Connect with us

Instruction

Understand (and cure) your short game yips

Published

on

The short game yips are a plague to scorecards everywhere. This special form of yip happens to golfers who have no problem with their full swing or putting stroke, yet get performance anxiety around the greens. This leads to frustrating chips and pitches — skulls, chunks, shanks or even a complete inability to take the club back.

I see it all the time with my students, and even some tour players. Whether it’s an issue with technique or a mental block, the short game yips one of the hardest faults to overcome.

The process of getting over the yips may be embarrassing, but accepting your problem and working to improve is the only solution.

The following are my go-to drills to help someone improve their short-game technique, help them transfer it to the course and beat their short game yips forever.

Note: After studying a variety of 3D motion graphs from players of all skill levels, there are other items to look at when diagnosing a short-game problem, but these are the areas most commonly affected. 

Swinging the club on plane

Plane is the first thing that I look at with my players who are struggling with their short game.

Most golfers know that they need to swing the club on plane during a full swing, but they forget about this in the short game, mainly because the swing is so short. The yips are caused by a manipulation of the club head that the body feels it needs to make to hit a solid shot. If the club is traveling on plane, then the club will return to the golf ball without needing any manipulation.

In most cases, I see the golf club swing under plane, which causes it to bottom out too soon behind the ball. That leads to chunks and bladed shots.

Below is an example of a good pitching motion from 30 yards where the club swings naturally on plane.

The club has started back nicely on plane, the golfer will hinge the club from here for a 30 yard pitch which is one of the strengths of his game.

The club has started back nicely on plane. The golfer will hinge the club from here for a 30-yard pitch.

The golfer then has pivoted his body nicely while allowing the club to swing freely through which keeps it on plane.

The golfer then pivots his body nicely while allowing the club to swing freely through, which keeps it on plane.

The hands don’t have to lead

One of the first things golfers learn about hitting chips and pitches is that the hands must lead the clubhead into the shot. As a result, the club will have a descending blow into the golf ball, allowing for ball-first contact. When you apply this method of chipping, however, the margin for error becomes surprisingly small. You must return the club to the back of the ball precisely to achieve the desired result.

I prefer that my students master the ability to return the club head to the ball just like they had it set up at address. The student returns the club and hands to the same position they were in at address, meaning the club would be ahead or even with the hands.

This creates a wider swing arc at the bottom of your swing, both in front of and behind the ball, creating a bigger margin for error.

An example of the hands leading method that requires manipulation and expert contact to be able to be successful.

An example of the hands-leading method that requires manipulation and expert contact to be able to be successful.

The method that allows the club head to swing more freely through the ball which means the club will pass the hands at some point in the swing and possibly before the ball on higher lofted shots.

This method allows the club head to swing more freely through the ball, which means the club will pass the hands at some point in the swing and possibly before the ball on higher-lofted shots.

Of course, every yip is different, but swinging on plane and not forcing the hands to lead often produces the desired improvement.

Even when the yipper fixes the technical aspects in his short game, mental ramifications may still linger without some dedicated time practice drills. If you find yourself in that camp, try these two drills.

Drill 1: Short backswing, long follow through

When I teach golfers to let the club head swing through a short-game shot, most times they become timid about swinging the club with any speed. They instinctively try to control the club head by making a long backswing and swinging slowly through impact.

What I like to see is a backswing that stays low to the ground and doesn’t get past the right knee. From there, accelerate the club through to about a full finish, letting the club head swing through the ball and past the hands. Many golfers are amazed at how much speed they can generate with ease and how they can control the height and distance of the golf ball.

Drill 2: Short Game 21

You must simulate pressure in your practice to start to feel comfortable with any new technique, but especially your short game when trying to cure the yips.

Play this game with a friend, and pick a location around the chipping green. Each player will hit one shot from that spot and whoever is closest earns a point. If someone holes it, they earn 5 points. Rotate locations, and the goal is to be the first player to get 21 or more points.

You can alter the rules or scoring system to fit your desire or time constraints, but the point is to compete while trying to master your new technique. If you need more pressure, bet on who buys dinner to add some extra incentive.

The short game yips can be a mystery to many golfers and as a teacher there is no set agenda for helping someone improve this issue. But for me, the motions and drills above are a great place to start.

