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Short Game Golf Tips - Chipping Tips, Practice Tips
Todays message starts your series of drills covering the
area of chipping and pitching and focuses on a technique
called the Under Reach Technique which was invented by short
game expert Paul Runyan. I had never heard of this before
and asked a pro at my local course whether he knew of it. He
said that it is a drill that he uses all the time to help
higher handicappers get some consistency in their chipping.
So I asked him to show me how it worked. It only cost me a
couple of beers, well maybe four or five. It really is a
simple and effective way of stopping you duff those short
little chip shots which most of us either hit fat or thin.
This drill is entitled......
The Under Reach Technique by Paul Runyon
Regardless of ability , we all have good days
and bad days when it comes to hitting greens in regulation.
On the bad days, it's important that you have the method and
means to get up and down with some regularity; otherwise,
your scores will be much higher than you'd like.
A Pro I asked about the drill said:
This is where a strong mental thought should be used. In
getting up and down, the getting up part is the most
important. If you can chip the ball ON THE GREEN and
relatively close, you won't have to worry about making those
tough 20 to 30 footers. Unfortunately, most high handicap
players short games aren't up to snuff (well mine certainly
wasn't). If there's one mistake that I made on a regular
basis that caused me and my overall score the most damage,
it was hitting the chip fat and not even Getting Up. I've learned
this great technique to ensure that
you never hit a short shot short again (well most of the
time), and you can use it too.
This method is a method which was used by short-game master
Paul Runyan, he called this technique "under-reaching the
ball." It's quite interesting and easy to apply in the short
game.
The biggest problem amateur golfers like me and you have
when it comes to the short game is chunked shots. To help
prevent fat chips, try the under-reach technique. Begin by
assuming your address position, with your arms hanging to
their natural length. Choke down on the club about an inch
(i go even shorter, about two inches), and hover the club
just off the ground as you get ready to execute the shot.
The combination of choking the grip and hovering the club
will help you guard against hitting the shot fat. When you
finally make a swing, simply concentrate on contacting the
bottom half of the ball.
How to set up for the Under Reach
Start with the posture. With the ball positioned in the
middle of your stance, assume your normal setup and allow
your arms to fall downward in front of you as far as they
can. Allow gravity to stretch them fully. Then, take your
standard grip on the club. As you grip the club, allow the
sole to rest gently on the ground. Now, grip down on the
club approximately one inch. If you choke down
appropriately, the clubhead should hover just above the
grass. (Try this out on the carpet at home, it will give you
the right visual of how the club will hover off of the
ground)This is the under-reach to which Paul Runyan
referred. With the club just above ground level, the leading
edge of the club is now located at the bottom of the golf
ball.
Note: The longer the grass from which you're playing, the
more effective this technique becomes. In long grass, the
ball will often sit up, making it easy to slide the clubhead
underneath the ball. By hovering the club, you'll ensure
crisper, squarer contact.
Why does it Work?
For you to get the ball up in the air, the
leading edge of the club must pass under the equator (the
middle of the ball). In this new address position, the
leading edge of the club is well below the middle of the
ball, making a square strike easier to attain. The only way
to hit the shot fat is by changing your posture as you swing
the club. If you remain in the same posture you established
at address and maintain your spine angle, you'll strike the
ball squarely every time and Not Leave it Short.
The only thing that might cause you a problem with this
technique is keeping your posture. A good way to ensure that
you keep your posture intact is to keep your chin up and
stand tall as you execute your swing. This will also better
allow your arms to swing freely and stretch out through the
shot, so the club can reach the bottom of the golf ball.
The Golf Swing
Golf in many ways is a game of opposites. For example, in
order to make the ball go up, you have to hit down on it.
Most players try to "lift" the ball in the air instead of
striking downward and pinching the ball against the turf.
These players should look at the basic design of a golf
club, which typically places the hands slightly ahead of the
leading edge of the clubface. This is done in order to help
create the perfect impact position, one defined by the hands
leading the club into the back of the golf ball. In so
doing, the loft that's built into the club lifts the ball
into the air, not the hands. The under-reach technique helps
you to take advantage of just that.
Of course, the club can't do all the work, you have to put
it into motion. Now, before you think about swinging the
club, think about the pace. The right pace is the true key
to short shots around the green. You don't see a Tour pro
strike a chip with a herky-jerky motion. Most of the top
short-game players allow the club to move in response to
gravity, not to muscular effort. When golfers overuse their
muscles, their grip on the club usually tightens, which can
affect the position of the clubface at the all-important
moment of impact.
When trying to gain a nice free flowing rhythmical
short-game swing, why not try the following two drills.
They're easy to execute and do the best job of ingraining
the sensation of the club responding to gravity while the
body and hands function solely to support the clubhead.
Give this pair of drills a go the next time you practice
your chipping technique. Coupled with the under-reach
technique, I'm sure you'll keep those chunked chips at bay
and give yourself more opportunities to get up and down and
save par.
It's absolutely critical that you slide the leading edge of
the club under the ball when executing short-game shots. The
only way to effectively slide the club under the golf ball
is to give your arms plenty of room to swing (Under Reach).
To do this, you must stand tall and keep your head up;
otherwise, it's easy to skull the shot over the green or
chunk it short of the target.
Brush The Grass Drill Make three continuous practice swings
back and through while eyeing your target. Making rehearsal
swings while looking at the target will help you
instinctively determine the length and pace necessary to hit
the shot the appropriate distance. Then, step up to the ball
and duplicate your rehearsal swing over the golf ball.
Finally, hit the chip. I think you'll be surprised how well
you'll strike the ball and how much more fluid your swing
will feel.
The Name Game Think of the name of a star or celebrity who
has two syllables in the first name and two syllables in the
last name. (i.e., John-ny Mill-er, Fred-dy Coup-les, By-ron
Nel-son). As you make your swing, say the first name on the
backswing and the last name on the forwardswing. Since the
first and last names feature the same number of syllables,
using them in time with your swing will ensure that the
length and pace of your backswing matches the length and
pace of your forward swing, a critical element of sound
chipping. In the short game, too much speed and not enough
rhythm can be even more detrimental. Shots around the green
are all about distance control and touch. A good, relaxed
tempo is crucial to achieving the desired results.
Good luck with your short-game practice. With a little work,
you'll soon strike those scary chips with more confidence
and freedom and with better results.
Problems with driving the golf ball ? Slicing ? Want to draw the ball? How
do you fix this - permanently?
See the Seven Step Stop Slicing Program for complete detailed instruction.
Stop Slicing Now
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