short game nightmares

Hello everyone i am newbee to this so please forgive if this is an old topic. I love my Golf but like everyone i expect, it also frustrates the hell out of me . My friends comment that from 150 yards out i can usually get on the dancefloor but as soon as i have to hit it from say 20 yards or so i go into complete panic mode and unless i can actually putt it i havent a clue what to do .I have had a couple of lessons on my shortgame and know what i am supposed to do but when it comes to it i just collapse and thin it fat it hit it into a bunker or move the ball about 5 inches . I even on occasion hit the ball twice in the same swing , what is that all about .Anyway i just wondered if it was just me and if anyone has any suggestions to help my short game woes , hope i havent waffled on to much.

Regards Bear

I used to have problems thinning and fatting my chips, things that I concentrate on to make better contact is, putting the shaft more forward at set up to get hands infront of the ball, open the stance slightly and make sure you turn your body through the ball at impact (probably the thing I don't do when I do get bad contact), and this one is just me but I used to have quite a steep backswing so sometimes I work on keeping the club close to the ground on the backswing for as long as I can, almost feel like I am dragging it along the ground.

Couple of things I would change there are your open stance and your turn through the ball.  I always teach my students that if there are fewer moving parts in your golf swing, the fewer chances for mistakes to be made.

I'm assuming you're chipping if you're "keeping the club close low to ground on the backswing."  Perhaps try having a more square stance.  It can be open, but just a touch.  Also, get the majority of your weight planted on your left side (assuming you're a righty).  Leave the weight there for the entire shot.  There doesn't need to be weight transfer for a short shot like this.  Make sure you hit down on the ball at impact.  It will help with ball contact.  And finally, don't get stressed over the shot.  Just relax and pull the trigger.

Many thanks for the advice,i will try this out as soon as i can get back out ,weather bad here at the moment, supposed to be summer.Played a lovely course a couple of weeks ago and we said how nice it would be to play it in the summer then realised it was the summer .I am off on a cruise round the Fyords in a couple of weeks and the ship has a simulator on board so i can still get my golf fix while away.

cheers bear44

I had the same problem that you did and have worked pretty hard to fix it recently.

And now that I can pitch up close to the hole my scores are dropping considerably, from +29's to +13's (I am improving in other areas as well).

Some things that I focus on:

-Actually focus on the ball, I know this sounds weird but many times I have hit a poor shot and realized I wasn't actually focusing on the ball.

-Starting with my hands in front of the ball and not hinging my wrists until halfway through my backswing, for many short pitches this means never.

-Driving the clubface down through the ball, focusing on hitting down through the ball seemed to eliminate fat and thin shots for me

-Sliding my hips forward.  This helps make hitting down more effective.

For chipping and real short pitch shots I move the ball to the back of my stance if I am struggling with hitting it fat, that makes it much easier to make solid contact.

These are just what work for me, I'm no expert for sure but maybe one of these tips will help your game.

Here's one Bunker play video that made sense to me. When he shows you the mistakes most people make, it seemed to click with me.

I found when I follow his advice, making sure the ball position is forward in my stance and swing along your body line, I hit some pretty good bunker shots.

Chipping/Pitching: To make sure you accelerate through impact, think of the hands of a clock. If you're right handed, take the club back to 7 oclock, you must go to at LEAST 5 oclock on the forward swing. If you go to 8 oclock, you must go through to at LEAST 4 oclock. Same with 9 to 3, 10 to 2, 11 to 1......This should ensure you don't quit at the ball.

Also with chipping: a firm lead wrist with a steady head/body should ensure you don't chilidip anything.

Good luck.