Chipping the golf ball in or near a hole is an important skill every golfer needs to master. There are many different steps that a player can use in order to hone their chipping skills. There is, however, a fundamental movement that all players need to conquer in order to lower their up and down stat. It is simple and easy to execute as long as we stay focused on the chipping movement at hand. Therefore, if you want to lower your golf scores, I suggest you adopt this swing mechanic immediately.
Continue readingChipping for success
Golf Lessons I Continue To Relearn
The past two days I played an early bird round at my home course of Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort. Each round I focused on different aspects of my game in order to prepare for a scramble tournament on Wednesday. Although Wednesday’s event will be mostly a fun round, I like to be ready nonetheless. As I worked on various aspects of my game, a mental fault kept cropping up that would cost me strokes if I was keeping score. It is a lesson I continue to relearn and one I would have thought I mastered by now…..I guess not! The reason I call it mental is because it my actual stroke is fine, but my tentative nature while chipping is forcing me to either make long putts or to chip again!
Continue readingMy Chipping Woes Is Very Frustrating!
My 2024 golf season is well underway. I have played a few times, but the weather is not cooperating so hitting the links more often is in my future. After 10 rounds I can say that my chipping is the worse it has been in years. I truly am struggling around the green. My chipping woes has created several high scores and I am now on a track to fix my challenges. It is a frustrating journey, but one that needs to be addressed immediately!
My challenges are rooted in contact with the ground before the ball. For some reason, I am not in the proper body position or at my ball is not in the right spot in my stance. Or, Or, Or……I could go on! The point is that I am currently experiencing a very low point in my short game. Unfortunately, my poor ball striking is also affecting me mentally. I am starting to second guess my club selection regardless of where the ball is located. This approach to chipping has failure written all over it!
The question now is: what to do about my chipping woes. Before I lay out my roadmap, here is a quick refresher video that might help you (and me) focus on the basics of chipping:
My path forward is pretty simple or at least I think it is 😉 Actually, nothing is simple in golf, right! My challenges started early in the year when I was miss hit a few chips. During my first rounds, poor contact is expected as I have not practiced all that much. Unfortunately, a few poor hits turned into a few more and now I am in my head. I second guess my shot selection and even choose what I think is an easier shot, but will not produce the results I expect. Well, all of that stops now!
I have a three step plan that I think will reset my short game and allow me to focus on hitting great chips. It is simple, focused and easy to implement. Sounds perfect in my head as I am writing this article.
First, stop overthinking about how to chip. I already know how to execute this simple shot. I have proven that my stance, ball location and landing area skills are honed. Currently, I am overthinking everything because of my mental approach of focusing on not making mistakes. I know how to chip and thinking about all the steps only makes it worse. Therefore, stop overthinking is the first step.
Second, slow my tempo and clubhead speed of my chipping stroke down. As my woes grew (at least in my head), I changed many things about my swing. I am fast, choppy, and inconsistent when swinging my clubs. I am hitting behind the ball more than ever before and I am negating the bounce on my wedges. All of these issues are a result of a poor tempo and clubhead speed. Thus, I need to reset my swing and rely on what I already know what to do.
Lastly, I need to mentally reset. This is different than overthinking because I am mentally in a negative spot. I need to focus on the positive aspects of my chipping. Mostly within the process, not in the results. I have to stop thinking I am going to chip poorly before I even get to the ball. This negative thinking is as much to blame for my poor performance as anything else. It really is time to mentally reset.
My chipping woes need to stop. I am heading the course shortly after I publish this article to take the first steps towards changing my current short game challenges. I am confident that I can make the appropriate changes to be successful, it is a matter of doing it. I will update this article after today’s adventure.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Basics of Chipping By Tom Watson
To lower our golf score, we need to have a solid foundation understanding for each golf shot. This is especially true because except for putting, chipping accounts for the most strokes in our game. Regardless of the distance from the pin, understanding how to chip properly is key to success on the links. Tom Watson provides a perfect, easy and repeatable process for chipping that all beginners should understand. By developing a strong chipping technique, you will be well on your way to being a great golfer.
Continue readingBecoming A Chipping Wizard In Golf
Every golfer intends the shoot their lowest score while standing on the first tee. The elation of hope is abundant until their first chip that leaves a long putt for par. This situation is common all around the world, but alas there are ways to fix this reoccurring challenge. There are many processes the offer a quick fix, however my years of experience tell me that practice is the only sure fire way to improve our golf game. I recently looked at a video by Chris Ryan and found that his five tips help create a foundation of great chipping. It is definitely a place to start if you are looking to improve your up and down percentage.
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The Grateful Golfer 