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Despite the rise in technology over the last 20 years – with longer-hitting irons and drivers designed to counter redesigned and lengthened golf courses – the skills needed to get the ball close to the hole have remained constant. While tour pros and club golfers can now hit the ball further than before, it is ultimately their ability to save shots around the green that is the deciding factor between winning and coming second. A sloppy short game – whether it be duffing pitches, thinning chips or failing to escape that cavernous sand trap that always seems to have your name on it – will not only cost you and your game, but it can leave you totally frustrated and bereft of confidence. It will undo the good work that…

PITCH, CHIP OR FULL SHOT? 1 Before looking at ways to control pitching distance, it’s important to establish where the boundaries lie between chips, pitches and full shots. I would say a chip becomes a pitch at about 35 yards. You then need to work out how far you can hit a comfortable full shot with each of your pitching clubs. The average golfer is likely to be playing a pitch, rather than a chip or full shot, from around 35 to 100 yards. THE SET-UP 2 The stance should be slightly narrower than for a full shot, with more weight on the front foot. This discourages too much weight transfer and creates a slightly more descending blow, with a steeper angle of attack, to put a little more spin on the…

UNDERSTAND THE CAUSE 1 If you struggle to control distance when you’re hitting pitch shots there are a number of likely reasons behind it. The first is that you’re addressing the ball with lots of forward shaft lean and with the ball back in your stance. This is a common set-up position which results in fats and thins, as well as very little stop when the ball hits the green. You’ll find that your wedges will be far more forgiving, and you will gain added control, if you move the ball further forward in your stance and allow the bounce of the club to interact with the turf. If you want to hit the ball on a lower trajectory, take a narrower stance and grip down the shaft, this will help…

Modern golf courses often feature very thick grass just off the green. Having a technique to use when the ball sits down is essential. When I’m in this situation, I find the most effective shot is the ‘deliberate duff’. The most important thing is to take the pressure out of your hands – hold the club at about two on a scale of one to ten. This will encourage you to be really wristy with the swing. I’m lining up straight at the hole, holding the club an inch or so from the bottom of the grip, and the ball is in the centre of my stance. Crucially, when you strike the ball, your arms should stop swinging but the club carries on, bouncing through the turf. The club should…

SHOT SELECTION 1 A big mistake amateurs often make is to decide what club they’re going to hit before they’ve even looked at the lie. This is a bad habit to fall into because different lies require different approaches. In this instance, I’m going to show you how to play two shots – one from a good lie in the rough and one where the ball is sat down in the roots of the grass. How the bounce of the club works through impact is crucial for both of these shots, illustrating perfectly why it’s important to assess the lie before selecting your club. SITTING UP 2 When the ball is sitting up you have a number of options. In this instance, I’m going to use a gap wedge and play what…

BECOME MORE VERSATILE 1 There is no reason that you shouldn’t be able to use every club in the bag to play a straightforward chip shot like the one pictured. Attempt a similar shot with every club from your putter all the way up to your driver. By working with every club in the bag your creativity and confidence will improve, and you will give yourself more options when faced with situations out on the course. HOLE OUT 2 As you become a more accomplished chipper you will be looking to hole your chip shots rather than getting them close. Give yourself the target of not leaving the chipping green until you hole a certain chip. If you want to make the challenge more difficult you should try and ‘slam-dunk’ a chip…

IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE 1 Your chipping technique should be easier to master than a full swing, but that doesn’t mean that there are common errors that cause players to duff or thin their chip shots. The way that golfers address their chip shots plays a key roll in the quality of strike they produce. I often see players very slouched over the ball when addressing a chip shot. This causes a number of issues, the first being that this position makes it very difficult to strike the ball purely rather than hitting the ground first. In the picture on the left you will see how my back is much straighter with my hands and arms hanging naturally. From this position it is easier to make a simple rock of the shoulders…

