Kyle Voska Golf

PGA Professional shares tips and advice on golf

SHARON WOODS 6-HOLE GOLF LEAGUES

Sharon Woods 6-Hole Golf Leagues

NEW for 2012!  Would you like to feel more comfortable taking your game to the golf course?  Are you interested in playing golf in less time?  If so, join one of these 6-hole golf leagues designed for golfers with little to no experience on the course.   Led by PGA Professionals, these 4-week league will be run in a fun non-intimidating way.  Each week a different format will be used to improve each player’s comfort level and playing ability on the course.  Basic rules, etiquette, and pace-of-place will also be covered each week.  Sign-up soon so you don’t miss out on the unique leagues!

Due to popular demand, and our first league on Wednesday evenings selling out so fast, we’ve created a second league on Thursday evenings. 

Here’s a link to sign-up:  http://greatparks.org/golf/sharon-woods/sw-new-golfers.html

May 2, 2012 Posted by | Sharon Woods Updates | , , | Leave a Comment

Advanced Get Golf Ready Classes at Sharon Woods Golf Course

ADVANCED GET GOLF CLASSES AT SHARON WOODS GOLF COURSE

Would you like to consistently lower your scores? Are you looking for ways to take your game to the next level?  If so, these 5-week advanced golf classes on Saturday mornings are perfect for you.

Topics include putting, a variety of short game shots, full-swing evaluation with video analysis in two classes, trouble shots, playing in the wind, and taking your game from the range to the course.  Register early so you don’t miss out on these classes!

Session 1

  • Dates: Saturdays, June 9 – July 7, 2012
  • Time: 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
  • Cost: $99.00
  • Class Size: Limited to 8 students
  • Instructor:  Kyle Voska, PGA

**Deadline to apply is June 2nd**

Session 2

  • Dates: Saturdays, August 18 – September 15, 2012
  • Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
  • Cost: $99.00
  • Class Size: Limited to 8 students
  • Instructor:  Kyle Voska, PGA

**Deadline to register is August 11th**

Click on the link below to register:

http://greatparks.org/golf/sharon-woods/sw-group.html

April 25, 2012 Posted by | Sharon Woods Updates | , , , | 2 Comments

The Great Escapes – Scoring Better From the Trees

The Great Escapes – Scoring Better From the Trees

Believe or not, during a round of golf, you may find yourself in a predicament where your ball is amongst some trees and you have to find your way out.  Some of you may not comprehend how you could possibly miss a fairway, but trust me, sometimes it happens.  All kidding aside, learning how to hit better shots from the trees is important if you want to improve your scores.

Today, I’m going to help you with some tips on how to hit better shots when faced with tree trouble.  And, just in case you’re wondering, I am qualified to teach this subject.  From April of 2002 – August of 2004, I didn’t hit a single fairway which allowed me to thoroughly research this subject.  In fact, the Greater Golf Bureau of Mid-Western America (GGBMWA) granted me a Masters Degree in Tree Escapagery in 2005 becoming only the 7th golfer ever to achieve this honor.  Without further ado, with the extensive data I have gathered over the years, I am now ready to share my wisdom.

First and Foremost:  The #1 Goal is to get the ball out of trees

The #1 goal is to get the ball out of the trees.

You’re welcome.

Just kidding!  In all seriousness, the #1 goal of any shot from the trees IS to get the ball out of the trees.  So, before attempting a shot from the trees, you have the weigh the risk vs. reward factor.  Is it worth the risk to try to hit the ball between two trees 5 feet apart?  What would happen if you clipped the top of the tree you’re trying to hit it over?  When facing a shot with trees in the way, you really need to be confident in the shot before attempting it.  I’d recommend taking a more conservative route if you don’t feel you can pull the shot off at least 75% of the time, if not more.  Pitching out isn’t much fun, but bogies are much better than double bogies and higher.

