Basic chipping\pitching technique

[bdbl]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

It all sounds so easy. But when the chips are down, I skull it or chip it short!

Bri

Read your earlier progress report and this one with sympathy Bri.

As a fellow struggler, the lessons I've taken really have improved my pitching and chipping but much more so in practice than on the course.

I think the problem is that out there especially "when the chips are down" we subconsciously revert to old, flawed habits and techniques; I suspect the cause is twofold i) without even realizing it we don't have enough confidence in our new techniques ii) because of that inner doubt we don't commit to what we have learned under pressure.

So all I can say is that we have to keep going until new techniques are established and until our mental image is of current success rather than of old failures; for me at least it is a matter of discipline and routine and taking my time to set up properly.

Just tell yourself that you are nearly there and keep working away, I've decided to go for a playing lesson next week so we'll see how the short game holds up under the critical eye of the pro.

[miffin]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

How did your lesson go bdbl? I am still wasting lots of shots. I have got a fair idea now and most of my chips pop up quite nicely. But, 9 out of 10 are too hard and go a long way past the pin. I don't know if it just my judgement or lack of confidence in my ability to do it. What is the best way? IE, take a shorter back swing or what?

Bri

[bdbl]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

How did your lesson go bdbl? I am still wasting lots of shots. I have got a fair idea now and most of my chips pop up quite nicely. But, 9 out of 10 are too hard and go a long way past the pin. I don't know if it just my judgement or lack of confidence in my ability to do it. What is the best way? IE, take a shorter back swing or what?

Bri

Strangely I was just about to comment on this in the "rules sticky".

In that,hopefully, we learn from experience, it was worthwhile having the playing lesson, despite the short game reverting to poo

Only had two or three chips in the 9 holes and mishit them along with some short pitches.

One bright moment; I had one 50 yard pitch which landed by the pin, spun and stopped, got the distance control and impact dead right - so some technique is taking root. The rest though......

Conclusion? On the course, away from practice, under any self imposed pressure [e.g, the desire to do well in front of the pro] I slip back into old habits and don't trust a short swing to do the business.

So, hence the rules question:

When practicing I go through a little mental tick list and routine which just melts away on the course so I'm thinking of typing out and sellotaping some bullet points to the club as a last moment aide memoire. But is this legal?

[miffin]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

Dunno about that. I had 2 good tips. One was to imagine you are throwing the ball with your right hand and that gives you a clue of how hard to hit the ball. However, I had another great tip that makes the chip actually work. That is to make sure that you keep your left arm straight. However, I am a single minded male. I find that i can't do both these things at the same time!

Bri

[BrianW]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

Maybe this will help with chipping weight?

Setup just off the ball and make some practice chip swings while looking at your landing point. When the swing feels just right then move straight to the ball and make the shot using the same 'feel' as the practice shot.

Sometimes it helps to make one practice swing that is deliberately longer than the shot needs, one that is deliberately shorter, then one that feels just right (Bit like goldilocks )

Make sure you dont allow the clubhead to pass your hands in the downswing and through impact, this tends to be a major reason for sculling the ball or hitting fat.

[miffin]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

Thanks Brian. Comp tomorrow, will give it a good try. Let's face it, can't be any worse!

Bri

[GolfGurl]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

I have improved my game loads in the last year. Driving and putting greatly improved. Fairway, not bad. 10 yards from the green, I use a little chipper ok. Full approach shots not bad. But.......... 20 to 30 yards from green, I have no clue. It is too far to use my little chipper to a decent outcome. Not far enough for a full shot with lob wedge or similar. Can someone explain a simple technique to play this sort of approach shot please?

Brian

Here is some advice I got from a pro recently. When it comes to distance control on chip shots, it's all in the follow through. The back swing is always the same, but it is the forward swing that determines distance. Check out this theory by throwing a ball underhanded at a target. Your arm swings back about the same distance no matter how far you want to pitch the ball, but your forward motion lengthens as the distance you want to throw gets longer.
Test it out and let me know what you think.

[miffin]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

Well yes. I will try that out too. Might go up early and experiment before comp.
Thanks
Bri

[GolfJunkieSr]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

I would just like to add a couple of things to this thread. I did not read all the posts so hopefully I am not repeating some one else. My apologies if I am.

When chipping, the golfer also needs to read the green just like they do when putting. This is especially true for the initial landing area of the chip. The landing area can can cause long, short, and horizontal missed shots when not read correctly. Granted from 20-30 yards out this gets a little dicey, but all things that can be accounted for in a golf shout should be. If when practicing, and these issues pop up, sometimes the golfer will, (while not considering the landing area's terrain) start manipulating their stroke, and/or ball speed. Hit 15-25 chips/pitches, while manipulating the stroke/grip, and the golfer will still not have solved the problem.

Something else I do when my chipping has gone south for the day is to use my 7 wood. (some may use their 5 wood) The idea of using this longer, more aggressive club makes me focus more on technique, which also relates to distance. Of course I choke down, and running the longer grip up my lead fore arm and wrist helps to keep both straight. Another positive is that it's tough to hit shanks with a metal wood. GJS

[miffin]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

Thank you for the input. I appreciate it. I do read the greens etc carefully. I also aim for a target spot. However when I execute the shot the ball nearly always lands past my target spot. Also, I am considering using a 7 wood chip. But one thing at a time for me at the moment.

Bri

[bdbl]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

Eureka, cracked it, chipping like an expert.

Went out last night for a reunion bevy and got absolutely slaughtered, chipping in the back garden just now my technique was flawless. It seems that with the mother of all hangovers no extraneous thoughts can creep in to spoil the stroke.

A bit impractical though I suppose i'll try Brian's goldilocks' suggestion instead next time out.

[bdbl]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

Thank you Brian.

That may just have proved to be a vital piece in my chipping jigsaw.

Went out yesterday afternoon and played a number of balls from different positions around each green. Whilst my distance control needs more work the s*a*k all but disappeared (I rushed the "rehearsal" on a couple of chips).

I found that using your idea to create a little rhythmical routine - setup, brush, brush, brush, chip - sort of bridged the gap between practice green and course.

Hopefully it's not a false dawn and I'll be able to replicate the rhythm again, especially when having a playing round not a practice round.

Tell you what though, if I’d known that replacing the tyre was going to take so much longer than patching the puncture I’m not sure that I’d have bothered.

make some practice chip swings while looking at your landing point. When the swing feels just right then move straight to the ball and make the shot using the same 'feel' as the practice shot.

[miffin]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

Yeah. Fair imprrovement. With the tips received half my chips were acceptable (Rome wasnt built in a day). When I left the club, I was running second in the comp with still a few cards to come in. Net one under par 1 off leading player. I aint been in that position for a bit!

Bri

[bdbl]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

Just for some light relief for those of us still working away at our basic chipping technique here's a clip of Oliver Wilson showing how to chip over a bunker (short sided with the green running away) with a lob wedge laid wide open.

Ball floats over on a parachute - one day, one day...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/8134562.stm

[miffin]

Re: Basic chipping\pitching technique

Still fiddling around with this. Today I found that if made a deliberately shorter back swing, I did not hit everything past the pin. Something to consider for the comp later this week.

Bri