FAULT ▸ You struggle to get the ball out of bunkers ▸ You want a drill to improve your sand play FIX When playing from a bunker, it’s imperative that you release the club correctly through the shot. Failing to do this will prevent the head driving powerfully through the sand, and could even deloft the face – either way you risk leaving the ball in the bunker. To help you groove the motion you need, hit a series of shots with only your right hand on the club. I’ve placed my left hand on my chest in this particular instance to highlight the effective rotation of my body – this will really help you to release the club properly through impact. This process will teach you to find a…

FAULT ▸ You have difficulty getting out of plugged lies in bunkers ▸ This position can cost you a lot of shots FIX There are few things more frustrating in golf than hitting an approach shot that comes up just short, and finding that it has plugged in a greenside bunker. Don’t be too demoralised, though – the plugged lie needn’t cost you dropped shots. First of all, you should close the clubface substantially (inset). This is because the sand will open the club as you make contact with it. It’s important to close the face and then take your grip, rather than trying to close it after you’ve gripped the club. If the ball is plugged in the face, it’s likely that you’ll face an awkward stance. Make yourself…

SETTING THE PLATFORM 1 One of the most common mistakes I see is people setting up very open. This promotes a steep angle of attack that causes you to dig the club into the sand through impact. I like my pupils to be open, but not too much. At address, start by taking a wide stance that is a little open to your target. The ball position should be slightly forward and again, the clubface should be a fraction open to your stance. You should now feel powerful, athletic and ready to go. SET AND RESET 2 Use this drill: Set your wrists on the way back and then reset them on the way through. If you get it right, the club will kiss the sand through impact. The technique of releasing…

CHIP OR PITCH 1 Let’s start by going back to basics and looking at the differences between chip and pitch shots. Working on these two techniques on the practice area will give you more options and confidence. The set-up position is the same for both. Place the ball in the centre of your stance, set around 70% of weight on your left side, and pull your left foot back a fraction. The reason you need to set your left foot back is to allow your body to turn through the shot - a perfectly square stance will block your flow through the ball. The big difference between the pitch and chip is in the wrists. For a chip, there is no wrist hinge and you should feel that your bosy remains…

HOW FAR DOES IT GO? 1 If we’re talking about positions, and stopping the swing at certain points, then the takeaway is the movement between the start of the swing and roughly halfway back when the club is parallel to the ground. If you’ve got the club in a reasonable position at the end of the takeaway, it gives the rest of your golf swing a great chance of moving in the correct sequence. COMMON MISTAKES 2 If you start the takeaway by dragging your hands away from the ball (1), it’s likely you’re going to move your hands first on the downswing to try to create some power, causing a poor knock-on effect on the rest of the swing. Some people think they have to get the weight moving first (2).…

THREE STEP DRILL 1 One of the big themes of this article will be the way in which many amateurs instigate the downswing with completely the wrong move – a critical error that will have a detrimental effect on the quality of your ball-striking. A lot of amateurs I see either drive their weight too quickly and too aggressively towards the target or they sit back on their right side – both of these moves will cause big problems with accuracy and strike. Instead, the move should be more gentle and follow a simple sequence, which the following drill will help you groove. Firstly, swing to the top and pause – make sure your weight is set over the inside of your left hip. Then let your hips rotate back a…

THE WIDE STANCE DRILL 1 Power in the golf swing is largely generated from a simple coil of the upper body. The resistance between your upper and lower body at the top of the backswing creates torque that delivers speed through impact. The problem for many amateurs is that as they search for speed, they lose control of their body movement. The next time you’re practising, try making a series of three-quarter swings having set a wider stance than usual. What will immediately become apparent is that with your lower body restricted, your arms and torso begin to work together. You should also be able to feel the power of the coil at the top of your backswing. The chances are this will be a much more efficient action than the…

STAY CENTRED 1 The effective transfer of weight through the swing is one of the ways that pro golfers produce their power. Equally, if you fail to understand where your weight should be throughout the swing, it can have detrimental consequences to your power and consistency. One of the things a lot of amateurs tend to do is confuse effective weight shift for a sway or lean, which sets the golfer in completely the wrong position to initiate the downswing. In order to prevent this from happening you should focus on maintaining your spine angle throughout the swing. You need to stay centred as you wind up the backswing, allowing your weight to transfer to your right side. Your upper body rotates more than your hips, so feel they resist to…