Curving the Ball Around Trees

This is the part where you learn how to curve it like Bubba.  After reading the next paragraphs, there’s a better than a highly impossible chance you’ll be able to curve your shots up to 90 degrees on command.  Remember, the first goal is to get the ball out of the trees without hitting them.   Curving the ball on command isn’t easy, but understanding a few important aspects will help you out tremendously.

In a nutshell, you want to aim your club face approximately where you want the ball to end up and you aim your body where your want the ball to start.  For more information on this, read the article below I previously wrote on shaping the ball:

http://kylevoska.com/category/tips-of-the-month/

How much you can curve the ball depends on your club head speed.  The farther you hit the ball, or how fast you swing, the more you can curve it.  Also, you can curve the ball more when hooking the ball when slicing the ball. For example, if a right-handed version of Bubba was in Bubba’s shoes on #10 in the Masters playoff, he wouldn’t have been able to curve the ball as much as the real Bubba did.  Why, you may ask?  The answer is loft.  A higher loft club doesn’t have the potential to curve as much as a lower-lofted club.  More loft equals more lift and less curve.

Distance Control

Controlling your distance from the trees is the one of the most underrated parts to this game.  It’s very important.  In fact, I wouldn’t be shocked if we hear the saying, “Drive for show, escapagery control dough” in the future as the go-to saying to describe the most important parts of the game.

Controlling the distance of your shots from the trees isn’t all that difficult, yet most don’t understand how to do it.  All it takes is a little planning and a little math.  First, determine how far you are from the hole.  Second, determine where you want the ball to land.  Consider whether your ball will be landing in the rough or fairway before choosing this spot.  Obviously, if it lands in the fairway it’ll roll a lot more than if it landed in the rough.  Third, choose a club that will comfortably avoid the trees.  And finally, use a little math to help you with the amount of effort you’ll need for the shot.

For example:  your ball is 120 from the flag.  You determine you need to hit a 5 iron to keep it below the limbs in front of you.  You normally hit your 5 iron 180 yards.  You see that your ball will land in the fairway.  You believe that if you land the ball at 90 yards it’ll roll onto the green.  You need to hit your 5 iron 90 yards which is 50% of 180.  Make a half swing, 50% effort, and you’ll be in good shape.

2nd example:  your ball is 100 yards from the flag.  It’s rough all the way to the green so you determine you need to carry the ball about 85 yards in order to bounce it on.  Looking at the trees in front of you, you’re confident a 7 iron will be able to go below the limbs comfortably.  Your 7 iron normally goes 120.  85 into 120 is approximately 70%.  Try to rehearse and “feel” a 70% swing before hitting your shot.  Then, go ahead and execute.

This is not an exact science, but it does work very well.  I will say this, the better you are at hitting half and three-quarter shots with your wedges the better you’ll be at these shots.  I personally try to feel like I’m hitting punch wedge shots for a lot of these shots.  It’s just a wedge swing with whatever club you chose to escape the trees.

With a little confidence, creativity, and practice, you’ll hit some great escape shots from the trees.  I wish you the best of luck on these shots and hope you don’t have to use them as much as I used to.

Thank you for reading!

April 22, 2012 Posted by | Course management, Golf Tips, Scoring Lower | , , | Leave a Comment

When It’s Breezy, Swing Easy – How to Play in the Wind

When It’s Breezy, Swing Easy – How to Play in the Wind

“When its breezy, swing easy.”   Have you ever that quote?  When it comes to playing in the wind, that statement bodes well.   Playing in the wind can certainly be challenging, but it’s something every golfer will have to deal with from time to time, especially in the spring.  The best thought you can have when playing in the wind is don’t fight the wind.  Here are some tips to play better into the wind.

Grip if softer and swing easier

The simplest way to play into the wind is grab an extra club or two, grip it a little softer and swing easier.  The harder you grip the club and swing at the ball, the more spin the ball will have.  More spin in the wind equals a higher ball flight.  Your shots will come up short or veer off-line easier.   Swinging easier will take some spin of the ball which lowers the ball flight.

