MET METHODS
By Carl Alexander, PGA
Through the years, I’ve seen the art of the chip shot start to disappear as golfers hit more hybrids and putts from off the green. But learning how to chip the ball effectively, especially throughout the Met Area, where we have so many elevated greens, will really help your game and save you shots around the green.
I use four keys to help you chip consistently, fly the ball the correct distance and at the right trajectory, and help you lower your scores: setup position, backswing length, impact, and sticking the finish.
Stand closer to the ball, choke down with a soft grip, and position the ball slightly back of center. Next, lean into your lead side, pushing your hands forward so that your head, your hands, and your weight are all positioned in front of the golf ball. This is going to help create an angle in your trail wrist and make a downward strike on the ball.
The second thing we want to do is to figure out how much swing is needed to need to carry the proper distance. Your typical shot around the green requires 5-10 yards of carry distance, and the length that we need for that is knee-high to knee-high. That’s it for a 5-to-10-yard carry.
We want to create a motion where the club finds the flat spot where it can slide along the ground long enough to sweep the grass under the ball. To do that, while the club is traveling downward, we need our left shoulder to be moving up. That’s the motion that’s going to allow us to sweep and find a flat spot under the ball.
As the great Seve Ballesteros said, and as many tour players are copying, you want to finish these short game shots with your hands over at your left pocket. That’s going to allow us to put a little cut spin on this shot.
So again, ball position slightly back of center, with your weight and head forward, and trail wrist set at an angle. From there, just calibrate knee high to knee high and the tempo needed to fly the ball to your spot. Let that left shoulder work up and stick that finish with your hands by your left pocket. If you can do that, you’re going to have a real good chance at making some chips and getting it up and down more often.
Carl Alexander is the director of golf at The Golf Club of Purchase in Purchase, N.Y.
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