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Myth Busted!

Popular golf myths debunked

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MYTH #5: FOR SOLID CHIPS, LEAN THE HANDLE FORWARD


THE FAULT: Many people believe that the more you press the handle forward in your chipping setup, the less chance you have of hitting the ball fat. While a bit of forward shaft lean is a good thing in chipping, overdoing it can lead to regularly hitting the ball fat. When you lean the shaft too far forward, your right shoulder will drop, and your center will move backwards. This leads to the club bottoming out behind the ball.

THE FIX: Know where your center is. Your center has the biggest influence on how solidly you'll hit your chips. If your center is even or ahead of the ball, then you have a much better chance of catching the ball solid.

Shoulder tilt—if your left shoulder is a lot higher than your right shoulder, then you'll chunk. Try some chip shots with your shoulders more even with the ground. This promotes a more descending blow and solid contact.

MYTH #6: KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN


THE FAULT: Trying to keep your head down creates all kinds of problems, such as an incomplete backswing and poor sequence of motion. It also creates big problems in your posture. To hit a ball well, you have to have an athletic posture. If your head is down, it'll be in the way of your shoulders, and your thoracic spine will be curved. This completely inhibits your motion on the way back and through.

THE FIX: After you get in your pos-ture, take a clubshaft and hold it behind your back. Ideally, the back of your head, upper back and lower back will all be lined up when you get into your setup position.

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