Short Game Shape Up - JB Goes To Work

[Nate]

Nate,
Let me know if I can help. I worked with 4 different coaches over the years on short game stuff and took a lot of what each taught me in the little tests.

Appreciate it and will do! My philosophy on this shot has been so wrong and was trying to play it like I would for a full shot, weight shift, wrist and hands active and head behind the ball. No wonder I was hitting an inch behind the ball with "fat" shots. Will pick your brain for sure!

 

[T2GRN18]

I like it Nate! This is my next stop with my lessons. I can't wait either. Hopefully you'll share some of your thoughts a work strategies. I'm sure we all can learn a little something.

 

[JB]

Appreciate it and will do! My philosophy on this shot has been so wrong and was trying to play it like I would for a full shot, weight shift, wrist and hands active and head behind the ball. No wonder I was hitting an inch behind the ball with "fat" shots. Will pick your brain for sure!

For me, unless I am getting very creative around the greens for some "odd" shot, the less moving parts the better. For a standard shot, my thoughts are quite simple. Hands and wrists firm, ball a tiny bit back, weight forward and hit it like a putter.

I also am not a big fan of chipping with my feet super close together and "opened" towards the target. My philosophy has always been the closer to the swings I practice (meaning full and putting) the less trouble I will have.

 

[Nate]

For me, unless I am getting very creative around the greens for some "odd" shot, the less moving parts the better. For a standard shot, my thoughts are quite simple. Hands and wrists firm, ball a tiny bit back, weight forward and hit it like a putter.

I also am not a big fan of chipping with my feet super close together and "opened" towards the target. My philosophy has always been the closer to the swings I practice (meaning full and putting) the less trouble I will have.

I like it JB and very similar to what we were doing. We were doing about 80% weight on front side, 20% on back foot with a lean forward. Also worked on a high hand/low club follow through to keep the club square and low. Really really different from what I was doing.

On the chips are you taking the club back like a putter, back and low?

 

[JB]

I like it JB and very similar to what we were doing. We were doing about 80% weight on front side, 20% on back foot with a lean forward. Also worked on a high hand/low club follow through to keep the club square and low. Really really different from what I was doing.

On the chips are you taking the club back like a putter, back and low?

Depends on what I am trying to pull off, but using a straight forward shot, then yes. That is very much it though.
You will find it very useful and more repeatable than just about anything. The best part of it is, on those ball striking days when you are just off, scoring can still be there.

 

[T2GRN18]

I like it JB and very similar to what we were doing. We were doing about 80% weight on front side, 20% on back foot with a lean forward. Also worked on a high hand/low club follow through to keep the club square and low. Really really different from what I was doing.

On the chips are you taking the club back like a putter, back and low?

Nate never heard the bolded before, can you explain it please?

 

[Nate]

Short Game Shape Up - JB Goes To Work

Nate never heard the bolded before, can you explain it please?

It's what Zach Johnson does very well. After contact he holds the clubface very square through the hitting zone and up trying to keep the hands firm and in front on the follow through. I had a tendency to wanting my hands to release at contact and roll over like a normal full swing shot. It's almost like you are holding the clubface off from swinging around you. This was on the 20-70 yard shots we did.

Best I could find but imagine that position he has for this short pitch a but higher up for the same 50 yard shot.

 

[JB]

You just described exactly why I originally got assistance with this over a decade ago. Heck it was 3 decades ago I believe. I would try to flip at the end to get the ball up for some reason and I would have one of two issues.

1. Decel causing to a major fat.
2. Lift up to guide causing to a big thin.

 

[Nate]

You just described exactly why I originally got assistance with this over a decade ago. Heck it was 3 decades ago I believe. I would try to flip at the end to get the ball up for some reason and I would have one of two issues.

1. Decel causing to a major fat.
2. Lift up to guide causing to a big thin.

I was applying my full swing technique, in a modified half swing, that allowed for so much breakdown to occur. This new way, or correct way, makes so much sense.

 

[arydolphin]

It's what Zach Johnson does very well. After contact he holds the clubface very square through the hitting zone and up trying to keep the hands firm and in front on the follow through. I had a tendency to wanting my hands to release at contact and roll over like a normal full swing shot. It's almost like you are holding the clubface off from swinging around you. This was on the 20-70 yard shots we did.

Best I could find but imagine that position he has for this short pitch a but higher up for the same 50 yard shot.

Watch this video of Stricker hitting a pitch shot at Kapalua a couple of years ago to see this action in motion. It's what I'm trying to move towards in my short game as well.

 

[Johnny mojo]

I was applying my full swing technique, in a modified half swing, that allowed for so much breakdown to occur. This new way, or correct way, makes so much sense.

Is this because with this technique you are ACCELERATING THROUGH the ball? I've been struggling a little with the half shots lately and after poking around in this thread and other places, I think it's because I'm trying to take a HALF swing with after a FULL takeaway, which is the prescription for a decell nightmare I guess.

JM

 

[Nate]

Watch this video of Stricker hitting a pitch shot at Kapalua a couple of years ago to see this action in motion. It's what I'm trying to move towards in my short game as well.

Very similar Ary, no weight shift on backswing but turning of the shoulder and chest and hands leading the whole way with no twisting or turning over on the follow through. Very similar to Zach.

Is this because with this technique you are ACCELERATING THROUGH the ball? I've been struggling a little with the half shots lately and after poking around in this thread and other places, I think it's because I'm trying to take a HALF swing with after a FULL takeaway, which is the prescription for a decell nightmare I guess.

