Hello, Daily Duffer readers! Sarah Chen here, and I’m thrilled to share some insights with you today on a part of the game that can truly transform your scorecard: your short game. If you’ve been following golf for a while, you know the pros make it look easy, but even they don’t hit every green. This is where a sharp short game becomes your secret weapon.
My 15+ years of teaching experience, working with everyone from tour players to passionate weekend golfers, has shown me one undeniable truth: anyone can improve. And often, the quickest way to shave strokes off your game isn’t by hitting your driver 30 yards farther, but by mastering those crucial shots around the green.
As the original article rightly points out:
“Oftentimes I will hear instructors say that if you want to knock a shot or two off your scores in short order start with the low hanging fruit. And that, for the vast majority of golfers, would be chipping and pitching.”
This couldn’t be more true! Let’s dive into some foundational principles for chipping and pitching that will give you instant improvements and a clearer path to lower scores.
Mastering Your Setup for Chips and Pitches
Everything in golf starts with a solid setup, and your short game is no exception. The key here is to differentiate slightly between a chip and a pitch, as recommended in the source. A chip is a low-flying shot with more roll, often used closer to the green. A pitch is higher-flying with less roll, used for longer distances or when you need to carry an obstacle.
For chips, I teach my students to get their feet quite close together – maybe just a clubhead’s width apart. This reduces unnecessary movement and keeps things simple. For pitches, you’ll want a slightly wider stance, just enough for balance as you’ll be making a slightly bigger swing.
Regardless of whether you’re chipping or pitching, a critical element is your weight distribution. You want to feel a clear majority of your weight, about 60-70%, on your lead foot. This helps you hit down on the ball, ensuring clean contact and a crisp strike.
The original article suggests:
“Your weight should be 60–70% on the lead foot and the ball just slightly back of center. Depending upon the lie you will usually have the hands slightly ahead of the ball.”
I completely agree. For chips, place the ball slightly back of center in your stance. For pitches, it can be closer to the center. And those hands? They should always be slightly ahead of the ball at address. This pre-sets your wrist angle and helps ensure you hit the ball first, then the turf.
The “Y” and “L” Shapes – Your Blueprint for Consistency
These visual cues are incredibly helpful for understanding the feeling of proper technique. For a chip shot, imagine your arms and the club shaft forming the letter “Y” at address. Your goal is to maintain this “Y” shape throughout the entire chip. This ensures a compact, controlled swing with minimal wrist hinge, promoting solid contact and consistent roll.
When you transition to a pitch shot, you’ll introduce a bit more wrist hinge. Here, the focus shifts to the letter “L.” As you take the club back, your lead arm and the club shaft should form an “L” at the top of your abbreviated backswing. Then, crucially, you want to see another “L” formed in your through-swing, mirroring the backswing. This indicates a release of the club and proper rotation. The article emphasizes this point:
“With pitch shots we form the letter ”L” between the lead arm and the shaft at the top of the abbreviated backswing. There is an “L” in the backswing and an “L” in the through swing.”
A key takeaway from this “L” concept is to strive for equal backswing and through-swing lengths. This symmetry helps build rhythm and consistency, directly impacting your distance control.
Actionable Drills for Your Practice
Theory is great, but practice makes perfect! Here are a couple of drills to engrain these concepts:
- **The “Y” Maintenance Drill (Chipping):** Grab a chipping club (8-iron, 9-iron, or pitching wedge). Set up for a chip, ensuring your lead arm and the club form a “Y.” Place a headcover or small towel just an inch or two behind your clubhead. Your goal is to make a smooth chipping motion, keeping that “Y” shape rigid, and ensuring you hit the ball cleanly without hitting the obstacle behind it. This forces you to maintain the “Y” and hit down on the ball.
- **The “L-L” Rhythm Drill (Pitching):** For pitching, set up for a pitch shot. Take your backswing until your lead arm and the club shaft form an “L.” Pause for a second, feeling that position. Then, swing through, striving to create an identical “L” on the other side of impact. Don’t worry about distance initially; focus purely on the symmetrical “L” shapes and smooth rhythm. A great checkpoint is to listen for a consistent “thump” as the club brushes the ground after the ball. Do this without a ball first to get the feel, then introduce a ball.
- **The Lead Arm Distance Calibrator:** This drill, suggested in the source, is excellent for developing consistent distance control. Use a pitching wedge or sand wedge. Make swings where your lead arm goes only to parallel with the ground (9 o’clock position if you imagine a clock face). Hit ten shots and note the average distance. Then, try swings where your lead arm goes to 9:30, 10:00, and 10:30, calibrating the distances for each. This gives you a clear understanding of your swing length for specific distances, provided you’re making solid contact!
Why Rotation is Non-Negotiable
I often see higher handicappers struggle with a common issue in their short game: a stalling chest rotation. This leads to a “scooping” motion, which as the article mentions, is “virtually the same as casting in the full swing but on a much smaller scale.” This results in inconsistent contact, often thin or fat shots.
Even on the smallest chip shots, your chest needs to rotate through the ball. Think about your shirt buttons: for short game shots, they should be angled slightly toward the target at address. This subtle tilt moves the low point of your swing slightly forward of the ball, making it much easier to achieve that coveted ball-first contact. As you swing, ensure those buttons continue to rotate towards the target, finishing facing where you want the ball to go.
Embrace the Challenge!
Remember, improving takes dedication. Don’t shy away from practicing difficult lies. As the article quotes Nick Saban, “We make practice hard so games will be easy.” Deliberate practice is key.
And know that you’re not alone on this journey. Every golfer, no matter their skill level, can refine their short game. With these tips and drills, you’re well on your way to saving strokes and enjoying your rounds even more. Keep practicing, stay encouraging to yourself, and I’ll see you on the course!
