As a teaching professional with over 15 years of experience, I’ve seen countless golfers transform their game. And if there’s one area where diligent practice often yields the quickest and most satisfying results, it’s the short game. You might be a strong ball-striker, but if your chipping and pitching aren’t sharp, those hard-earned greens in regulation can quickly turn into frustrating bogeys. As the article from The Daily Duffer wisely 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.”
And I couldn’t agree more! Mastering those shots around the green is your express route to lower scores, regardless of your current handicap.
Building Your Short Game Foundation: The Setup
Before we even think about swinging the club, a proper setup lays the groundwork for consistent contact and control. The key is to differentiate slightly between chip shots (lower, running shots) and pitch shots (higher, softer shots).
- Feet Position: For chipping, you want your feet closer together – think perhaps a clubhead’s width apart. This reduces unnecessary body movement and promotes a more arms-and-shoulders swing. For pitching, you can widen your stance just a little to allow for a slightly bigger rotation.
- Weight Distribution: This is crucial! For both chips and pitches, you want 60-70% of your weight firmly on your lead foot. This naturally encourages a descending blow, helping you hit the ball first.
- Ball Position: Keep the ball slightly back of center for chip shots. For pitch shots, a more centered ball position works well.
- Hands Ahead: Your hands should be slightly ahead of the ball, which helps deloft the club slightly and promotes a crisp strike.
Consider the image below, demonstrating an ideal setup for chip shots:
The “Y” and “L” for Optimal Control
One of the most effective ways to maintain control in your short game swing is by understanding and applying the “Y” and “L” concepts:
- The “Y” for Chips: In your chipping setup, your arms and the club shaft should form the letter “Y”. The goal is to maintain this “Y” throughout the entire swing, minimizing wrist hinge. This keeps the clubhead stable and helps you strike down on the ball, creating ball-first contact.
- The “L” for Pitches: For pitch shots, which require a bit more loft and distance, we introduce a slight wrist hinge. As you take the club back, your lead arm and the club shaft should form an “L” at the top of your abbreviated backswing. You then replicate this “L” on your follow-through. The article highlights this beautifully:
“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.”
The image below provides a great visual of this “L” shape in the pitch shot.
Pitch shot look for the following: “L” in the backswing and an “L” in the through swing
The Importance of Rotation and Body Movement
A common pitfall I see with many amateur golfers is failing to rotate their body through the shot. This often leads to “scooping” or trying to lift the ball into the air, which results in inconsistent contact and chunks. Even on short chips, your body needs to be involved.
“A frequent mistake that many higher handicappers make is for their chest rotation to stall in the downswing. When that happens, there is a much greater tendency to scoop.”
Think about your shirt buttons. For short game shots, I encourage my students to feel like their button line is angled slightly toward the target at address. This pre-sets your body to make ball-first contact, as it positions the low point of your swing slightly ahead of the ball. As you swing, ensure your chest continues to rotate towards the target, pulling the club through the ball rather than flipping at it.
Actionable Drills to Sharpen Your Short Game
Here are a few drills you can try immediately to implement these concepts:
- The “One-Foot Balance” Chip Drill:
- Setup: Take your normal chipping setup, but then lift your trail foot so only the toe is lightly touching the ground for balance. All your weight (or as close to 100% as possible) should be on your lead foot.
- Action: Hit chips trying to maintain your balance throughout the swing.
- Why it works: This drill forces you to keep your weight forward, preventing “scooping” and encouraging a downward strike. It also simplifies the swing, helping you maintain that “Y” shape.
- The “Clock Face” Pitching Drill:
- Setup: Set up for a pitch shot. Place alignment sticks or even other clubs on the ground to mark different backswing lengths (e.g., 9 o’clock, 10 o’clock, 11 o’clock, with your left arm as the hand of the clock).
- Action: Practice hitting pitches, stopping your lead arm at each “clock position” on the backswing and making sure your follow-through is the same length. For example, if your backswing goes to 9 o’clock, your follow-through should also go to 3 o’clock (relative to your body).
- Why it works: This drill helps you calibrate different distances using consistent swing lengths, leading to better distance control. The article mentions this principle: “use your lead arm to dial in distance control with pitch shots.”
- The “Hybrid Chip” Drill:
- Setup: Grab your hybrid club. Set up as if you’re putting, with the ball slightly forward of center and your weight slightly forward. Use a putting grip or your normal grip, whatever feels most comfortable.
- Action: Make small, smooth putting strokes, letting the hybrid’s loft get the ball gently into the air, then roll towards the target. Experiment with different hybrids (e.g., a 4-hybrid vs. a 5-hybrid).
- Why it works: This is a fantastic “risk-proof” chipping option, especially from cleaner lies. As the article states, “Chipping with a hybrid (try it and I bet you’ll like it) is pretty much risk proof.” It removes the fear of chunking or skulling, building confidence in your ability to make solid contact.
Remember, improvement doesn’t happen overnight, but with consistent, intelligent practice, you absolutely can develop a short game that saves you strokes and makes golf more enjoyable. Embrace the challenge, and I promise you’ll start seeing those numbers drop!
