Most conventional teaching has a player keeping the hands ahead of the ball at address to promote a crisp, descending blow. Unfortunately, many players try to do too much of a good thing and take that bit of advice way too far. I’ve even caught myself doing it.
It’s true - when addressing a chip shot, the hands should be ahead of the ball (closer to the target). But how much? I personally use the technique that [...]
posted in Short Game Tips •
I’m not talking about insurance coverage here. What I’m referring to is the number of wedges you carry as well as the gaps in loft between all of them.
As I’ve said many times, I’m a fan of Dave Pelz’s 4×3 system, where the idea is to carry four wedges and to groove three distinct swing lengths that give you a total of twelve easily repeatable distances within 100 yards.
It’s clear that scoring happens within 100 yards. Your goal [...]
posted in Equipment, Short Game Tips •
Conventional chipping wisdom says that the best plan of attack in a chipping situation is to use a club that gets the ball on the green rolling like a putt as soon as possible. That means chipping with anything from a pitching wedge to a mid or even long iron. It’s not uncommon to see people chipping with woods when the conditions call for it.
Assuming conditions are right for running the ball, you want to land it [...]
posted in Short Game Tips •
This is another bit of wisdom from the Dave Pelz school of thought that I got to try first hand recently.
According to Pelz, the best way to control wedge distances within 100 yards is to groove a set of three pre-defined swing lengths: 7:30, 9:00, and 10:30, where you imagine swinging within the face of a giant imaginary clock and where the player’s left shoulder is at the center of the dial, and the position of the left arm at [...]
posted in Short Game Tips •
Since I mentioned the flop shot yesterday, this seems like a good time for a how-to.
The purpose of the flop shot is to get the ball in the air very quickly, have it carry a minimum distance, and stop very close to where it lands. This is a perfect shot when you’re close to the green hitting to a pin that’s close to the edge and you have to fly the ball over a bunker or keep it from [...]
posted in Short Game Tips •