Oops, is this hitting or swinging, I don't really sure but it works for me:

Left arm very relax, bring the club back 2 inches or more with the right arm folding, then back to the ball. #3 to sense distance. Control all on right arm

According to lagster, this is:

Hitting? since using right arm but I don't have any pushing motion, more a pitch position at address too.

Swinging? since left arm like a rope, but my motion with all control by the right arm and motion by the right arm.

So is this swinging or hitting?

Re: Chipping help needed
 

Once again, I very much appreciate all of the responses.

EC, my thinking about swinging on my chips is that I am viewing this as the first step in building my full swing. Since I have chosen to be a swinger, I thought it best to start chipping that way as well so that I can develop a consistent feel..Right now, I'm having enough trouble learning one procedure.:) Hopefully, at some point I will feel comfortable enough to mix and match. I have read all of the archived posts on chipping, and have seen some excellent suggestions on "hitting" chips.

Does my thought process make sense to you? I most definitely value your knowledge and opinions, so if you think I'm all wet,please let me know. Thank you.

teach

P.S.- Today I re- watched the sections on chipping on Ben Doyle's tape and Chuck Evans' DVD. What a difference in approach! Ben clearly uses a normal ball position and a body pivot when demonstrating chipping. Chuck advocates ball position at the rear foot and no pivot. Choices!:) I eagerly await Yoda's video (and Brian Manzella's "Confessions of a Former Flipper", which hopefully will arrive tomorrow).

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Sounds like some form of HITTING, but this could be an example of the old "feel vs. real" situation. If you comply with the Essentials and Imperatives, and you are good with this procedure... it should be OK. There are probably endless "X" short game procedures.

It would seem to me that if the ball was played off the back foot one would could hit a "low runner" quite easily but would have difficulty hitting a high soft shot.

I'd say a true beginner may have an easier time making solid contact with the ball back but in the long run to become efficient with all sorts of shots the ball must be moved forward at some point.

Would be interesting to hear everbodies comments on the different ball locations (for chipping).


Thanks in advance

"It would seem to me that if the ball was played off the back foot one would could hit a "low runner" quite easily but would have difficulty hitting a high soft shot."

Learn to chip with all of your clubs. If you want a higher shot, use a club with more loft. I play the ball in the back of my stance and use almost all of my clubs depending on how much I want it to run.

Left arm lever
 

Imaging the left arm and club as a lever for chip shots. By playing the ball further back in your stance you're delofting the club and as you move it forward in your stance you're adding loft. This is really the first stage in TGM, 2 feet back and through. Good luck.

Very basics
 

Teach,

I just helped a beginner yesterday with the same issue. He hit a chip from about 3 yards off the green with a PW. He kind of fluffed it and muttered, "I should have used an 8 iron".

What I showed him was it wasn't his club choice but rather his procedure. Here are some things to start with:

1. Keep your left wrist flat throughout the entire stroke.

2. Ensure your hands are ahead of the ball at set up, impact, and behond impact.

3. Club selection is a matter of personal preference I think. But for basic chipping, I like to pick a club that will get the ball on the green and rolling as soon as possible. If I don't have to carry a lot of trouble (sprinkler heads, nasty rough, etc) and I have a lot of green to work with, I'll take a lower lofted club and just get it rolling quickly. If I have to carry it more, I'll go with the SW.

Re: very basics
 

Trig,

Thanks for your response. Do you teach a swinging or hitting procedure for these basic chips? Thanks.

teach

right wrist bend seems to work better
 

I almost always start with thr right wrist frozen position through impact and beyond with a dragging a wet mop feeling In fact I sometimes ask them to place the clubhead a foot or so behind the ball and drag the club along the turf to get them that feeling. Sometimes find that the left wrist flat feeling tends the student to arch the left wrist and zero out accumalator #3 with losening out the last three fingers of the left hand. Lots of ways to get it into their coconuts but I guess each individual has his own perception of embibng.

Vik