Drop your fear of the short game and learn to love it being around the greens again!

Your Reaction?
  • 69
  • LEGIT35
  • WOW3
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP3
  • OB1
  • SHANK20

Scott Hogan is a PGA Certified Teaching Professional in Teaching and Coaching based out of Chicago, Illinois. He is the Head Coach at Mother McAuley High School and the Director of Player Development at Governor's State University. He is also a Top 50 Instructor as named by the GRAA and TPI Certified. Scott teaches a variety of players from professionals, competitive juniors to weekend warriors from all around the country. To contact Scott about in person or online lessons, email [email protected]. **Follow on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/scotthogangolf/

13 Comments

13 Comments

  1. David

    Feb 25, 2015 at 12:11 pm

    Good info Scott. If you find yourself in the Chicago area definitely try to get a short game lesson from Scott. I had all sorts of issues with the short game and Scott used many of the above items to work through many of my problems. It’s always a work in process for me, but the week after my lesson I took home the trophy on a buddies trip mainly because I wasn’t leaking shots around the green. Thanks again Scott!

  2. alan

    Feb 16, 2015 at 3:59 pm

    nevermind i see that it was north berwick. that and crail were my favorites

  3. alan

    Feb 16, 2015 at 3:58 pm

    what that picture taken at north berwick golf club??

  4. Lo

    Feb 5, 2015 at 4:35 pm

    You forgot tempo. I’ve had the chipping yips for years and now I’m (shivers) beginning to heal slowing down my tempo. I had gotten so scared that I didn’t realize I was swinging the club lightning fast playing my chips; now I only focus on swinging the club in slow motion and my game around the greens is finally getting better.

  5. Dave reid

    Jan 31, 2015 at 4:17 am

    Yes….that is north berwick….

  6. Chuck

    Jan 30, 2015 at 8:56 pm

    I’ve played St. Andrews (Old), Muirfield and Carnoustie. As well as Prestwick, Troon and Turnberry. The list of those I still want to play is long, and North Berwick is at the top.

  7. Scott Hogan

    Jan 30, 2015 at 8:01 pm

    Hey guys, thanks for the comments and glad the article helped. I recently launched my remote coaching and to kick it off, if you want some help for free send me an email and I’ll let you know how to send me a video! Email is [email protected].

  8. Bwood01

    Jan 30, 2015 at 10:56 am

    (sorry for the duplicate posts – it took a while for them to go through…)

  9. Bwood01

    Jan 30, 2015 at 10:55 am

    Cont… I have to hit bump and runs from everywhere around the greens because of the yips. I also like the hybrid/ wood bump and run over putting from off the greens. These are my ‘go to’ shots. What’s really odd here is that I am a good bunker player – probably because it requires fuller swings at times.

    • Double Mocha Man

      Jan 30, 2015 at 12:44 pm

      Bwood01, you are a good bunker player because you can hit that shot “fat” and be screamingly successful.

  10. Bwood01

    Jan 30, 2015 at 10:53 am

    Thanks for the information. This read was helpful for me. I have the chipping and pitching yips and they can ruin the possibility of a great score quickly.

  11. Bwood01

    Jan 30, 2015 at 10:48 am

    Thanks for the information. This read was helpful for me… I have always been a good ball striker/ putter and I have won 15 amateur type tournaments since 2009… However; I have the chipping and pitching yips and for those of you that don’t, be glad of this. I would have won several more events if only I could pitch and chip… I have had a few lessons to get fixed, but always find myself going right back to my old habits. Because of this, I have to hit bump and runs from everywhere around the greens. I also like the hybrid/ wood bump and run over putting from off the greens. These are my ‘go to’ shots. What’s really odd here is that I am a good bunker player – probably because it requires fuller swings at times. When I put any ‘lofted club’ in my hands from off the green in grass, look out. My hands hinge quickly on the takeaway and I get too steep. I have tried everything from different bounce and grind options and various techniques like dead hands, forward press, hinge and hold – and nothing fixes it. The swing plane is likely my fault here – I get inside to quickly and steep. Guess I will have to get some video of me down the line to investigate further. Feel free to send suggestions/ thoughts to: [email protected] as it would be appreciated! watching videos help, but putting in to application is the tough part.

