Hitting the Ball thin when chipping or pitching

Dsantor · May 28, 2008

I have been sculling or hitting the ball thin almost every time I chip or pitch within 50 yards. Even when I am only 10 yards of the green. I open my stance a little and I'm putting most of my weight on my left side (right handed ) and play the ball in the middle. I start my swing with a little forward press and then I try to keep my wrists out of the swing when I chip or pitch. Does anyone have any drills or know why I am sculling them?

CBass1724 · May 28, 2008

I always try to make sure I swing down on the ball and make contact with the ball on my downswing. I would try to put the ball back in your stance further because it sounds like you are making contact with the ball on your upswing.

I'm sure more knowledgable people out there might have some better advice but this is what works for me.

**DavidFehertysBike** · May 28, 2008

I find its easier to chunk or thin a chip or pitch the farther the ball is back in your stance..i play most of my chips and pitches in the middle or even torwards the left heel a little.

**Razorhog** · May 28, 2008

So we have one comment stating to try moving the ball back in your stance, and one saying to try moving it up in your stance...
Since you said you play it in the middle, I vote for moving it back.

Dsantor · May 28, 2008

The more I move it up in my stance the worse it got. It makes sense to move it back a little to make sure that I hit down on it.

**DavidFehertysBike** · May 28, 2008

Different strokes for different folks!

**JaY_B** · May 28, 2008

My only assumption would be that your back swing is too long for the shot(swinging too far back) and as a result you are decelerating through impact.

A nice, short and firm pitching action will help you strike the ball well.

**Richie3Jack** · May 28, 2008

A few things chips and short pitches.:

1. Open your stance.
2. Play the ball off your back foot.
3. With chip shots, you want 'dead' hands. There's no real wrist cock going back and the hands should be firm going through the ball.

Usually amateurs who have problems hitting it thin start at address. They won't open their stance, so their hips can't clear thru on the downswing and that forces their hands to flip through the ball instead of their wrist, particularly the left wrist, remaining firm through impact. And to compound matters, they usually play the ball too far forward.

3JACK

**iWALK18** · May 28, 2008

I vote for "move it back of center"

But also your legs should stay constant, meaning if you are standing up when you are about to hit the ball you will skull it. Concentrate on keeping your knees from bending or straightening at all throughout your swing.

**barrycuda** · May 28, 2008

get the majority of your weight on the front foot.

**itzzzberny** · May 28, 2008

what helps me is to remember:
-don't dig for the ball
-don't stand up for the ball

to make good contact my body should be the same distance from the ball as it was at address. don't reach down and don't straighten up.

think pendulum.

i put my low irons and wedges in the middle of my stance, unless the lie requires a change. with my weight more on my target side foot through out the swing

Lee_M · May 29, 2008

Round the green try focusing on keeping your hands ahead of the ball through impact. This should ensure a crisp contact and it's critical to accelerate through the shot and not quit on it.

**DaveLeeNC** · May 30, 2008

In my experience thin chip shots happen when my stroke becomes an arms only motion. Your body needs to move with your arms (or better still - your arms follow your body). The hands must definitely take a passive role, but (again in my experience) even dead hands will yield "the thins" with an excessively armsey stroke.

dave

**trjohnson2** · May 30, 2008

Anoter vote for moving back in the stance. And something really stupid that people tend to do is look to admire the shot before hitting it. Try holding your head down on the ball spot for a two count after hitting the ball and see if that may help.

**Franco!** · May 30, 2008

You might be getting quick in the transition.

**Avid Golfer** · May 30, 2008

I have been sculling or hitting the ball thin almost every time I chip or pitch within 50 yards. Even when I am only 10 yards of the green. I open my stance a little and I'm putting most of my weight on my left side (right handed ) and play the ball in the middle. I start my swing with a little forward press and then I try to keep my wrists out of the swing when I chip or pitch. Does anyone have any drills or know why I am sculling them?

From the discription there are a number of areas related to the setup that could be causing your problem. First off you don't need your stance very far open (if at all). Both Ernie Els and Nick Faldo have talked about how they often see players who are too open at address. You don't want to be so far open that it drags (or pulls) your arms or shoulders forward. Also putting too much weight on the front foot can be the cause of thin shots as well. You didn't mention how wide your stance is (which would alter where your swing bottoms out). I recommend keeping your feet realtively close to one another when you chip (you may even want to have them practically touching one another). I also don't recommend forward pressing your hands beyond your front leg. If you look at good pros when they chip you will see their feet close together, and their hands in line with their front leg.

Here are some old pictures of Nick Faldo as an example: http://www.whatgolf.co.uk/golfintern...ldo_10x09.html Look at the images of Greg Norman in the links below as well: http://www.shark.com/sharkwatch/inst...n/lesson37.php http://www.shark.com/sharkwatch/inst...n/lesson39.php http://www.shark.com/sharkwatch/inst...n/lesson41.php

**Avid Golfer** · May 30, 2008

I have been sculling or hitting the ball thin almost every time I chip or pitch within 50 yards. Even when I am only 10 yards of the green.

Here is a video clip you might find useful. At about 28 seconds in it shows Ernie Els hitting practice chip shots, and even though its not an ideal angle you should be able to tell: he doesn't have his weight excessively forward, he doesn't have his hands forward pressed past his leg, his feet are close togther (making ball position easier to repeat). It can also give you a good visual for the tempo of the shot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvHSpWylX80

**wachesawgolfer** · May 30, 2008

Thin chips can also be that your scooping the ball, trying to lift it with your wrists breaking. Hit down on the ball and swing the grip back and through as one unit, dead hands, using the body and shoulder turn. To me it makes little difference where I play the ball. If I want it lower, I move it back and higher, move it forward, but there is no one correct ball position. My weight is on my left foot.

When I hit a chip/pitch thin, I got too fast on the takeaway, meaning was tempo was bad. A chip is just a "one" back and "two" through tempo and you should see the steady motion of the clubhead back and through.

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Hitting the Ball thin when chipping or pitching

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