Do you think that professional golfers are so accurate that they send every tee-off directly where they want it to go and every shot onto the green perfectly? The answer is no, thus the reason why the pros place so much emphasis on mastering the most important shots in golf – the short game.
#1. Chipping Is Simple, So Keep It That Way
You have probably heard the expression “Keep It Simple”, and it pertains to golf more than anything else. Professional players will always tell you never to complicate a shot that doesn’t need to be over-analyzed. Always take the opportunity to play a straightforward chip shot rather than an over-the-top fancy lob shot.
#2. Get To Know the Ratio of Your Carry/Rolls
The best way to become a skilled chipper is to know exactly how each club in your golf bag performs. For example, assuming that you make the same distance of swing with every club, the sand wedge will spend 90% of its time airborne while only 10% on the ground, while your 4 iron will spend approximately 10% in the air and 90% on the ground. The 7 iron will carry about 50% of the way and roll on the ground for the other 50%. I provide a practice chart to help you accomplish this in my book 38 Tips to Breaking 80: A Step-by-Step Guide to Get you There.
#3. Do Not Take the Flag Out When Chipping
Many golfers go through the dilemma of whether or not to remove the flag stick when they are setting up to chip from just off the edge of the green. There are various opinions on the matter; however, the opinion of most professionals is that it’s best to leave the flag stick in as it can stop the ball from running past the hole.
I hope you respect their experience and do the same. It is certainly my choice.
It has helped more chip shots sink into the cup than not. By taking it out, you have to be rolling on your target line perfectly, with the correct speed of the ball, slowing down at the precise moment to sink into a 4 ¼ inch hole. It’s better to have the protection of the stick.
#4. When Under Pressure, Use a Straight Faced Club
Anytime you feel pressure when shooting around the green, always pick the club with the straightest blade to take care of the job. You may have to use the 4 or 5 iron to get the proper roll needed. Depending on the lie, if I need to cover a long distance and the ball is lying higher in the grass, I sometimes use my hybrid and choke down…
#5. When Sitting Low in the Grass, Take a More Lofted Club
Whenever your ball has landed low in the grass always expect to hit a low flying shot. The best approach here is to make a chip shot with as much loft as possible in order to get the height you want, which should automatically dig out the ball with ease. And on the other side of the coin, when the ball has settled on high grass you can expect it to fly higher than usual, so it would be a wise choice to chip with a less lofted club to reduce the height.
Enjoy your day and share my tips with your friends…
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