Quick Tips | Chipping and Pitching Drill
I see a lot of golfers set up incorrectly by having their hands hanging straight down and the club shaft is vertical, with the hands even with the golf ball. In Photo 1, you can see that I have pressed my hands towards the target to give me forward shaft lean and have simulated a good impact position — with the arms and shafts forming a “baby y.” Also note that my hands are in front of the club head.
I believe that setting up with a good impact position is essential to getting back to the same position. If you set up with the hands more towards the trail leg, the more likely you’ll have the same look at impact.
So now that you have the set up, let’s try and keep the same position until the end of the swing. In Photo 2 you can see that my hands are still leading the club head — the same position that I had at set up. The only way that this can happen is to make sure your body is the engine supplying the energy to the shot at hand.
Hold your finish at the end of the shot and see if you have achieved the look of Photo 3, with the hands still ahead of the clubhead.
The key to hitting pitch and chip shots is with your pivot, and the speed at which your pivot and arms work together. If the pivot slows down, the more likely your arms and hands will speed up and your clubhead will end up on the wrong side of your hands.
Jack Crosley is PGA Golf Instructor at The Vintage Club in Palm Desert, Calif., and Carlsbad Golf Center. Follow him on Twitter @jcrosley3 or on Instagram at JackCrosleyGolf.