  • Practice drill:  Practice using a 6 iron when you think it’s a 7 iron and you’ll quickly see how your ball will stay below the wind much easier.

Finish lower

If you want to hit it low, think low and finish low.  The lower you can keep the club post-impact the lower the ball will fly.  This isn’t easy to do at first, but with some practice you can get pretty good with it quickly.  In order to this correctly, you do have to turn your body with the club.  This will keep it low.  It’s nearly impossible to finish low if your body stops turning.

  • Practice drill:  A nice thought is to imagine a low-hanging branch that’s a couple of feet off the ground 5-10′ ahead of your ball.  Practice trying to drive the ball under the limb.  You can actually use a driveway marker for this too.   Stick a marker in the ground on a 45-degree angle 5-10′ ahead of your practice area and try hitting balls under the marker with a middle iron.

Play The Ball Further Back In Your Stance

Moving the ball back in your stance an inch or two will effectively de-loft the club a few degrees.  This will lower your ball flight as well.  I don’t recommend over-doing this because it can lead to poor shots.  If you play the ball too far back, you’ll tilt backwards at impact causing your body to stop turning for a split-second.

Cross Winds

Playing in cross winds can certainly be challenging.  For most players, I recommend using the wind as your friend.  If the wind is blowing left to right, aim more left and hit your normal shot allowing the ball to ride the wind.

Some players like to try to hold the ball against the wind in these situations.  This can be difficult.  It’s not that difficult if you normally play a draw and the wind is left to right, but it is very difficult if you’re trying to play a draw and you typically play a fade.  I recommend using the wind as your friend most of the time by riding  it and only holding it against the wind only if it’s your normal shot.  Also, an important note, when trying to hold the ball into the wind, you may have to take an extra club because the wind will tend to knock your ball down.

Downwind Shots

Downwind shots are the easiest out of all these shots, but they do  bring some challenges as well.  Your ball will tend to fly much straighter downwind, but choosing the right club can be tricky.  The ball will fly farther downwind, but it’s not exactly opposite of the into the wind shots.  For example, let’s say you normally hit an 8-iron 130.  Into a 20 mph wind, you may have to drop down 2 clubs and hit a 6 iron from 130, but downwind at 20 mph you may only go up one club with a 9 iron.  This takes some practice and a feel for the conditions that day to choose the right club.

Once again, choosing the right club in the wind is very tricky, even for professionals.  It requires practice and controlled swings.  Just remember, if you’re ever in doubt, grab a club that will allow you to make an easy controlled swing.

Thanks for reading and good luck!

March 19, 2012 Posted by | Course management, Golf Tips, Iron Play, Practice Time, Scoring Lower | , | Leave a Comment

2012 Women’s Free Clinic, Lady 9ers League, and Women’s Classes at Sharon Woods

2012 Women’s Free Clinic, Lady 9ers League, and Classes at Sharon Woods Golf Course

I’m excited to announce the 2012 schedule for women’s golf this year at Sharon Woods. We’ll be kicking off the year with our first Women’s Get Golf Ready Class starting on Wednesday, April 18th.   We’re offering 3 other women’s classes as well.   I’m limiting the class sizes to 8 students so sign-up early to secure your spot! 

We will offer another free women’s clinic this year.  It will be held on Thursday, May 17th from 11:00 – Noon.  Following the free clinic, we’ll have a women’s social with a Q & A session with our PGA Professionals.  This clinic will springboard into the Lady 9ers Sunday evening league which begins May 20th.   Go to  http://www.hamiltoncountyparks.org/rec_sharon/sw_womensgolf.shtm or call the pro shop at (513) 769-4325 to sign-up.

