chipping

Chipping Practice – Always Learning Something

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Practice is the cornerstone to great golf. It allows everyone to try different methods of making different shots. Practice helps players iron out the kinks and create a repeatable swing under pressure. Practice helps players prepare to shoot low golf scores.

Two days ago, I hit the range to work on my ball striking and more importantly my short game. After hitting a large bucket of balls (which really did not help my game much) I headed to the chipping area. I was intent working on my weight distribution and ball position. Continue reading →

Golf Drill – Chipping Drill Using Practice Flags

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Simple golf drills are the best! With 15 minutes of chipping practice before my round, I try to simulate what I will experience on the course. This drill uses the available course equipment and works all three of my Titleist Vokey wedges.

I like to start with my gap wedge, then sand wedge and finish with my lob wedge. I keep the same launch spot for all the shots for consistency of aim during all the chips. This drill follows the KISS theory and I use it almost every time I warm up.
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Infographic: Golf Terms for Beginners

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When first starting golfing, most beginners and juniors are overwhelmed by the vast quantity of golf terms. Many terms focus on specific areas of play while others are adopted sayings that morphed over time through misuse or lack of understanding.

It is important for beginners, especially juniors, to build a strong base of knowledge and to develop strong fundamental habits right from the start. Proper use of golf terms is the first place to start. Therefore, The Grateful Golfer is starting a new series of info graphics focused on expanding the knowledge of beginners and in some cases, seasoned players.
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Golf Drill: Short Side Chipping

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Golf is a funny game. The more we want to succeed, the more challenging it becomes. There are many approaches to improving our games, so I have decided to take a proactive approach this year and practice areas I know will offer the most benefit to my goal of being a scratch golfer. These practice sessions are not a result of poor play (although I do make minor adjustments when things are not going well), but in areas that I know I need to strengthen.

Yesterday, I went to my local practice area to work on my short side chipping. As a benchmark, I consider anything under 10 yards to be the short side. My reasoning is that a delicate chip shot (closer than 10 yards) is required at least once a round. It is a shot I need to perfect to make sure my up and down percentage remains high and my scores go low. Continue reading →

Effective Practice for Lower Scores in Golf

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There are many different drills to help players lower their golf score. We have discussed many of them at The Grateful Golfer, but converting words into action is not something often discussed. In an article not long ago, I discussed effective practice with Brian Penn from All About Golf. It was an interesting conversation about converting greenside misses by getting our ball up and down in the fewest number of strokes.

After that discussion, I thought of a quick and easy aiming drill to effectively practice with tangible results. It has started to produce payoffs, but I still need more practice to reach my intent of consistent lower golf scores. Continue reading →