FAULT NO.52 Chipping - no confidence

If you ever suffered prolonged attacks of anxiety, or periods of little of no confidence in your ability to play short chip shots around the green, then you'll know only too well what an utterly soul-destroying experience it can be. The inability to execute what is, in reality, a relatively easy shot shakes the foundation of your whole game. The terms 'chilli-dip', 'fluff', 'skulled' and 'bladed' describing poorly executed chip shots come to mind, and as your nerves become increasingly ragged you begin to doubt your ability to ever get the ball close to the hole.

Such is the power of the mind. A confident player with a good short game works purely on feel and visualization - and all he sees is success. One with a poor short-game thinks only in negative terms; he gets tense and in severe cases 'freezes' over the shot. All of which shifts the golfer's focus from the 'where' to the 'how' aspect of whatever he is trying to do.

So if you are a player whose preferred choice of club is a putter on almost every occasion around the green, the following simple chipping technique should help you.

FIX NO.52
Chip as you putt

The quickest way of gaining confidence in your chipping is to simplify both your thinking and your technique. One way to do that is to regard your chipping stroke merely as an extension of your putting stroke. Try this: with an 8-iron in your hands, set up to a ball as if you were preparing to hit a long putt. Take your normal putting grip but play the ball back in your stance, off the inside of your right foot. At the same time keep your hands and weight forward, favoring your left side, and spread your elbows. The club should be held almost vertically so that the heel is raised off the ground - thus you must stand very close to the ball.Addressing the ball in this manner positions the ball off the toe-end of the club, which, when contact is made, helps to 'deaden' and control the roll of the chip.

Controlling the stroke with a gentle rocking of your shoulders, allow the club to rise up several inches off the ground in the backswing, and then hit down on the ball slightly, clipping it into the air. Concentrate on maintaining the width of the gap between your elbows as you swing back and through - that ensures a pure arms and shoulders motion.

The real beauty of this method is that you take your wrists out of the equation altogether. As long as you keep your head still and focus on making a short, firm follow-through, you'll succeed in striking the ball solidly. As with putts, lengthen your stroke to play longer chips. For the very long chip shots, try experimenting with a 5- or 6-iron to get the required roll.