A true understanding of the short game will help you become a great around the greens.
I am lucky to have been captivated by the challenge of getting the ball into the hole from around the green, I spent hours every day on the chipping green and in the bunker, I couldn´t get enough of the challenge.
Quickly, club members began commenting on my short game, but it wasn´t just the number of hours I put in on the chipping green that have given me a solid base from which to build my game. It was an understanding of the shots that are required and the difference between that molded my game.
With every client, the short game is always touched upon, with many not realizing just how many shots they lose. Even so, there is one major issue that continually crops up:
Golfers confuse a chip shot and pitch shot resulting in a mixture of techniques and unsatisfactory outcomes. It is something that I have to clear up immediately if the client is going to banish their short game woes.
Let us begin to understand the chip shot. It is a delicate shot that will roll further than it flies through the air. A chip shot is played from within 9 feet of the green edge. You need to land the ball on the green within the first third of the distance you are trying to reach. So for example if you had a chip shot of 30 feet you would choose the club that would land the ball in the first 10 feet of green to roll out the remaining distance to the hole.
It is important to understand that the landing area is the key to understanding and becoming a good “chipper.” This is because understanding and correctly identifying the point on which you want to land the ball will determine how the ball will initially react.
The final part of understanding the chip shot is to remember, just as you would from the fairway, that we change the club to suit the distance that we are trying to chip the ball. Every iron in your bag is a tool that you can utilize when chipping. By using all the clubs, you will have more control over the shot.
In contrast to the chip, a pitch shot is played from more than 10 feet from the fringe. The shot will spend more time in the air than rolling along the ground. As with the chip shot, the landing area is important as you want to know how far you want the ball to travel. With a pitch shot, the length of shot will determine the club.
Initially you want to learn to pitch with your wedges, 9 iron and 8 iron. The higher the loft, the shorter the distance. A higher lofted club will also stop quicker once the ball lands on the green.
The other difference and one of the biggest mistakes I see is in the technique. So many amateur golfers try to use a “chipping” stroke to pitch the ball and vice versa, causing chunked shots, thinned shots and confusion. You must read the articles on the technique of chipping and pitching, when you have grasped the distinct differences between the shots.
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