CHIPPING & PITCHING - June’s Tip of the Month

BY RYAN WILLIAMS PLAYER DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL GOLF ACADEMY

This month’s instructional article marks Part 2 in our talk about length of motion in the short game. Last month, we tackled Putting and came to the realization that the best putters of all time have a putting stroke that goes “long-to-short” and the pursuit of acceleration usually does more harm than good. This month, let’s discuss chipping and pitching:

“I flipped my wrists.” “I have to make sure I follow through.” “I scooped it.” “I pulled my head.” To be sure, all of you have heard these phrases from your playing partners (perhaps maybe even said them) at some point in your golfing life. Of all the things I’ve learned from the titans of golf instruction I’ve been lucky enough to work with, listen to speak, or read, perhaps my favorite chipping quote came from Stan Utley, one of the best short game coaches in the history of the game:

“Bad chippers finish with the head on their shoulders down and the clubhead high. Great chippers finish with the clubhead low and the head on their shoulders high.”

Several years ago, I went home to see my dad for Father’s Day and he had been complaining about his chipping, saying that he had gotten “flippy” and that he was “decelling.” Several holes into the round, I finally got to see him play a short game shot and what I saw shocked me. His backswing did not get past his right foot! In some hope of getting any energy on the ball, he would jerk violently at the ball in his downswing, the club finishing above his head. Chunks, tops, shanks, you name it! Poor fella! Like many of you, he was applying, quite well I might add, advice that he had read or heard from his buddies. The problem was that it was the wrong advice!

After a few greenside train wrecks and sensing his exasperation, I couldn’t stand by and abide more carnage. I asked Dad to make some swings with only one hand back and forth without a ball in front of him. After a few reps, he began to feel how far away he had strayed from the club’s natural change in direction. While he was still making swings, I sneakily placed a ball where his club had been cutting the grass and, unbelievably, he struck the ball beautifully and it rolled into the hole with dead weight. It’s honestly one of my favorite memories in coaching and that it happed on Father’s Day with my dad made it even sweeter!

So, what exactly had changed in my dad’s chipping motion? First, he had lengthened his backswing appropriately so there was no need for a rushed or overly forceful downswing; the force was already there! Second, more length in his backswing got the club picked up a little faster and created a steeper angle of attack. Thus, his ability to strike the ground in the right place improved dramatically! Many great chippers have described solid shots as “leaving the club in the ground” or that the “energy of the motion is downward.” Luckily for my dad, he began to feel similar sensations!

Jordan Spieth’s short-game prowess is not limited to putting. He is also exceptional around the greens with his wedges. Above, he is demonstrating a textbook pitching motion: his feet are close together, the ball is back in his stance, and his chest and club are pointed toward the target in his finish. Sticking with our discussion on length of motion, you can clearly see that the clubhead travels a greater distance in his backswing than it does in his follow through. The clubhead finishing low on a chip or a pitch is following through.

Struggling with your chipping and pitching? Take a page out of Jordan’s playbook! Nail your setup and ball position and dial in your length of motion. Below are some helpful drills to get pointed in the right direction:

1. One-Hand-Only Drill: Like putting, using only one hand can be extremely helpful around the greens. I suggest using your dominant hand. Contrary to what you may have heard, the right hand is not death in the short game. In what sport is using your less educated hand ideal? Walk around the green and play shots with your dominant hand to improve your rhythm and feel for what the clubhead is doing!

2. “9-iron into Sand Wedge” Drill: on a greenside shot in which you would normally use sand wedge (ball has to stop relatively quickly to stay by the hole), instead use a 9-iron. If you can make a 9-iron behave like a sand wedge, you will have learned the skills of the great short gamers in golf history. Seve Ballesteros was famous for beating other pros out of a bunker with a 3-iron!

I encourage all of you to give these drills a shot! I’d be happy to show you how to best apply them in your own game!