CONTROL DISTANCE 1 The tendency for many when hitting a shot that doesn’t require a full swing is to try and control distance with your swing speed. But you’ll find far more consistency in controlling your distances with the length of the swing you adopt. I recommend you have three different swing lengths; this will give you plenty of options from 100 yards and in. Work on these during your range sessions. You should swing back and follow through to the same length to help find added consistency. CHANGE TRAJECTORY 2 In the same way that controlling distance is relatively straightforward from close range, one simple adjustment to your set-up will change the trajectory of the ball flight. Rather than opening and closing the face, move the ball forward in…

FAULT ▸ You have problems controlling distance on short pitches ▸ You often catch short pitches fat or thin FIX This little half pitch is a real shot-saver, and so it makes sense to work on the technique this summer. Start by setting the ball in the middle of your stance, and then make sure your hands and sternum are slightly ahead of the ball. You don’t want to overdo this because you’ll only end up de-lofting the club and hitting the ball too low, and probably too far. However, setting your hands and sternum ahead of the ball is important to take the bounce off the club for a sweet strike. Finally, don’t forget this is a smaller version of your normal swing and you should use your body…

Playing with confidence from 60-100 yards can give the rest of your game a major boost. By hitting greens and knocking it close from within 100 yards you will take pressure off your chipping and putting. Players looking to break 100 can avoid disaster from this range by hitting the green more consistently. Those trying to break 90 can tighten up their technique in order to leave more realistic birdie opportunities, while anyone wanting to break 80 will improve by dialling in their distance control. The following tips and drills will help golfers looking to achieve any of the above. BREAK 100 KEEP IT SIMPLE For many it will be easy to make improvements in this department by simply improving your set-up. By setting up correctly and producing a descending…

When it comes to Stableford competitions you are still ultimately trying to shoot low scores, but the format means you can approach the round differently to a medal round. This doesn’t mean you should try to hit every shot as hard or as far as possible, but does allow you to be more aggressive with your style of play. Combining good decision making with sound technique will help golfers of all abilities amass more points. Here are my tips for improving the way you think about this format and the ways in which you can gain an advantage over the field. BREAK 100 CHIP AND RUN TECHNIQUE The chip-and-run is the safest shot to play when you have a lot of green between you and the flag, but there is…

NEUTRALISE YOUR SET-UP 1 The traditional way to approach the short game has been to open your stance, then push your weight and hands forward. The benefit of doing it this way is that a steep angle of attack should help you get the clubface on the ball. The problem is that because of the steep angle of attack, the flight is always low and the ball comes off fast, so distance control is hard to find. The club will also have a tendency to dig in through impact. To remedy this, I’d like to suggest a more neutral set-up position. Stand square to the target and set the ball in the middle of your stance with your weight split evenly and your hands over the ball. The angle of attack…

THE TECHNIQUE 1 I see the chip and run as an extension of a putt, so the technique is very simple. Start by positioning the ball in the centre of a relatively narrow stance (left). Split your weight evenly, slightly favouring your left side. Set an athletic posture and let your arms hang naturally down, the club should be an extension of your left arm. For the chip shot your right hand is a passenger, focus on moving the upper body ensuring the backswing and throughswing are of equal length. Avoid hinging the wrist like you would with a pitch and it will help your feel. This will ensure you don’t add any loft through impact, and by simplifying the action, you’re more likely to make sweet strikes. The club should…

GOOD JUDGEMENT 1 When played properly the hybrid chip can prove extremely consistent. If you follow the technical tips on the right you should be able to produce good results time after time. It is important that you practise the basics before attempting the shot during a competitive round. When practising, focus on how far the ball rolls out and how much carry it produces depending on the length of swing. Lie a rake down between you and the hole when practising to help note where the ball lands and rolls out. Play it properly and the ball should carry between 3 and 5ft through the air. TRICKY LIE 2 Through a little bit of practice you will notice that this shot can be used from a variety of lies. The design…

