There are hundreds of golf tips that any player can use to lower their golf score. These tips, however, should fit your game. There is one drill by Rick Shiels espouses that will help many players consistently break 90. This specific drill is one that I have used for years and have taught to many of my friends. I believe this drill should be in every golfers bag and knowing how and when to employ it is definitely a stroke saver.
To break 90, there is one aspect of any golfers game that must be refined. That part of the game is consistency. Golfers wanting to break 90 have to routinely hit useable shots around the green. It is not sufficient to only make one of three chips that stop on the short grass. It is important to make shots that allow each player to put the short stick in their hands a quickly as possible. Generally, the main error of poor chipping around the green is choosing the wrong club.
I have talked about hitting a bump and run using a 7-iron to hit the shot that Shiels talks about. I actually use a 7-8-9 iron depending on distances from the pin and lie of the ball. I have practiced this shot over and over for years. It is a main shot in my current arsenal and rely on it save my game at least twice a round. By developing consistency with this shot, I not only break 90, but 80 routinely.
This particular shot is a stroke saver; I guarantee it! I rarely go this far out on the limb, but this particular shot is worth talking about. Additionally, I know that many of my readers think I am repeating myself and I am. This is how important I feel this 8-iron shot is to lowering your golf score.
What do you think? Is this shot important to your game?
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 
Jim, when the 90’s golfer learns to maximize roll and minimize flight, that’s where the progress is made. This shot is key. When I was taught it I gripped the club all the way down to the metal and it worked great. But I’ve thinned a few too many with that technique and have moved back up the grip. How closely do you choke up on this?
Brian
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Brian,
My grip varies from a inch to three or four inches. It depends on the lie of the ball. The thicker and deeper the grass, the higher up the handle I grip. This way I do not have to dig the ball out with the shorter club. Does this sound like something you do?
Cheers Jim
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I hit the low bump and runs for years with a gap wedge. To keep it low I kept my hands far in front of the ball and didn’t allow my wrists any movement until after the strike. It worked very well for me but using a club like that 8 of yours instead can bring more success. It just takes a little practice. Technically, it’s a far better option for consistencies sake. Chipping with your hands far forward of the ball brings the leading edge into play so you have to be far more accurate with your strike or you’ll get that edge caught in the ground. You simply don’t have that problem when you use a bigger club for the job.
An 8 will glide over the ground when the wedge would get stuck in it and the only real pain to making the switch is acquiring the distance control needed to get them close. The hotter face on a game improvement iron will likely be much faster than the wedge and you need to learn to adjust for that. The club I use for the job today is chosen based on conditions. I still like to use that old pattern when the lie allows it because I feel like I have far better distance control with it. But I switch to my 7 or 8 when I get even a doubt about how the gap wedge would react to the conditions. I’ll happily accept a little longer putt over a stubbed shot any day.
Tonight I used both clubs for a few shots around the green. The gap wedge got me inside a foot two out of three times and the other was within 3 feet. The 8 iron I used on another hole left me a ten footer. I think had I tried the wedge instead I might have gotten it closer, but only if I hit it perfectly. It was upslope, on wet ground and against the grain. That’s just begging for trouble. So I chose the far safer 8 iron to do the job. And truthfully, running it 10 feet past didn’t feel bad at all. I got to see the ball rolling and it gave me a great read for the return putt which I missed, but not because I had the wrong read. I left that one just short half a turn.
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Kevin,
I think your view of consistency and conditions of the course are important factors when chipping around the green. I agree that using the 8 iron offers a better percentage for hitting the ball on the green and a larger margin of error. I too would prefer a 10 foot putt vice chunking the a chip.
Cheers Jim
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