chipping against the growth direction of grass?

[mariner]

This shot now gives me more trouble than any other when around the green - I have a simple chip within 10 yards of the green from semi-rough or even less, but the grass is laying away from the green so I have to chip against the grain and duff it short.
This seems to be something I wasn't even conscious of a year ago, but now it's a real problem, is there a technique for this or is it all between my ears?

[GregJWillis]

Re: chipping against the growth direction of grass?

So, your club is grabbing the grass before the ball is struck. That is causing the club to decelerate, hence the flub.

Tricks to help:

* Playing the ball a bit further back in your stance (maybe even on the back foot, but play with this to see where you like to play it). This helps the ball being struck first. It will deloft the face, so compensate by playing a higher lofted club.

* Choke up ever so slightly. Helps the club to not bottom out so soon.

* Make sure your stroke is played without any wrists flipping the club through the impact zone. Play it like a putt with shoulder rocks and a steady head.

* Open your stance up about 20 degrees, but square the face to the target. Put 60% of your weight on the front foot. This makes sure you do not bottom out behind the ball because of the weight being on the back foot too much.

* Relax the arms and wrists where they can be used as shock absorbers. At impact, allow the face to feel like it is being pulled across the ball.

Just a few. Hope one or some help you out on this shot.

[Martin Levac]

Re: chipping against the growth direction of grass?

The problem lies with the intention. You intend to slide the club on the grass before you strike the ball. Or you intend to strike the ball upward. Or both.


The solution is to change your intention.

Just like with any other shot, when the club strikes the ground before it strikes the ball, the club is affected in unpredictable ways. The faster the club is moving, the less it is affected. But that only means that the slower the club is moving, the more it is affected. Here, you are chipping the ball only a short distance. You are applying only a little force. So the club is moving slowly. As it strikes the ground, it is affected in unpredictable ways. Well, that's not entirely true. We known that the club will slow down. We know that the club will twist. But what we don't know is by how much. So we don't know how far the ball will go or where it will go.


Best to avoid all this.

Strike the ball downward. Intend to strike the ball downward.

As you strike the ball downward, you strike the ball first, the ground second. The club is not affected by the ground before it strikes the ball. So whatever force and direction of the force you applied to the club will be transmitted to the ball without interference from the ground. You will have better control over the distance and direction.

[LowPost42]

Re: chipping against the growth direction of grass?

So, your club is grabbing the grass before the ball is struck. That is causing the club to decelerate, hence the flub.

Tricks to help:

* Open your stance up about 20 degrees, but square the face to the target. Put 60% of your weight on the front foot. This makes sure you do not bottom out behind the ball because of the weight being on the back foot too much.

On this then, do you swing down the toe line or the target line?

[bill reed]

Re: chipping against the growth direction of grass?

hi lowpost
Dave Pelz's cover it in his book the short game bible, you swing down the target like and you don't have any wrist movement and try and keep your hands feeling soft, its a bit like putting but using a wedge or a 9 or 8 iron. it works really well on very short chips.
cheers
bill

[LowPost42]

Re: chipping against the growth direction of grass?

hi lowpost
Dave Pelz's cover it in his book the short game bible, you swing down the target like and you don't have any wrist movement and try and keep your hands feeling soft, its a bit like putting but using a wedge or a 9 or 8 iron. it works really well on very short chips.
cheers
bill

Thanks Bill, I couldn't remember (or get motivated to pick up the book and hunt it down).

The only reason I ask is that I've had real issues lately swinging down the target line, but everything seems to go quite nicely swinging down the body line.

[bill reed]

Re: chipping against the growth direction of grass?

hi lowpost
again its only a half swing and not a full swing your using so its easy to swing down the target line, it gets harder if taking a 3/4 or full swing to keep the clubface on the target.
but i do find it easy as i hit all my shots with a open stance and i find chipping and pitching seem to feel so natural standing open and swinging down the target like and not the line of my hip, shoulders or feet.
cheers
bill

[Scragger63]

Re: chipping against the growth direction of grass?

Howdy All...

One tip I have picked up in addressing the OP's problem is addressing the ball with the club sitting up on its toe a little. Giving enough to clear the heel from the grass.

Then, as others here have said, you simply treat the shot as a putt, though using a lofted club.

This has certainly helped me become a little more consistent.

Cheers

[BrianW]

Re: chipping against the growth direction of grass?

I also use Sgraggers method by turning the wrists downward so the toe is down and heel up, this also firms up the wrists and prevents them flipping. Grip a little firmer, choke down a bit to encourage a steep attack then use a putting type action.