Here’s the full schedule:

Lady 9er’s Golf League
Are you looking to meet other ladies who like to play golf? Would you like to play in a non-competitive social league? If so, then join the Lady 9ers League. This 14 week 9-hole leagues membership fee is $10, of which100% goes to weekly prizes. As a league member, you are not required to play every week, and you pay greens fees as you play ($16.00 walking/ $23.25 riding).  Contact Kyle Voska (kvoska@greatparks.org) or call the pro shop (513) 769-4325 for more information.

  • Dates: Sundays, May 20 – September 23, 2012
  • Time: 4:30 p.m.
  • Cost: $10.00 (plus greens fees)
  • Prepayment options (4 weeks or the full season):  Call the course for more details.

Women’s Free Clinic
This free clinic will focus on the fundamentals of the game in a fun, relaxing environment. It will also spring board into the Lady 9ers golf league.

  • Date: Thursday, May 17
  • Time: 11:00 a.m. – Noon
  • Advance registration required – Limited to 30

Women’s Free Social with Q & A Session

This free social will be held shortly after the free women’s clinic on May 17th.  This session will allow women to mingle and ask questions about the game to PGA Professionals. 

Women’s Get Golf Ready Classes
Would you like to play better golf with your friends or improve your scores in your ladies league? If so, sign up for these women’s golf classes designed to improve your overall game. Topics covered include putting, chipping, pitching, iron play, hybrids and woods.

Spring Session

  • Dates: Wednesdays, April 18 – May 16, 2012
  • Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Cost: $99.00
  • Class Size: Limited to 8 students

Summer Session

  • Dates: Wednesdays, May 30 – June 27, 2012
  • Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • Cost: $99.00
  • Class Size: Limited to 8 students

Summer Evening Session

  • Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, May 31, June 5 – 14, 2012
  • Time: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
  • Cost: $99.00
  • Class Size: Limited to 8 students

Fall Session

  • Dates: Tuesdays, August 21 – September 18, 2012
  • Time: 6:00 p.m.- 7:30 p.m.
  • Cost: $99.00
  • Class Size: Limited to 8 students

Advanced registration required. Contact Kyle Voska for more information.

February 23, 2012 Posted by | Sharon Woods Updates, Women's Golf | Leave a Comment

2012 Junior Golf At Sharon Woods Golf Course

2012 JUNIOR GOLF AT SHARON WOODS GOLF COURSE

This summer we’ll be offering a few different junior programs at Sharon Woods Golf Course.   Get a junior started in the game with our free clinics, improve their current game with our 3-day junior camp, or allow them to take their game on the course in our Summer Links junior golf league.  For more information, contact Kyle Voska, or the pro shop at (513) 769-4325. You can also click on the Sharon Woods Golf Course link on this page under my Blogroll for more information.

To sign up for the Free Clinics, the Junior Camp, or Summer Links, click here:  http://www.hamiltoncountyparks.org/rec_sharon/sw_jrgolf.shtm

February 23, 2012 Posted by | Junior Golf, Sharon Woods Updates | , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

I’m Giving Free Golf Lessons at Redsfest!

This year at Redsfest, the Southern Ohio PGA is setting up nets and a putting green for free golf lessons from our PGA Professionals.  I’ll be teaching on Friday, December 2nd from 4:00- 7:00 P.M.  If you’re looking for a short break from baseball, feel free to stop by to get a few tips on your game.  See you there!

For more information on Redsfest, click on the link below. 

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/cin/fan_forum/redsfest.jsp

November 25, 2011 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Women’s Fall Golf Class At Sharon Woods

Women’s Fall Golf Class

Would you like to play better golf with your friends, or improve your scores in your ladies league?  If so, sign-up for this 5-week  women’s golf class designed to improve your overall game.  Topics covered include putting, chipping, pitching, iron play, woods, and on-course play.   The class size is limited to 10 students so sign-up soon to secure your spot!

FALL SESSION

  • Dates: Wednesdays, September 7 – October 5 (5 classes)
  • Time: 5:45 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.
  • Cost: $99.00 for all 5 classes ($25.00 for one class if space available – 10 student limit)
  • The last class, October 5, will be play on the golf course

Here’s the link to sign-up:

http://greatparks.org/rec_sharon/sw_womensgolf.shtm

See you soon!

