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Chipping Woes

Lost Golfer said:
My main problem is that I bring the club back at a nice tempo with my body and arms connected and then make a quick move down jabbing at the ball. Most of the time I hit the middle of the ball which skulls it. When I really concentrate and slow it down I quit on the shot which results in a chunk. Almost like having stage fright. Anyone else with that issue and if so anything to help with that?
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Perhaps a viewing of Paul Runyon's You Tube video of chipping using one's putting stroke might be of some help.

I had similar chipping problems, and his video was a shot saver for me. That was some 30 years ago, and I never looked back.

The golfer sets up just like they are putting. Stance, posture, grip, and stroke.

The knock on his method was the toe of the club being lower than the heel of of the club that would cause fat shots. That's not the case when done properly. I actually contact the ball towards the toe end of the club.

Just a thought.
 
Phil Mickelson's short game video has helped me immensely.
 
WILDTHING said:
I tried all sorts of chipping actions but the one that gives me most feel is the one where I am making lots of body movements to meet my intended task. This is where I am not consciously trying to prevent motion to limit errors. My legs , head and body are bobbing and turning all over the place (like that old UK comedian Jack Douglas)





But no joking , I always seem to return to the one below






PS. He uses the word 'gravity' but he means feel the dynamic weight of the club and just be in tune with it.

Here's a more recent video



It took quite a bit of time to 'Let Go' of control and I used impact tape to see how consistent my strikes were doing this method.
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What he demonstrates in the second video is exactly what I was doing a couple of years ago. On short pitches and chips, I was shanking about half of them. Was really starting to mess with my head! One day my buddy said that he could see what I was doing, but would only tell me if I wanted him to! Are you kidding me?! Yes! Please tell me! He said that he couldn't tell if I was getting tired or whatever, but I wasn't moving my body at all on those shots. I was just flapping my arms around, flipping the club behind me, and basically throwing the hosel of the club at the ball!

What this impressed upon me was that you still have to make a valid golf swing, albeit a smaller one. The same movements are involved.
 
I think one of the biggest issues many golfers have is trying to lift the ball off the turf with an upward stroke on the ball. The stroke should always have a descending angle when contacting the ball.
 
This is what I used to do



But I also ended up with horrible string of shanks (I mean 15-20 in a row for chip shots) and I couldn't figure it out . The more careful and precise my movement in the practice swing the more I shanked in my actual one. I found the root cause was that my natural shoulder line posture changed when I put too much weight on my front leg. I checked my shoulder alignment at address (using the club shaft ) and it was pointing 30-35 degrees right , so no wonder I was shanking them.
 
Lost Golfer said:
My main problem is that I bring the club back at a nice tempo with my body and arms connected and then make a quick move down jabbing at the ball. Most of the time I hit the middle of the ball which skulls it. When I really concentrate and slow it down I quit on the shot which results in a chunk. Almost like having stage fright. Anyone else with that issue and if so anything to help with that?
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It sounds like you're trying to really control the club and make sure you hit it hard enough, or soft enough. You're trying to be in control of every aspect. When we do so, our brain loses connection to weight and gravity and momentum and you essentially panic.

You have to allow yourself to feel the weight of the arms and club and allow the body to swing that weight. That's what Kisner is talking about when he says, "pretend you've got a 200lb weight on there."

Ok, so now you're allowing your body to swing the weight. How do you figure out the momentum needed to make the ball travel the right distance? "Goldilocks" is an extremely valuable tool here. Take a practice swing that feels way too soft and won't get even close to your desired landing spot. Now take a practice swing that feels way too hard and will fly way past. Now take one that feels about in the middle. You'll be amazed at how accurate this method can dial-in your distance. (And yes, it can be done quickly)
 
A teacher corrected my greenside bunker problems by getting me to turn my body during the swing,

Another teacher got me to hit a mini lob consistently - weight on forward foot, ball forward, think "languid" tempo, and hold the followthrough for a second.

The chip and run has been my mainstay, and these two old videos emphasize what I was taught.



 
wadesworld said:
It sounds like you're trying to really control the club and make sure you hit it hard enough, or soft enough. You're trying to be in control of every aspect. When we do so, our brain loses connection to weight and gravity and momentum and you essentially panic.

You have to allow yourself to feel the weight of the arms and club and allow the body to swing that weight. That's what Kisner is talking about when he says, "pretend you've got a 200lb weight on there."

Ok, so now you're allowing your body to swing the weight. How do you figure out the momentum needed to make the ball travel the right distance? "Goldilocks" is an extremely valuable tool here. Take a practice swing that feels way too soft and won't get even close to your desired landing spot. Now take a practice swing that feels way too hard and will fly way past. Now take one that feels about in the middle. You'll be amazed at how accurate this method can dial-in your distance. (And yes, it can be done quickly)
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I just want to add that the order of the steps wadesworld gave are important. Until you learn how to swing the club so that you make consistent, solid contact goldilocks can't be implemented. A skull or a chunk doesn't tell you a thing about whether or not you swung the club at the proper length and speed.
 