JM

Johnny, it's all about putting the body in the right position so that the club is then delivered into the right position. The blow is delivered down and through but with quiet hands and weight all on the left side, it delivers the club into the right slot thus making it very hard to hit it fat or thin. The bounce on the wedge also helps in getting through the grass. I was using my 60 degree like I've never used it before. I would always use a 56 or 52 for those shots which added to my bounce issue on mishits. I was accelerating on my old swing but my body was even with the ball and maybe even behind the ball. I was weight shifting on the backswing and my hands were WAY too active. This made solid contact very hard and if my timing was off just a bit, it was a fat shot for me.

 

[J4U]

For me, unless I am getting very creative around the greens for some "odd" shot, the less moving parts the better. For a standard shot, my thoughts are quite simple. Hands and wrists firm, ball a tiny bit back, weight forward and hit it like a putter.

I also am not a big fan of chipping with my feet super close together and "opened" towards the target. My philosophy has always been the closer to the swings I practice (meaning full and putting) the less trouble I will have.

This is exactly what you told me in Florida when we played. Have taken it to heart and us now my normal short game. Really takes a lit if variables out of those shots. Strong part if my game now. Thank you again.

 

[afwcardinal]

Hands and wrists firm, ball a tiny bit back, weight forward and hit it like a putter.

I also am not a big fan of chipping with my feet super close together and "opened" towards the target. My philosophy has always been the closer to the swings I practice (meaning full and putting) the less trouble I will have.

This is exacting what you told me to do this weekend. I was actually doing all this last summer, quite well, but I could not get my head wrapped around this this weekend. Will get my instructor to work with me on this during our next lesson. Thanks JB.

 

[T2GRN18]

It's what Zach Johnson does very well. After contact he holds the clubface very square through the hitting zone and up trying to keep the hands firm and in front on the follow through. I had a tendency to wanting my hands to release at contact and roll over like a normal full swing shot. It's almost like you are holding the clubface off from swinging around you. This was on the 20-70 yard shots we did.

Best I could find but imagine that position he has for this short pitch a but higher up for the same 50 yard shot.

Thanks buddy. Took some swings with foam practice balls last night. I've got work to do. It seems to really help with just clipping the ball. I noticed the more I did it correctly the less I had worry about shaft lean.

 

[TheDoctor]

I have just spent some time reading through the first 11 pages and it has made me realise that the short game can be made so much more simpler by some of the things you practiced and talked about - namely the fact of keeping your 'normal' square stance and not the feet closer together and open to the target, which is something I used to do quite a lot with mixed results

I am heading to the range tonight and have my PW with me for more practice, but this thread is probably going to have me practicing more with my SW / PW than any other club at the moment, especially when I am at my home club with a short game practice area - the only downside is it doesn't have the space to practice too much more than 10-15yds shots

As they do have a total of 49 holes at the club, I am going to be very tempted to ask, like you did, if it would be possible to use one of the holes on the 13 hole loop to practice from slightly further distances

I had already decided at the beginning of the year that my short game was going to get some work now that I have access to more options, but reading through this thread has made me even more keen to work on that area

 

[mikedean441]

You just described exactly why I originally got assistance with this over a decade ago. Heck it was 3 decades ago I believe. I would try to flip at the end to get the ball up for some reason and I would have one of two issues.

1. Decel causing to a major fat.
2. Lift up to guide causing to a big thin.

me and me

Something that will be heavily worked on and improved in the next few months

 

[flog2424]

another thought on this is the ole Pelz thought of using dead hands. Realize the hands are only used to keep the club square and to hinge upward and everything else is done by your body in a free flowing fashion. Gravity will naturally cause the club to release so like Nate had said.... focus on the movement of your body and keep the hands out and I think you will be amazed

 

[#Cookie]

Good read in here this morning, some great posts and sharing of technique done last night.

 

[JB]

Since this bump a few weeks back and my ability to finally get out and start playing, this morning I am heading to the range to work on some stuff. Going back to the basics here with 36 balls, off the green in the rough and the goal is to put 30 out of 36 of them with in 5 feet. Being that I have not done this in a while, I am not as confident as I used to be, but we have the small tape measure to mark the 5 ft mark out with a few tees and we will go from there.

Should be a fun little challenge.

 

[flog2424]

Since this bump a few weeks back and my ability to finally get out and start playing, this morning I am heading to the range to work on some stuff. Going back to the basics here with 36 balls, off the green in the rough and the goal is to put 30 out of 36 of them with in 5 feet. Being that I have not done this in a while, I am not as confident as I used to be, but we have the small tape measure to mark the 5 ft mark out with a few tees and we will go from there.

Should be a fun little challenge.

I love these little challenges JB. I will add this to the MC prep

 

[mikeg_74]

Since this bump a few weeks back and my ability to finally get out and start playing, this morning I am heading to the range to work on some stuff. Going back to the basics here with 36 balls, off the green in the rough and the goal is to put 30 out of 36 of them with in 5 feet. Being that I have not done this in a while, I am not as confident as I used to be, but we have the small tape measure to mark the 5 ft mark out with a few tees and we will go from there.

Should be a fun little challenge.

When you say off the green how far are the chips/pitches you will be working on?

 

[arydolphin]

Since this bump a few weeks back and my ability to finally get out and start playing, this morning I am heading to the range to work on some stuff. Going back to the basics here with 36 balls, off the green in the rough and the goal is to put 30 out of 36 of them with in 5 feet. Being that I have not done this in a while, I am not as confident as I used to be, but we have the small tape measure to mark the 5 ft mark out with a few tees and we will go from there.

Should be a fun little challenge.

How far away from the green do you place the balls, and is there any between you and the green like a bunker? Hit it at the same hole or go to different holes?

 

[JB]

When you say off the green how far are the chips/pitches you will be working on?

In this case, I am off the green by about 8 yards.

 

[majBC]

I think Pelz had a article in a magazine that said amateurs need a 14 yard shot, apparently that is the most common distance we have on up/downs. That makes sense when you think about it.