August 24, 2011 Posted by | Women's Golf | Leave a Comment

Strengthen Your Left Hand Grip To Stop Slicing

Strengthen Your Left Hand Grip To Stop Slicing

There are many reasons why a golfer may slice a ball, but there is also one constant when a ball slices (curves left-to-right for a righty).   That constant is an open clubface at the point of impact.  An open clubface is when it’s pointed to the right or more towards the sky.  This open clubface can be caused by many things including an incorrect swing path, a poor setup, or a weak grip, amongst others.  Today, I’m going to explain how a weak left hand grip can increase the likelihood of a slice.

In order to have a consistent swing, you should have a  grip that matches your swing.  Unfortunately, for many golfers their grip doesn’t match their swing or their hands are in a position where they are more likely to change the angle of the clubface at impact.   The  most common error I see is when a golfer grips the club with a weak left (lead arm) hand.  In this position, the hand is placed on the side or even under the grip causing quite a few issues such as a loss of power and the greater potential to slice the ball.

Self-Test

If you’re a slicer, it’s imperative to strengthen your left hand grip.  Here’s why and a little test to show you.  Stand tall with your arms  hanging comfortably and softly down your side.  You’ll notice your palms are facing your side.  Now, lean over until you’re in your golf posture continuing with your arms hanging softly under your shoulders.  Notice how your palms are now angled about 45 degrees facing your body.  When you lean over, your arms naturally rotate inward.

Why is that important and what does it have to do with your slice?  When you lean over and allow your arms to hang softly, this is your arms natural position.  This is where your arms want to be.  Try this:  grip the club with just your left hand.  Rotate your palm towards the ground and notice the clubface rotate towards the sky.  The more it points this way, the more the ball will slice.  The weaker your left hand grip is at the start, the more prone the clubface will be at impact because your left arm will try to go back to it’s natural position.

It is possible to hit great shots with a weak grip, but usually, this is for golfers that tend to over-rotate their arms on their downswing.

How To Grip The Club

I recommend trying to grip the club up in the air in front of your face so you can see what’s going on.  When placing your left hand on the grip, try to angle your palm about 45 degrees towards the ground.  If done correctly, you should be able to see 3, maybe 4 knuckles on your left hand.  Additionally, the ‘V-shape’ caused by your left thumb and forefinger will be pointed towards your right shoulder.  After placing your left hand on the grip, put your right hand on with your palms facing each other.

Not only will this stronger grip help eliminate or reduce the amount of slice, it will also allow your wrists to hinge correctly creating more power in your golf swing.  It’s a win-win!

The grip is a very sensitive and difficult topic to fully grasp.  For help with your own grip, I recommend seeing your local PGA Professional to help you perfect it.

Good luck and thanks for reading!

August 24, 2011 Posted by | Slicers Corner | , , | Leave a Comment

How To Chip Out Of Deep Rough

HOW TO CHIP OUT OF DEEP ROUGH

Spring is here and you know what that means.  Rainy days and thick rough on the golf course.  Playing golf in the spring is, without a doubt, one of the most difficult times of the year to play.  You have to deal with rain, wind, changing temperatures, wet course conditions, and very thick rough.  Today, I’m going to give you tips on how to chip better out of the deep rough.

Gauge the Lie

If you’re lucky enough to be able to get your clubface on the ball, you won’t have to change much from your normal chipping motion.  Unfortunately, in the spring, rarely does our ball sit cleanly in the rough.  Place your club behind the ball and check to see how much rough is between the clubface and the ball.  The more rough there is, the more it will slow down the clubface and the more the clubface will tend to twist (close).