McLovin said:
exactly. tune out the noise, focus on what you're paying to focus on! funny enough, i made a post in my swing journey thread yesterday. ty gave me a really good image and feel, and i was able to practice a little bit this morning. it helped a ton, and i'll continue to get it on video since i have a very clear picture of what i'm supposed to be doing.
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Do I need to come to Orlando again?
 
McLovin said:
why ask a question when you already know the answer?
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I promise to tell you all I know about chipping if you promise to pretend to not ignore it.
 
GraniteRoost said:
I think we have uncovered the root of your short game troubles - mental attitude 😘
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oh FO SHO. trust me when i say, that extends far beyond short game troubles. haha

i have faith that ty can get me where i need to be. it will be an expensive journey to get there, but if it means more fun on the course, it's worth it to me. right now it's an unenviable combination of mental yip and technique flaw. hopefully fixing one will fix the other.
 
I tend to decelerate my swing. It's been noticed by my playing partners. Back swing is fine. The down swing though, I tend to slow it down. Analyzing it, I was afraid to hit the ball too hard and overfly the green... and this was regardless of where I was at using my wedge.

Using a committed swing works for me. And I don't overfly the green. Sorry, that's all I got.
 
Scorpion12 said:
I tend to decelerate my swing. It's been noticed by my playing partners. Back swing is fine. The down swing though, I tend to slow it down. Analyzing it, I was afraid to hit the ball too hard and overfly the green... and this was regardless of where I was at using my wedge.

Using a committed swing works for me. And I don't overfly the green. Sorry, that's all I got.
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You could probably benefit from the panic stroke.
 
I don't know where this thread went off the path of light, truth and beauty :D but the Kinzer vid is gold and also works for full swing.
 
Desmond said:
I don't know where this thread went off the path of light, truth and beauty :D but the Kinzer vid is gold and also works for full swing.
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I nearly rebuilt my short game around that video. Simple and clear explanations, easy to adjust for different distances and flights. I joke about the panic stroke, but it was just a simple way to make sure I accelerated through impact, so I suppose I still keep that thought of it with the mechanics of Kisner's teaching. My biggest chipping fault has been deceleration, and I've found being more "assertive" through impact allows me to impart more spin, which allows me to be more aggressive, too. Of course, it works the same way using a lower lofted iron and using a putting stroke to get the ball on the ground and rolling. You still feel connected as in Kisner's video, having the butt of the club follow the chest.
 
I like Tyler McGhie's videos with TXG too. The bit in the 50yard video about accelerating to keep spin, really resonates with me. I have been working to make sure my swing is not too long, and that hips, body are leading the move.



 
Greg Kulbick said:
I nearly rebuilt my short game around that video. Simple and clear explanations, easy to adjust for different distances and flights. I joke about the panic stroke, but it was just a simple way to make sure I accelerated through impact, so I suppose I still keep that thought of it with the mechanics of Kisner's teaching. My biggest chipping fault has been deceleration, and I've found being more "assertive" through impact allows me to impart more spin, which allows me to be more aggressive, too. Of course, it works the same way using a lower lofted iron and using a putting stroke to get the ball on the ground and rolling. You still feel connected as in Kisner's video, having the butt of the club follow the chest.
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I read a lot about how your subconscious will slow down acceleration if you take too long of a backswing on a partial chip or pitch :mad: - makes sense :unsure:... and the post above discusses that issue.

I've found it is true.:oops: And have made the adjustment. :D
 
GraniteRoost said:
I like Tyler McGhie's videos with TXG too. The bit in the 50yard video about accelerating to keep spin, really resonates with me. I have been working to make sure my swing is not too long, and that hips, body are leading the move.



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I need to bookmark this and Kisner's video.:) Things to review every quarter or as needed.
 
My chipping woes all come from not trusting the loft to do it’s job causing me to stop at the ball and not follow through at all(stop at the ball) or decelerate which is the death of a golf swing no matter how big or small.

I practiced some yesterday. Short range chipping has always been my biggest issue with the above mentioned problems. Yesterday I was chipping at a distance of 6-8 feet or so. I just focused on being nice and smooth and a nice short follow through. The results were pretty dang good:

87611B4C-6FB8-4A33-9A93-16FA16FB2521.jpeg

I never chip 10 balls that well from short range. I am always good for a blade or 2 and a few chunks for a couple inches. 7 kick in putts and 3 holes is getting where I need to be.
 
Stryker said:
My chipping woes all come from not trusting the loft to do it’s job causing me to stop at the ball and not follow through at all(stop at the ball) or decelerate which is the death of a golf swing no matter how big or small.

I practiced some yesterday. Short range chipping has always been my biggest issue with the above mentioned problems. Yesterday I was chipping at a distance of 6-8 feet or so. I just focused on being nice and smooth and a nice short follow through. The results were pretty dang good:

View attachment 9002743

I never chip 10 balls that well from short range. I am always good for a blade or 2 and a few chunks for a couple inches. 7 kick in putts and 3 holes is getting where I need to be.
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What club do you chip with? One club for all situations or different clubs depending on the distance?
 
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