The chip is the most important part of the short game. Without a good chip you will be left with an ugly putt. A few tips to help get that ball to bite better.
For long chips(80-100+ yards)
1.) Think of the chip as a long putt. Like a putt, use your shoulders more than anything. Instead of trying to lob that sandwedge, all the way, with a full swing, try a 9 iron, or 8 iron instead. Play the ball slightly ahead of center. Give it about a 1/2 swing, don't break your wrists very much, and don't transfer as much weight to your right foot. Try to keep your legs as quiet as possible. Start the swing with gravity, and let the club do the majority of the work. If done correctly, you should see a divot behind the ball, and the ball should have a mid trajectory, and stop when it hits the green. If it won't stop, then try opening up the face a little, aim a little left of the hole, and try that. If it still doesn't stop..then them are some greens!
For short chips(10-50 yards)
2.)Many people have trouble with this..but it really is easy. With a shorter chip, use a wedge of your choice. Take into amount the distance, slope of the green, wind, and green conditons.(hard, soft, etc) This time place the ball farther forward in your stance. Again, don't bend your wrists, play it like a putt. If you are skulling the ball, try moving it back a little, and focus on the front half of the ball, instead of the back or middle. What this does is promote a steeper attack angle, and make for a cleaner chip. If done correctly, your ball should roll very little, or maybe even back up a little bit. If the ball won't bite for you, then try opening the face a little bit.
Now let's get a little fancy..I've noticed you can make the ball jump to the left or right, when it hits, and then back up. To do make it go left, close your clubface a bit..don't overdo it..and hold off on your follow through, and keep it low. The trajectory will be low, and the ball will hit the green, skip left, then stop. You can do the same thing to make it go right, just open your face a little instead. Keep your stance the same on both, all that matters is how the club strikes the ball. I've noticed that for some reason, making the ball go right is harder than mking it go left..go figure.. Please note: I have not tried this for anything further than about 15 yards..
Advanced: the putter chip, AKA, the putter jump shot.
I talked about briefly in another post..this was inspired by my second favorite sport pool. Let's say you find your self stuck behind a short immoveable object. You only have about 2 inches beween the object, and your ball..that means you can't use the wedge, without screwing it up.. Think your doomed? I think not! Use your putter for this shot!(granted that you are less than 20 yards from the hole..)Play the ball WAY back in your stance..I'm talking well past your back foot. If the face of your putter is almost pointing straight down, then you got it right! You don't want it to be pointing straight down..the face should still have some angle. Aim for about 15 yards short of the hole, as this is going to roll a lot..Hit the ball slightly back from the top of the ball, with the top lip of your putter. After you hit the shot, immediately pull your putter back up to you..it is vital that it doesn't touch the ground, until the ball is gone! That will cause a mishit, and probably go right or left, and short. If done right, the ball will hop up a good bit, go over the obstacle, and with a bit of luck, stop somewhere near the hole. This is a tough shot to master, but once you do, it is great to know. Please note: I've only done this shot with heavy, mallet style putters, not with blades. I've used this once on a course, with great results. Much easier than a bump and run, with a wedge..
Out of the sand:
3.) Use a high lofted wedge.(56*-64*)Try opening your stance a lot, and open your wedge face. Aim well left of your intended target. Play the ball as far forward, as you feel comfortable doing. To get a feel for the power, aim for a spot about 15 yards further than where you are trying to land it. When playing a sand shot, don't aim for the ball, aim for the sand under the ball..as the sand is what gets the ball up. On a proper bunker shot, your club should never touch the ball. Don't be afraid to get a little wristy out of the sand, go ahead and snap those wrists right through the ball. Now watch as your ball rolls into the cup..ok maybe not..
Advanced: The "pop" shot.
This is a shot I've used twice thus far..let's say your stuck up against the wall of a bunker, and you have to hit a straight up shot, onto the green, without catching the lip..hmm, tricky right? Yes, there is nothing easy about this shot..so basically, play it like a standard sand shot, but tilt the shaft backwards a little bit, along with an open face. Hit the shot, but as soon as you make contact, stop the followthrough, and bring the club backwards, away form the ball. When done right, you should hear a "POP" sound, and the ball will travel near vertical in the air. This shot requires practice, and is not something you will use often. Practice it occasionally anyway..you may find yourself in this situation one day.
Alignments tips
There are three wyas I know to align with my shots: One way is I try and locate a divot left behind by a golfer that aims towards where I want to go. You just simply line up with that divot, instead of the hole. It is much easier to aim at a distance of 6 inches, than 60+ yards.
Another way to align is to use the butt point. Make sure you are lined up at your feet, hips and shoulders. Bring the club straight back, until the butt faces your target. Be sure to keep it straight. ALign the butt with your intended target, and take the shot. This isn't as accurate as the divot trick, but is pretty acurate, as long as you keep the club straight, as you bring it back.
One more way is to set down your clubhead, aiming where you want it, and then walking behind it, and then grip it. Don't let the head move, as will throw off the alignment. This is probably the least accurate way to aim, but if it works, then go go for it.
There are other ways, such as using your feet to align..but I've never had any good success doing this. The key to alignment is keep everything lined up. You shoulders, hips and feet shoukld all be lined up the same way. If not, then your shots will never turn out right.
How to chip like a pro
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