Setup

After gauging the lie, you need to set up correctly for the shot at hand.  If the pin is further away, you can set up with the face square to the target line; however, much of the time, you’ll need a softer landing shot with less run.  For these cases, you’ll want to set up with an open clubface at address.  This will increase the bounce of the club which helps it glide through the rough better.  It also adds loft so the ball will come out higher and land softer.

Second, you need to grip the club firmer than normal so the club doesn’t twist at impact.

Third, ball position should be in the middle of your stance, not too far back.  We need loft for this shot.  Playing the ball closer to your back foot will deloft the club and you’ll struggle to be consistent for this shot.

Swing Motion

Now that we’ve set up correctly, we need to know how to swing.  The first thing you need to realize is we want to hit this shot with our bigger muscles, not with our wrists and hands.  We need our body to help out so the club will glide through the rough easier.

When you swing back, I’d recommend feeling like you’re keeping your wrists quiet with your shoulders doing much of the work.  Your wrists may hinge a bit, but don’t try to hinge them.

On your downswing, it’s imperative to turn your core through the ball.  I like to think about turning my belt buckle to the target.  If I do, the club and the rest of my body are turning together through impact.  While turning our core, we also want to maintain the open clubface through impact.  Ideally, you’d like to maintain consistent loft throughout the swing for this shot rather than it changing too much.

Finish

At your finish, if done correctly, the clubface will be facing more towards the sky and the end of your grip will be pointing close to your belt buckle.  If the clubface is facing upward, you didn’t allow the rough to twist the clubface.  If the end of the grip points to your belt buckle, your body and arms were turning through the shot together.

Drill

Take a wedge and choke down to the steel.  Then, place the end of your grip to your belt buckle.  Make a few mini-swings keeping the end of the grip pressed against your belt buckle.  This mini-swing should be no longer than waist-high back to waist-high through so you can stay connected.

Remember, chipping out of the deep rough is very difficult.  The goal is to get the ball on the green giving yourself a chance to make a putt.  Using your bigger muscles and maintaining an open clubface will increase your chances of being successful with this shot.

Good luck and thanks for reading!

May 1, 2011 Posted by | Chipping, Scoring Lower | , , , | Leave a Comment

Myth or Truth: You’ll Get Worse Before You Get Better After A Lesson

MYTH OR TRUTH:  YOU’LL GET WORSE BEFORE YOU GET BETTER AFTER A LESSON?

Have you ever heard the old saying, “You’ll get worse before you get better”, towards taking golf lessons?  If so, has this made you hesitant towards taking lessons?  Well, let me dispel this myth by stating you should get better after golf lessons, not worse.  I don’t believe you should get worse before you get better.  That really doesn’t make in any sense.  Why would you pay someone to make you worse?

Taking a golf lesson can be intimidating at first.  You’re showcasing your skills, or lack there of some may say, in front of a professional.  It can be nerve-racking.  Trust me, I’ve been there.  However, the professional is there for a reason and that reason is to help you improve your game.  Professionals, like myself, have worked really hard to understand the golf swing and, more importantly, the skill of communicating properly so the golfer can feel comfortable with the change.

When I teach a new student, I first try to understand the golfer’s desires while learning about them as best as I can.  This builds trust.  Once I’ve heard what they’d like to do with their game, I then watch them hit some balls and create a plan on improving their game that day, and for the future.

If you’re taking lessons, whether it’s for 30 minutes or an hour, you should see some improvement during the lesson.  Some of your shots should produce, or come really close to producing the type of shot you desire.  Now, it may be challenging at first to do this, but you should see some benefits during the lesson.  That being said, practicing after a lesson is imperative to make the changes more long-lasting.  Sometimes, it can be a challenge taking these changes to the course; however, the more you learn about your tendencies and how to fix them, the more confidence you’ll have towards your game.

The bottom line is you really should be improving during and after a lesson, or it may be time to try someone else.  Just like a lot of other things in our lives, if it just doesn’t feel right or you don’t have a good feeling about it, it may be time for a change.  And that’s ok.  Not every instructor is right for every student.  We all have different personalities and swing beliefs that may not be right for everyone.

