Welcome to Play Smarta regular GOLF.com game improvement column that will help you become a smarter and better golfer.
No matter how hard you hit the ball, you will inevitably miss greens in regulation. From there, the difference between par and bogey (or worse) is a regular short game.
If you watch the pros every weekend, you’ll notice that they make these ups and downs look routine. On the PGA Tour last season, players saved par after a missed green at an average clip of 58.5 percent. They may not be quite automatic, but getting up and down six out of 10 attempts is pretty great.
You may also notice that the shots they use to get out of trouble are rarely flashy. High failures and bad spinners are only used when absolutely necessary. Most of the time, they often for safety, boring action chip shot.
Recreational golfers would be wise to take a page out of their playbook and master this rudimentary shot. Unfortunately, when most of them try this shot, they are extremely unstable.
1 move to fix your shredding
Your stock chip device must not be powered on. It must be fundamentally sound and reliable. This means eliminating any unnecessary moving parts.
“I’m trying to keep my ankles level,” he says GOLF Top 100 Teachers Mike Dixon. “I don’t want to have any lock on the back drive.”
Where recreational golfers tend to go wrong is when they get a wedge in their hands, they like to bend their wrists on the backswing and remove the club on the downswing. This is a great way to build speed on full shots, but when you hit a short chip, it usually causes problems.
Instead of using your wrists to generate speed, try to engage your big muscles. Lean back and through your core and try to keep your ankles still throughout the movement.
“I like my hips to be the controlling factor in this,” says Dickson. “I’m not using my hands to swing the club. It’s more my pelvis.”
When you start using your core to drive your club on these chip shots, you’ll find it’s much easier to control your distance, low point, and consistency. Try it and you’ll be up and down more often in no time.
Gains Ghost Holes short game
They sound scarier than they are – trust us. SGG ghost holes can be used to improve your performance both on and off the green. Each of the ghost holes (sold in packs of 3) are the exact dimensions of an actual golf putting hole. There is one thing that sets these ghost holes apart from other practice cups. Made from strong yet flexible PVC, they are thin enough for a golf ball to roll smoothly, but won’t blow up. The edges are flat, allowing you to aim for them without affecting the spin of the ball. This makes them perfect options for distance control practice with putters and as drop-point targets for shots around the green. Many players also like to use them during practice rounds and place them where they believe the holes will be during the event to allow them to practice the shots they will face.
View Product