  12. Chuck

    Jan 30, 2015 at 10:45 am

    Dear GolfWRX,

    Can someone please tell me the source of the photograph that leads off this story? Specifically, what course is that? Is it the West Links at North Berwick? That golf course is #1 on my bucket list.

    Chuck

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Instruction

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

Published

on

Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?

Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT1
  • WOW2
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK2

Continue Reading

Instruction

How a towel can fix your golf swing

Published

on

This is a classic drill that has been used for decades. However, the world of marketed training aids has grown so much during that time that this simple practice has been virtually forgotten. Because why teach people how to play golf using everyday items when you can create and sell a product that reinforces the same thing? Nevertheless, I am here to give you helpful advice without running to the nearest Edwin Watts or adding something to your Amazon cart.

For the “scoring clubs,” having a solid connection between the arms and body during the swing, especially through impact, is paramount to creating long-lasting consistency. And keeping that connection throughout the swing helps rotate the shoulders more to generate more power to help you hit it farther. So, how does this drill work, and what will your game benefit from it? Well, let’s get into it.

Setup

You can use this for basic chip shots up to complete swings. I use this with every club in my bag, up to a 9 or 8-iron. It’s natural to create incrementally more separation between the arms and body as you progress up the set. So doing this with a high iron or a wood is not recommended.

While you set up to hit a ball, simply tuck the towel underneath both armpits. The length of the towel will determine how tight it will be across your chest but don’t make it so loose that it gets in the way of your vision. After both sides are tucked, make some focused swings, keeping both arms firmly connected to the body during the backswing and follow through. (Note: It’s normal to lose connection on your lead arm during your finishing pose.) When you’re ready, put a ball in the way of those swings and get to work.

Get a Better Shoulder Turn

Many of us struggle to have proper shoulder rotation in our golf swing, especially during long layoffs. Making a swing that is all arms and no shoulders is a surefire way to have less control with wedges and less distance with full swings. Notice how I can get in a similar-looking position in both 60° wedge photos. However, one is weak and uncontrollable, while the other is strong and connected. One allows me to use my larger muscles to create my swing, and one doesn’t. The follow-through is another critical point where having a good connection, as well as solid shoulder rotation, is a must. This drill is great for those who tend to have a “chicken wing” form in their lead arm, which happens when it becomes separated from the body through impact.

In full swings, getting your shoulders to rotate in your golf swing is a great way to reinforce proper weight distribution. If your swing is all arms, it’s much harder to get your weight to naturally shift to the inside part of your trail foot in the backswing. Sure, you could make the mistake of “sliding” to get weight on your back foot, but that doesn’t fix the issue. You must turn into your trial leg to generate power. Additionally, look at the difference in separation between my hands and my head in the 8-iron examples. The green picture has more separation and has my hands lower. This will help me lessen my angle of attack and make it easier to hit the inside part of the golf ball, rather than the over-the-top move that the other picture produces.

Stay Better Connected in the Backswing

When you don’t keep everything in your upper body working as one, getting to a good spot at the top of your swing is very hard to do. It would take impeccable timing along with great hand-eye coordination to hit quality shots with any sort of regularity if the arms are working separately from the body.

Notice in the red pictures of both my 60-degree wedge and 8-iron how high my hands are and the fact you can clearly see my shoulder through the gap in my arms. That has happened because the right arm, just above my elbow, has become totally disconnected from my body. That separation causes me to lift my hands as well as lose some of the extension in my left arm. This has been corrected in the green pictures by using this drill to reinforce that connection. It will also make you focus on keeping the lead arm close to your body as well. Because the moment either one loses that relationship, the towel falls.

Conclusion

I have been diligent this year in finding a few drills that target some of the issues that plague my golf game; either by simply forgetting fundamental things or by coming to terms with the faults that have bitten me my whole career. I have found that having a few drills to fall back on to reinforce certain feelings helps me find my game a little easier, and the “towel drill” is most definitely one of them.

Your Reaction?
  • 11
  • LEGIT1
  • WOW2
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP2
  • OB0
  • SHANK8

Continue Reading

Instruction

Clement: Why your practice swing never sucks

Published

on

You hear that one all the time; I wish I could put my practice swing on the ball! We explain the huge importance of what to focus on to allow the ball to be perfectly in the way of your practice swing. Enjoy!

 

Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK2

Continue Reading

WITB

Facebook

Trending