Chipping the golf all can be the bane of many amateurs. The inconsistency of contact, speed control and body position causes many a poor chip shot. The trick, for me anyway, is to maintain a constant technique that I can repeat without hesitation. This year I changed my chipping position slightly which results in better chips and more tap ins for my up and down percentage. My chipping process is very simple and easy to follow if you are looking for something to improve your short game.
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Using A Table Top To Chip A Golf Ball
There are many (overwhelming so) chipping techniques offered on the internet. Sifting through all the different nuances can be a challenge. I know I get overwhelmed from time to time, but I continue to seek out helpful tips for the readers at The Grateful Golfer golf blog. Today is no different. Danny Maude provides a simple, repeatable and controllable chipping process that will benefit most aspiring golfers. He talks about using a table top to help set the conditions for great chipping!
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!
Using The Eight Iron Shimmy To Lower Your Golf Score
What exactly is the ‘eight iron shimmy’? Well, it is a term I coined when my friend, Rick, chips with his eight iron. Many years back, our group had a discussion about chipping with a slightly delofted club when playing a shot around the green. It is a shot I have used for many years, but in my case I use a seven iron. This shot is very versatile and according to Dave Pelz prevents hitting behind the ball. It is a shot I developed long ago and is a stable go to shot for my game. If you are wondering, the eight iron shimmy should be part of your game as well.
Continue readingHitting Short Side Chip Shots
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!
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The Grateful Golfer 