2011 NEW PRODUCTS
SHARPEN UP YOUR CHIPP Irishman Gary Murphy gives you his top tips to improve your short game. BY GA RY MURPH Y
EUROPEA N TOUR W INNER
WORDS BY PETER MASTERS PHOTOGRAPHY BY WARREN LITTLE
If chipping is not your strong suit then you might like to try these drills. We are always looking to improve our technique, touch and feel around the greens and these practice methods are designed to do just that.
THE ONEHANDED DRILL Most handicappers tend to flick at the ball too much with excessive movement in their wrists. This one-handed drill is brilliant for stopping that. If you practise like this, then the wrist has to stay firm and passive.
Use the bounce Give it a try and you’ll see how the wrist locks into place through the stroke, which is exactly the feeling you’re looking for. Presenting the club in this way means that you’re using the bounce and are less likely to be getting your hands so far ahead that the leading edge chunks into the grass first.
www.taylormadegolf.eu
ING SKILLS
THE CROSSHANDED DRILL Back in Ireland we’d call this a traditional hurling grip and it helps to lock the hands and arms in position through the stroke.
Don’t ‘hit’ Try and keep a nice flowing tempo to your stroke. This is not a hit at the ball, but a flowing movement that picks the ball up on the way. Think of a clock pendulum rather not a hammer striking a nail. Having your hands positioned on the club like this makes you feel that everything is together. The right hand is dominant so it helps to square the club up at impact so that you have the same loft as you had at address.
GEAR TWEAK
No rotation There is a slight release, but minimal rotation.
The shafts in my wedges are half-aninch longer than standard because I like to grip down without getting too crouched over the ball. The idea of gripping down, so that your hands are nearer the metal, gives me a feeling of control, but I want to achieve that without ruining my posture.
Lock those wrists Give it a try and you’ll see how the wrist locks into place through the stroke, which is exactly the feeling you’re looking for. Presenting the club in this way means that you are using the bounce and are less likely to be getting your hands so far ahead that the leading edge chunks into the grass first.
www.golf-world.co.uk // APRIL 2011
121
2011 NEW PRODUCTS
THE SPLITHANDED DRILL This is an exaggeration of the baseball grip and it does feel like you are going to flick at the ball, but, in fact, it’s the absolute opposite. Move your hands together and let the body do the work, turning back and through, you’ll find that you won’t flick at the ball.
Hands ahead Look at the strike here and see how the position looks very similar to that at address. The hands are ahead of the ball, but not by much. Note, too, the straight line between the left shoulder and the clubhead. There’s no leading the club into impact with the hands.
SLOW IT DOWN One of the mistakes people make with chipping is to lose their rhythm and get too quick. All these drills, because you have to think about what you’re doing, help to slow the action down. Remember to stay smooth through the stroke, any stabbing at the ball is always going to end in disaster.
122 APRIL 2011 // www.golf-world.co.uk
Right hand control When you separate the hands like this it makes the bottom hand work much harder through the ball. That tendency to get the hands in front and punch the ball in low disappears. The right hand controls things much better here and you can really feel it work underneath so that everything keeps up with the movement in the shoulders.
www.taylormadegolf.eu SI UP TO GN INFOR RECEIVE MA TAYLO TION FROM tmagp RMADE AT layersc lu registe b.com/ r
Turn through Control the shot with the upper body turn. Again the hands and arms are passive and the clubhead hasn’t rotated through the shot.
M Y EQUIPMENT
KEEPING FRESH TaylorMade has introduced the TP wedge with xFT (Exchangeable Face Technology) which allows players to replace a worn clubface with a new one. The company’s studies show that after about 1,000 shots the edge-radius changes by 1/1000 of an inch and the average roughness of the surface diminishes by up to 40%. Tour pros replace inserts frequently to get ‘fresh grooves’ and a rough face for maximum spin. Certain TaylorMade staff pros put new wedges in play every week, while others change every three or four tournaments. Dustin Johnson and Jason Day ask for a new 60-degree wedge every month.
Passive knees You don’t want too much movement in the legs, but a slight lean of the knees towards the target helps to keep things flowing nicely.
ROUGH JUSTICE The baseball grip is actually a good tip for when you’re in a horrible lie around the green. It feels like your left hand is working underneath the right, though in practice that isn’t really the case. But if you take the club up outside the line and then turn through the shot, it’ll pop out nicely.
IN THE BAG Driver: TaylorMade DR9 SuperTri, 9.5, X flex, 13 degree. Fairway wood: TaylorMade Burner TP, S flex. Irons: TaylorMade R9 TP, KB Tour X flex shafts. Wedges: TaylorMade Satin TP 50 degree and 58 degree.
www.golf-world.co.uk // APRIL 2011
123