OPEN IT UP 1 Open the clubface and then take your normal grip, but quite high on the handle as you want a fairly long swing despite it only being a short shot. Then shift your body alignment – feet, hips and shoulders – to the left, taking quite a wide stance, and shuffling your feet in a bit for stability. Just how open both clubface and body alignment should be will depend on the texture of the sand, the distance required and so on but, as a broad rule, the ball is going to come out pretty much halfway between where you point the clubface and where you’ve aligned your body. COAX IT OUT 2 A lot of golfers know to open the clubface and align themselves left of target, but…

THE SIMPLE SOLUTION 1 One of the reasons players find this such a hard shot to play is because they unnecessarily complicate things. Using your sand wedge and trying to take less sand is a recipe for disaster – get it slightly wrong and you’ll thin the ball way over the back. So, to hit the ball further, just as with any other shot in the game, simply take more club. In this instance, I’m using the same basic set-up and swing I’d use for a normal splash shot, aiming to strike the sand two inches beneath the ball. However, I’m going to use my 8-iron. This will provide the extra distance I’m looking for without the risk of a thin contact. NEUTRAL SET-UP 2 Golf is a game of distance and…

TRY THE DRIVER FIRST 1 When I’m coaching beginners, in particular, I like to introduce chipping by using the driver. Why? Because when you use the biggest club you’ve got to make the smallest of motions. From there, with every other club you’ve got to make a slightly bigger motion, and making a small motion bigger is easier than making a big motion smaller. A common fault among club golfers is to make swings that are too big. There are two outcomes to this – either they decelerate and the ball goes nowhere, or they go through with it and the ball goes miles too far. When the ball goes too far, people automatically say it’s because of the club, but it’s never that – it’s always because they’ve made too…

WEIGHT SHIFT 1 Weight should be spread roughly 50/50 at address. For all but the shortest of shots, you should move around two thirds to three quarters of your weight on to the right foot at the top of the backswing. The transition down is a gentler move, similar to a sprinter on the blocks when they go to ‘set’, and he lifts his backside into the right position. The hit is then the release as your weight transfers, with 90 per cent moving to the left foot. LEARN FROM OTHER ACTIONS 2 The leg action for skimming stones and hitting full golf shots is surprisingly similar, right from the set-up through to the weight shift. It’s a similar concept in other sports, too, such as javelin throwing. When you watch top…

WHAT IS LAG? 1 Lag is the hidden move in the swing that all powerful hitters have, turning a seemingly smooth and rhythmic movement into impressive distance. It all stems from the angle between the shaft and the left forearm in the downswing. The longer your wrists can maintain this angle, as shown here, the better the lag will be. Just before impact, you’ll notice that my body has almost rotated back to square. However, the club shaft is still behind me. As your wrists release this angle in the final ‘hitting’ motion, you create an injection of clubhead speed just when you need it most. The idea behind this instruction piece is to help you maintain that angle between the club shaft and your left forearm for a little longer…

FEEL THE RESISTANCE 1 Impressive power comes from a sound body movement. If you’re lacking distance then this is the first place to look. A great drill to test whether you’re getting the most from the engine of your swing is to place the shaft of your driver behind your back. Set an alignment stick on the ground marking the middle of your stance (you can use another club for this). The aim is simply to rotate your upper body until the shaft behind your back is parallel to the alignment stick on the ground. You might not have the flexibility to make this happen, but don’t worry, just make as big a turn as you can. Your lower body provides the resistance against which your upper body turns. Hold your…

GRIP & SWISH 1 A good rhythm doesn’t mean swinging slowly throughout the swing. Grip the clubhead upside down and swing the grip end. The idea here is to swing the club to the top of the backswing without making any swoosh sounds. If there is any sign of you taking the club away too quickly you will instantly hear it. As you start the downswing, focus on maintaining your wrist angle right through to waist height. From here, release the wrists and club, making as much ‘swooshing’ as possible. You will instantly feel that extra burst of power just at the right time. KEEP YOUR HEAD ON 2 Place a headcover loosely on your driver and make practice swings back and forth. If you start your downswing before completing the backswing,…

