Golf Tips
Other than perhaps the shank, the most
frustrating shot in golf is the chili dip; a chip shot
that is supposed to go several yards but only
moves a few feet.
The frustration comes from that fact that
golfers can often hit two great shots that
cover some 400 yards. Get to within 10
yards of the green, and ‘duff’… you can
only end up taking two more to get onto
the green!
in your stance and de-loft the golf club
(move hands forward), you are exposing
the leading edge of the club. This is very
dangerous in chipping as it causes too
much shaft lean and ‘digging in’
Golfers turn two shots into four around the
green and end up making a six! Here are
some tips to avoid this nightmare!
The stroke: Simply put, “wristy/flicky”
strokes are dangerous (pic 3). Golfers can
break their wrists a little going, back but
NEVER coming through.
Check your lie:
You have to be able to see the grain in the
grass a bit. If it is against you, be careful.
It is very easy to stub the club behind the
golf ball into the grain. Here’s a quick tip
for dealing with grain: If you’re chipping on
an uphill slope, you are most definitely into
the grain, so be careful. Start to look more
closely at the grass that surrounds your
ball around the green, and you will begin to
see growth patterns.
Choose your club carefully:
The lob wedge is the bane of the average
golfer, and a dangerous tool in the wrong
hands. Forget the flop shots you see pro
golfers hit with their 60-degree wedges
on television and play your own game.
Like it or not, golf played along the ground
is MUCH easier, so get used to playing
bump-and-run shots. If I could give one
tip and one tip only, it would be to play
more shots along the ground when you’re
around the green. Take your 8 or 9 iron
onto the practice area and learn how to
use those clubs to chip.
Set up:
The set up for the chip shot is different
than all other shots. The stance is quite
narrow and slightly open. The ball is in
the middle of the stance and the weight
should favour your front foot. The set
up that most golfers use is wrong, and
here’s why: When you move the ball back
102
Many golfers stub their club in the ground
on chips simply because the leading edge
is so sharp and then stops a natural follow
through. Remember, if you de-loft the
golf club, you are taking off loft (why
do this instead of playing an 8 or 9
iron?) So bump and run with your hands
slightly ahead and keep your weight on
your left side. Hold this position through
impact to an end.
too much shaft lean
correct set up position
Try this: Using a wire coat hanger, bend it
into a ‘L’ shaper so it can be pushed into
the ground. The wire is to be pushed into
the ground, four inches in front and four
inches from the ground. (PIC. 4) The object
of this exercise is for the club to travel
under the wire and the ball to go over
(pic 5)