Chipping- Not with a wedge.......HARD!
 

Why is it so difficult to chip, even with an 8 iron? I mean, they are much much hotter (at least the way I execute them).

What are the general tendencies of a player who has difficulty chipping with 9, 8, or 7 irons? Not enough right forearm, not enough wrist cock, too much of it? Should they be executed as a cut chip, or standard inside to square to inside? Help in making these shots come off "softer" (and no, I dont expect them to land like a butterfly, just to be controllable).

Thanks.

For low running chips, imagine you are putting. A 'swing' back and through.

For pitching, imagine you are tossing a ball underhanded.

Chances are very high that you are adding lag pressure/jabbing at the shot, and you may also have too much shaft lean.

A nice trick of Alex Morrison's, hum 'rockabye baby' as you swing back and through.

Use putting grip and putting type stroke?

Exactly what I was thinking. Running chips with a mid iron being like a putt. Maybe jabbing..................with throwaway....... "Over acceleration the menace that stocks all Lag and Drag". Happens to the best.

Check out Chapter 12, the Basic Motion Curriculum. This is key. The components are dependent on whether you are swinging or hitting. No wrist cock or pivot etc. Check the book.

A putting grip is one option or your normal grip but with the shaft running along the palm of the left hand as opposed to under the heal pad. This zeros out the #3 power accumulator angle and helps you to manage the distance better. You still need some down and out though so play it back in the stance as compared to a putt. Read 12-5-0 and 12-5-1. for the whole deal. No hacking at the ball.

I take a divot with Basic Motion, but for me personally, the 'putting grip' chip is a 'brush the grass' deal, that gains it's structure though Extensor Action. For the stroke itself, I simply bend and unbend my right arm in an underhanded pitching/tossing motion per a Chuck Evan's video I saw last year. (Similar to Edz I would imagine)

I use this same procedure with a standard grip as well. Once you establish low point, contact is assured and you can focus on feel. :)

chuck evans has already been mentioned and I credit my improved short game to him.

Ideally you want to be able to practice this with a vision track but its not essential.

I will post photos that show how to set up your chipping station.

Chuck also told me that all short shots should be 'picked' up somewhat. 2 inches being the optimal height the club rises. This is the reason you put the block behind the ball

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So the clubhead path it "out to the right" with angled hinging? I like the "2 inch pick-up" (right forearm I presume).

The landing spot for this example must be with a wedge...I mean, do you get that much airtime with an 8 iron (which is the issue for me, useing irons not wedges, which seem to come off hot).

Do you zero out Accum #3? Do you use a putting or traditional grip?

There is some room for personal preference in regard to the grip but I think Homer suggested we run the grip through the life line of the left hand to zero out #3 in Basic. The flattened out angle at the left wrist regulates distance control by deadening the send. Also some simplification too in that you are using only one Accumulator instead of a bunch of slightly turned on and hard to co-ordinate Power Accumulators for such a short shot.

A traditional putting grip type deal and now we know why. Weird isnt it how TGM can provide insight into things we already do? I personally still have the club under the heal when in Basic for whatever that is worth. Maybe, Free admission to the LBG Gallery (which is free already).

Got It!
 

Just got off the putting/chipping green. Thanks to all and to GPStyles for the visual. That action, with and 8 or 9 iron is soft and controllable now. I did zero out #3, but kept my normal grip. Thanks again to all, what a great place.

lag pressure
 

Generally This means you have some throw away. If you find the clubhead moving fast even when you are swinging slowly then you are probably throwing the club, or quitting in the case of this shot.
Chances are if you are used to practicing chipping with a wedge you are used to hitting short shots with much more speed and much more lag pressure. With a wedge you get much more spin and the ball comes out much higher making it stop much faster when it lands.The spot you natrually look to fly the ball is much farther towards the target with a wedge, but with a less lofted club you must land it much much shorter.
When using a less lofted club you need a much shorter stroke so you can sustain the lag through the ball and still strike the shot.
Try hitting shots with much less lag pressure and sustaining the pressure through untill follow through. The less lag pressure the softer the shot will come out.

de nada :salut:

The thanks should be directed to Chuck really!

Have to admit that at first I didn't think it would work but jeez it is great.

Just a thought
 

I try to teach my players to land the ball on the green ASAP etc. The general tendency is that they make a motion that is a good deal longer than basic motion resulting in a little heavier compression...leading to a "scooter" So my recommendation is to make sure it is indeed a basic motion.

For those with longer than needed motions, I often get them to make a putt from the same place, then ask them 'how far did you have to move the putter to get the ball to go that far?" Now you have their attention to shorten up that chipping stroke with solid basic motion.

Dig the zeroed #3
 

I took the zeroed #3 accumulator (for basic motion) to the course yesterday. Worked great! I don't know why I didn't try it sooner. I have been putting with a zeroed #3 for a while now. Great stuff O.B.