamped to your side. This will enable you to control the clubhead more consistently. Richard Myers |
Tom's Golf Tips
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