THE MONEY SHOT

First, remember this saying – “two things forward, one thing back.” That simple axiom is the basic idea to chipping. You want to keep your weight and hands forward and the ball back. To get the proper set-up, place your feet one club head width apart. Place the ball a comfortable distance in front of you and keep the ball in the middle of your stance.

Next, bring your forward foot back one inch (left foot for a right-hander). Finally, while keeping your heels on the ground, turn both feet a little towards the target. For a point of reference for how much to turn, your big toe of your trailing foot should point at the back of the ball. Your ball is now back, and you’re in the proper set-up for impact with your lower body.

Now place 80 percent of your weight on your forward foot and make sure that your shirt buttons are in front of the ball. Next, de-loft the club by pressing your hands forward until your hands are off of your left inner thigh, making sure you keep the clubface pointed at your target. This is the set-up that allows you to achieve solid chip shots and lower your scores.

Ninety-nine percent of all bad chip shots can be traced back to either a faulty set-up or two technique problems – weight on back foot when finished or left wrist breaking down through and after impact. Two drills to fix these issues are “right foot back” and the “two-club drill.”

To properly execute a chip shot, allow your body to rotate around your left leg. The right foot back drill will allow you to feel your weight stay on your forward foot and also feel your chest rotate through the shot to the point that your chest almost faces the target when you’re done.

If your left wrist breaks down through impact, a simple drill is to grab a broom or two clubs and place it outside your left rib cage. While swinging through, don’t let the clubs hit your ribs. (Be careful with this drill; it’s for small soft shots and not half-swing or full-swing shots.)

Now you’re ready to hit a few shots. Hold your finish and ask yourself two questions: Is my weight forward when I’m finished and did I burn myself? If you can successfully answer those questions, you’re now coaching yourself to a better short game. Perfection is not necessary at first, but knowing what you did right or wrong is the key to improving.