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Chipping Secrets Revealed

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Chipping represents one of the simpler swings you’ll employ in a round of golf, but even a little motion can add up to big trouble if you’re not dialed in just right.

With all of the complexity associated with creating a big, powerful golf swing that effectively drives the ball with power and precision, it’s difficult to understand how simply bumping the ball a couple of yards could become the bane of one’s existence. Still we’ve seen it time and again, even at the highest levels of play. From Hunter Mahan’s Ryder Cup gaffe, to TC Chen’s “double chip” while leading in the final round of the 1985 U.S. Open, good and bad golfers alike have been brought to their knees by a shot often taught in a first lesson to beginners.

When golfers tell me about their chipping woes, I know in all likelihood their problem is rooted in two areas: trust and imagination. Trust that their club is going to find a clean strike with the ball and the imagination to know exactly what kind of shot best fits the situation.

Ball-Throw

Pick Your Spot

Great chipping is all about carry vs. run ratios. Instead of just swinging away, pick a spot on the green to land the ball that you feel will release the proper amount to the hole. If you have a tough time imagining what kind of result you would get, spend some time in the practice area tossing a few balls underhanded until you get the ball to finish close. Although a number of heights and landing spots could get the job done, you’ll notice that you’ll be most consistent with one particular carry distance and trajectory. Once you can perfectly see your shot, select the club and swing length necessary to turn your imagination into reality. Being able to properly see your shot ahead of time will allow you to begin eliminating the indecision and doubt often associated with fearful chipping.

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Feel The Arc

When faced with a relatively short distance, it’s easy to try to influence the ball along the target line by producing an online swinging motion. Swings that move too much in a straight line can cause all kinds of problems, the most common being an early strike into the turf or fat shot.

Every golf swing you make should have some degree of “arc” where the club head swings away from the target line in the back swing, back to the target line at contact and then away again into the follow through. By allowing for a little arc, you’ll keep your club swinging according to its natural design, while promoting cleaner contact. In addition, it would be impossible to hit the ball twice, as post contact the club head and ball would be traveling in different directions.

Close-Eyes

Find The Bottom

Great chippers have full trust that their swing is going to find crisp contact with the ball. If you can learn to develop a consistent bottom to you swing arc, you’ll be well on your way towards making solid hits more routine.

With a little weight on your left side, make some pendulum style chipping swings with your eyes closed. Closing your eyes will better connect you to the simplicity within the motion. With your arms soft and rhythm smooth, you should begin to feel the movement necessary to make the club head repeatedly strike the turf in the same spot. Add a little pivot or “turn” into the follow through and your club should begin brushing the grass a little forward of the ball, indicating good ball, and then turf contact. As you get into your shot, trust that you’ve rehearsed perfection and swing away. To really build some skill, try hitting shots keeping your eyes closed. You’ll be amazed at just how good you can be when the club and ball meet each other with effortless ease!

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An accomplished coach, author and motivational speaker, Jeff Ritter is recognized for his unique approach to teaching the game. A consistent presence in the world of golf media, Jeff’s articles appear in Golf Digest Magazine, GolfWRX, Golf Tips Magazine, Golf Punk Magazine in the United Kingdom, The A Position , POP Golf Magazine Mexico and the Arizona Republic. He has also been seen and heard on ESPN, FOX Sports, FOX Sports Radio, Sirius XM Radio and The Golf Channel. In 2010 Jeff was named by Golf Digest Magazine as one of the Best Young Teachers in America! Jeff resides in Phoenix, Ariz., where he operates out of the Raven Golf Club Phoenix. As the National Director of Instruction for Nike Golf Schools and Junior Camps, he spends his summers running Nike Junior Golf Camps Flagship location in Pebble Beach, Calif. Jeff's marque initiative is a high-performance, lifestyle-based coaching brand called "Make The Turn." The high-energy curriculum inspires players with the tools and support to effectively elevate their games both on and off the course. Programs include: 3 Days Schools, Executive Athlete Retreats, Online Training, Weekend Challenges, as well as Mindset, Fitness and Nutrition based strategies. For more information, visit: www.jeffrittergolf.com

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Instruction

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

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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?

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How a towel can fix your golf swing

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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.

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Instruction

Clement: Why your practice swing never sucks

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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!

 

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