Routinely, golfers find themselves having to hit a delicate short side chip. This challenging shot causes a great deal of angst to all players. The challenge faced by many is which shot to use in order to get up and down. Do we lob it in or hit a lower flighted shot with more spin? Unfortunately, most amateurs do not have a choice; they only know how to hit one type of chip over a hazard. This lack of shot availability is the root of most of our anxiety, but alas I have a solution!

Over the years of playing many short sided shots (some over an obstacle), I realized that I needed to expand my shot making ability. I needed to develop a loftier shot that will land soft and a lower flight shot in order to maximize my ability to get the ball close to the pin. Each provides a unique opportunity for success, but understanding how to hit each shot is something I continue to practice. Luckily, Tommy Fleetwood is here to help!

Tommy Fleetwood quickly goes over how to hit each shot. I want to point out a couple of things that are important to each shot. First, to hit a higher flighted shot, we need to open the clubface more. The sole of the club will face right (because I am right handed) of the pin. As he explains the toe will come around more and be square on contact. For a lower flighted shot, the sole of the clubface is square to the pin. This is a challenging distinction and needs to be practice to fit your unique swing.

The second point I want to focus upon is the use of the arms and wrists. During a higher flighted shot, we engage our wrists. We hinge them and accelerate through contact. The major fault for this type of swing is decelerating through contact, thus it looks like we are trying to ‘help’ the ball rise into the air. Nothing could be further from the ideal swing motion. During a lower lofted shot, less wrists and more upper body rotation is required. We still need to accelerate through contact by using the big muscles of the shoulders and torso. In both cases, the bounce of the club is used to ensure we do not dig in with our club.

The last point I want to make that deals with both short sided chips is to commit to the shot. Which ever you decide upon as your shot of choice, hit the it with confidence. This is a scary shot sometimes which in turn can create doubts and ‘I can’ts’ in our mind. Banish those shots and commit to making the short sided shot with confidence.

Hitting a short sided shot is one of the most difficult in golf. It is happens more often than we hope, but it is something that needs to overcome. Hitting the shot with committed confidence is important because it eliminates so many other potential road blocks. If you practice what Fleetwood suggests, I am confident you will find a solution that fits your game.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!