WARMING UP 1 After a few simple stretches, start by making a few slow swings holding two clubs. The extra weight will gently loosen your muscles and help create a smooth rhythm. Now hit a dozen or so wedge shots. This part of the routine is about loosening up and finding a smooth rhythm that stays with you for the day. Importantly, you should take your time here; if you speed up you could sustain an injury. WORK THROUGH THE BAG 2 You should now be ready to hit some full-iron shots. Start with a few 9-irons, then step up to 7-iron and then 5-iron. Once you hit half a dozen 5-iron shots, work through your woods. This gives you a feel for all the key elements of your bag. As you…

SET THE ANGLES 1 If you can prepare and set up correctly then you’re well on your way to being a good chipper. First of all, it’s key that your spine angle and head are set over the ball at address. As I will explain, your hand position is important at address, but it’s almost redundant if your head and spine aren’t in the right position. The incorrect position pictured here might be slightly exaggerated, but many people have a tendency to set up with their spine angle and head positioned behind the ball. This causes issues when it comes to impact and clipping the ball off the turf. You’ll struggle to deliver the club back to the impact position if you aren’t positioned correctly over it to begin with. PRE-SET…

START NEUTRAL 1 Most golfers can hit fantastic shots from difficult positions, but the key is to make sure that those really poor shots don’t creep in. It’s the duffed or thinned chips that kill your score and confidence. Start by setting a more neutral position than you think. Stand only a fraction open to your target and set the ball in the middle of your stance. This way, you’ll be using the bounce of the club through impact. The great news is that with this technique you can catch the ball slightly fat or thin and get away with it! Your margin for error is far greater than with the common technique used in point two (right)… DON’T TRAP IT 2 Many golfers set the ball back in the stance at…

PRACTISE WITHOUT A CLUB 1 It can be a difficult thing to coach chipping feel. The key to success is arm speed. How fast do your arms need to move with the club you’ve chosen? When I’m chipping or pitching, I like to picture a man bowling a ball down the bowling green – his position, the length of his arm movement and how far his follow-through goes. Many people who find it easy to gently lob a ball close to a flag struggle to do so with a golf club in hand, and I think that’s because they use a different train of thought and overcomplicate things. They forget that the body controls the club. It’s all to do with the weight of the arms, and if I’m just lobbing…

START NEUTRAL 1 Traditionally, players have been taught to open both their stance and the face of the club, and then swing across the ball to hit a lob shot. This is a highly technical approach that came into being before the invention of the lob wedge. Now, we have up to 64 degrees of loft to play with so you can take a less dangerous approach. I advocate a neutral stance at set-up – aim your feet square to your target line, split your weight 50/50 and set the ball in the middle of your stance. This is a much less complicated approach – it’s easier to develop and will give you a far greater degree of confidence. SWING AND LOFT 2 As I’ve already said, modern-day lob wedges have more…

SOLID STRIKING 1 A clean strike is imperative. As you think long and hard about the line and weight it’s easy to lose focus on the quality of the contact. Devote some time to this key area as you practise by hitting a few chips off a tee. Peg the ball up so that it sits just off the ground and hit a number of shots. You’ll soon discover just how important the strike is for consistent distance control (you’ll also see just how much spin a good strike generates). Now play another series of shots off the fairway, maintain the same swing tempo and you should notice a better general quality of contact. NARROW YOUR FOCUS 2 Another excellent drill designed to improve your short-range striking is to hit two balls…

HANGING BACK 1 One fault that many amateurs make is to hang back at they strike the ball. This stems from a desire to help the ball into the air but can cause fat and thin shots. If your weight is on the back foot through impact your body rotation will stop and your hands will start to flick the club at the ball. The good news is that this is a common fault with a simple fix. Hit some shots with your right heel lifted off the ground. This will fix your weight more towards your left side. As you play the shot concentrate on rotating your upper body through the ball so that your chest faces the target in the finish. This will help you find a more consistent…