If you’ve never taken lessons, or are looking for a new swing coach, do a little research before jumping in.  Talk to a few instructors on the phone or in person.  If you feel comfortable and like talking to them, then you’d probably enjoy learning from them.

To summarize, find a local PGA Professional and trust that they can take your game to the next level or get it back to where you’d like it to be.  Lessons are a great way to challenge yourself and learn more about the game.  Good luck!

April 4, 2011 Posted by | Golf Myths | , | Leave a Comment

Should You Use Your Wrists For Chip Shots?

Should You Use Your Wrists For Chip Shots?

The short answer is yes and no.  For some chips you should use your wrists and others you shouldn’t.  When your ball lies around the green, there’s a variety of ways to get the ball on the green and close to the hole.  Sometimes, it seems like there are too many options.  For many, confusion arises when you don’t know whether you should use your wrists or not.  I’d like to clarify this so you can simplify your chipping.  For most chip shots, I’d recommend trying to keep your wrists passive and I’ll explain why.

In my opinion, there are three families of shots you can hit around the green:  low, medium, and high.  Within each family, there are a variety of techniques that can be used.  My basic philosophy to the short game is this:  putt when you can, chip it like a putt when you can’t putt, and only hit it high when you have to.  Thinking this way and using it on the course will simplify your short game and reduce your errors.

I just mentioned there are three types of shots around the green:  low, medium, and high.  You might only need the  high shot 5% of the time so I’m not going to cover it today as it’s risky to hit and it doesn’t come about very often.  So, we’re going to cover the low and medium-height chip shots.  Simply, for the low chips you will not use your wrists.  For the medium chips, very little wrist action is used.  Remember, the higher/farther you hit the ball, the bigger the swing will be.  Bigger swing equals more room for error.  Whenever possible,  keep it simple with small swing around the greens.

The Low Chip Shot

The low chip shot, a.k.a. the bump-and-run, is generally used when your ball is within 15 feet of the green.  To keep it very simple, I like to think of this shot as a putt with loft.  The main difference is with the setup, but the stroke used is very similar.  After setting up with the ball back in your stance, weight slightly forward and the shaft leaning forward to the target, the motion used is nearly identical to a putting stroke.  That being the case, the wrists are not used for this shot as it’s  mostly a rocking of the shoulders.

The Medium (Standard) Chip Shot

When your ball is further off the green, you’ll need more height so your ball will land softer on the green.  For these shots, you’ll be taking the club further back to fly the ball a longer distance so you will use a little wrist action.

For this shot, you’ll set up similar to a pitch shot with the ball approximately in the middle of your stance, weight about 50/50, and your hands slightly ahead or even with the ball.   On your backswing, your goal is to the get the clubface up to about waist high feeling like your lead arm and club maintain a straight line.  Your wrists may hinge a little, but try not to get overly wristy for this shot.  On your downswing, the goal is keep the lead arm and club in a straight line finishing lower than waist high (finishing too high usually is the result of a scooping motion).

Wrists Equal Power

It’s important to note the wrists are a source of power, only use them when you have to around the greens.  If you hinge your wrists, which is great for lots of shots, you must unhinge them.  This unhinging creates power.  Creating power around the greens can lead to exploding shots over the green and last-second decelerations.  This is why I don’t recommend using your wrists much around the greens.

Summary

To summarize, keep is simple around the greens.  Hit it low when you can and only high when you have to.  Keeping the wrists relatively quiet allows for a simpler more repeatable motion for chip shots.  If you’re looking for someone on Tour to emulate for these shots, watch Steve Stricker.  His chipping and pitching motion is very simple, but extremely effective.  He’s consistently one of the best in the game with a wedge in his hand.

Good luck and thanks for reading!

March 27, 2011 Posted by | Chipping, Scoring Lower | Leave a Comment

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