Chipping: Mikelson says to hinge wrist, Tiger doesn't. What do you do?

I got the Mikelson short game dvd to learn to pitch and chip.

He says all great short game players hinge their wrist on pitching and chipping shots.

He continues to say that people who teach to use a putting motion

(not hinging the wrist) have no idea what they are doing and to find a new instructor!

He says, "that's CRAZY!"

I looked at youtube videos and I see Tiger chipping using the putting stroke and not hinging the wrist.

Is Mikelson wrong?

Being a newer player, which is the better way to play it?

I think it really depends on the length of the chip.  In this video tiger does hinge his wrists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKsaOv5b-Wg

I just got the DVD as well and I am struggling worse then ever with my chipping...I cant seem to get distance control down at all.  I am thinking about going back to the way I use to chip which was horrible but no where near as bad as I am chipping it now.   I am getting extremely frustrated with my chipping though.

I agree that the length of the chip makes the difference between a hinged swing and a putting swing.

That said, I don't think either is wrong. In fact they're both right. Just do what works for you (which is what I'm figuring out), and you'll be happy. I'm trying the Mickelson method now.

I personally think Phil and Tiger are two of the worst players to try to emulate.

Tiger made his money mostly on long aggressive shots that someone with a higher handicap has no business hitting. His short game was solid at times, but i think that had to do more with his mental game then his technique. Outside of his ability to shut out everything mentally and his ability to be almost robotically accurate with long irons and fairway woods, Tiger's technique is not one I think that people should look at.

Similarly Phil operates at his best on pure talent. His swing is remarkably inconsistent for a pro and he constantly gets into places he shouldn't and then uses circus shots that even other pros wouldn't think about attempting to get out. Phil's game is built on talent and imagination which are two things that are awful hard to copy.

That said to answer your question, golf clubs are designed to impact the ball at an angle so a hinged swing should give you more solid crisp contact. However as people have said a putter type stroke can be effective on shorter shots.

I have no trouble using what Phil teaches out on the course. In fact, my best short game season before injuries limited my playing time, was using Phil's short game techniques - pitching and chipping, bunker play. Had amazing results. Keep on watching the DVDs and you learn something new every time.

When I want to keep the ball down a little more on a chip, I use a more traditional technique with less wrist hinge.

Use the technique for the conditions you meet.

(of course, if his techniques aren't working, it might be the grind on your high lofted wedge - find one that works)

Phil is a feel player round the greens, and he is damn good at it,

it takes alot of practise to use your wrists in chiping action, amateur players to

chip like Phil are not there so much, even tour players.

As for tiger he is a mind player, i think he can actualy see the ball go in his mind before

hitting the ball. ( his masters chipinn on 16 th. was a good way to see )

i prefer to not use the wrists, only when i need to by hitting over bunkers or water.

i think the best to do is to hit the bumb and run, it's mutch more consistant in result,

even on off center hits. i even use my rescue club for chipping, of the face this is a little

harder than the putter so you get trough the fringe more easy.

so for me no wrist action on chipping.

good luck

What ever feels best for you, Never play anyone elses game.

I personally use both methods, not because Tiger does it or because Phil does it but because that is how I was taught years ago by my father.

All depends on the lie and length of the shot.

I voted no, but what I do is hinge my wrist so that my hands are ahead of the ball and then lock them in place and make the swing. So when I chip my hands are ahead of the ball at impact.

Phi is same way on chips ... he doesn't really release the hinge .. the hands are ahead of the club

Their is no right or wrong way to chip/pitch since their are so many different approaches to it.

I'm not 100% on this as I have not been able to afford the 500£ lesson from Mark Roe but as far as I gather he someone who dose not advocate wrist hinge. And he has worked with quite a few players.

Mark has and is currently working with Lee Westwood, Nick Dougherty, Paul McGinley, Soren Hansen, Marcel Siem, Ross McGowan, Marc Warren, Ross Fisher, Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn, Steve Webster, Richard Finch and others.

I think its definitely a case of what works for you.

Depends on the length of your chips and what kind of shot you are going to play.  A flop shot is going to take more wrist hinge than a bump and run with a P or 9.

I've played a few times since writing this  and for me (at least for now)

it comes down to the distance and height needed.

For a low, short shot right off the green the putting style was easier.

For a further distance or for loft, the wrist hinge is easier.

I use both methods also. I basically use a putting motion with shots from good lies with an 8 - pw when I want the ball to run out. I let the wrists hing a bit and hold the release from poor lies or when needing more spin using pw to sw. Method 2 also works well for those shots in between chip and pitch distances when it is windy.

I have chipped both ways. Was an average chipper using the putting stroke method. Worked well from decent lies when I wanted to bump and run the ball to the hole. Problem was only 1 out of 2 of my short game shots was from a good lie where I could bump and run. Got the Mikelson DVD and it really transformed my game. Hinge & Hold works well for chips, pitches, good and bad lies. I pretty much hinge & hold everything now. I never thought I'd be one of those guys that flies everything to the hole but just easier for me. My handicap has dropped from a 16.5 to a 12.7 this summer and most of it is due to better short game.

It's completely up to you, as there are benefits and consequences to each.  When you hinge your wrists, you're bringing the club down at a steeper angle, thus causing the ball to go higher.  This can be beneficial when you have to chip over something, or land it softer on the green.  I think that what Tiger does is actually meant for the definition of a chip.  A chip is when the ball spends less time in the air than it does on the ground.  That being said, what Tiger does has a lot more control than you would if you used Mickelson's hinge techniques.  But you also have to consider that Tiger is physically stronger than Mickelson and can generate enough speed and get down far enough into the dirt to get the ball up in the air without hinging his wrists.  So in my opinion it depends on what type of player you think you are, whether you can handle the putting-like approach or would rather "chop" at it in a sense.  I hinge my wrists, always have, just because it feels/felt natural to me when I started playing.

Garrett Dennert