USE THE BOUNCE 1 When it comes to bunker play one of the main differences between many amateurs and professionals is the way that the bounce of the club is used, rather than the leading edge. The bounce of the golf club is the angle that the sole is set at relative to the leading edge. Whether you have lots or little bounce on your wedges, the back edge will always sit lower than the leading edge. When used correctly this will help the club to enter the sand in a way that gets the ball up quickly on a consistent basis. A mistake I see often is that players address the ball with their hands forward, causing forward shaft lean and meaning that the only thing that can make contact…

GET SQUARE 1 Alignment is one area of the game that every top professional regularly checks. You should be doing the same. Start by placing two sticks, or clubs, parallel to each other on the ground. The outer stick points to the target and should mirror the aim of your clubface. The inner stick helps you check that your body is parallel to your clubface alignment. Using this for ten minutes on the range each time you practise is vital for consistency. SHOULDER ALIGNMENT 2 One area of the address position that can easily go wrong, without you even noticing, is your shoulder alignment. Just because your feet and hips are square to the ball-to-target line, doesn’t mean your shoulders are. If they’re in the wrong position, you’ll hit wayward shots.…

FOUNDATIONS OF POWER 1 Resistance in the golf swing is very much linked to power, which in turn stems from stability. It’s similar to the foundations of a house – a stable base allows you to then build upwards. The foundations of a good strong posture and stance at address will put you in a much better position to create torque and resistance between your hips and shoulders in the swing. A solid base will keep your hips firm, allowing your upper body to turn against them. In summary, resistance is the relationship between the hips and shoulders. SEPARATION AND POWER 2 Many golfers make big backswings and look as though they’re going to hit the ball a long way, but the hips and shoulders move back in unison, generating no…

STEEP OR SHALLOW 1 It’s important to understand the influence of the clubhead’s angle of attack coming back into the ball, as it helps dictate ball flight and, therefore, shot outcome. In these photos (above), I’m demonstrating two highly contrasting angles of attack that will create different interactions between clubhead and ball at impact. You’ll notice in the steeper one (left) that the ball is much further back in my stance. And while there’s wrist hinge evident in both shots, it’s much more pronounced in the left-hand photo. This is necessary for the clubhead to descend on a steeper path back into the ball. These two photos clearly highlight just how different the angles of attack can be, and I hope it’s now easier to understand just why they produce such…

WHAT IS THE IMPACT POSITION? 1 What we’re talking about is the area – the hitting area if you like – that passes through impact. During this phase of the swing it’s important to understand how you should be releasing, what you should be releasing, and why. The most important elements are the angles in the wrists and the right elbow, and your forearm rotation through impact, and indeed beyond, as club and ball travel together for a few milliseconds and you can still influence the ball in that split second. COMMON MISTAKES 2 Early release Some people get into a nice position at the top, but release too early, casting the club, letting it overtake the hands and thinning it, topping it or catching the ground behind the ball. Even if…

WEIGHT & ROTATION 1 The two biggest technical keys relate to the position of your weight and the effectiveness of your body rotation. As you drive your weight towards the target through the downswing your right heel will naturally lift. If you get this move right around 80 per cent of your weight will naturally move onto your left side as you finish the swing. Likewise, for an efficient swing that delivers both power and control you need a simple and effective upper-body rotation. In the finish, your chest will naturally complete its rotation by facing the target. COUNT THE STUDS 2 A great way to check that you are using your weight effectively is to get a playing partner to check how many of the studs in your right foot they…

Some things you should never take out on the golf course. You cannot take misery. You cannot take worry. You absolutely cannot take despair. Golf is no place for the emotionally fragile. However bad you feel walking onto the course, you will be a whole lot worse by the time you get off it. Many people, at present, have a great deal to ponder – when don’t they? For someone going through a rough time, withstanding the demands of a sport in which three hours per round consists of thinking time, demands a robust psyche. Easier said than done, of course. However, failing to leave your problems at work or at home may inflict serious damage on your scorecard. For those who may be suffering at present, the mental game…