Tips for improving my short game? (chipping, pitching)

I've been playing golf more consistently lately, but the one thing that i am still really bad at is my chipping and pitching. I've gotten to the point I can shoot low-mid 80s, but also will have some rounds where i shoot low to mid 90s if i start flubbing some chips.

last night i played and was hitting my irons and driver really well. on the back 9 i drove a short par 4 (280) and made the putt for eagle, then on the next hole actually stuck it close for birdie on a par 3. I missed the green on the next 2 holes, and bladed a chip over the green OB, then hit the next one fat and flubbed it a few feet. This happens consistently and it drives me nuts. I could have had a really solid round but ended up shooting 86.

I've watched plenty of youtube videos and tried some techniques, but for some reason it must be mental but i just can't do it. I always hesitate before my down swing and am afraid to put too much of a solid strike on it because i'm afraid i'm going to blade it or something. Has anyone struggled with this, and if so, what did you do to get over that?

I found for me the main issues were decelerating on the downswing and the urge to look up when i hit. The 3 things i did to overcome this were

1: focus on a part of the ball such as the logo or a dimple and keep looking until after the ball has gone.

2:i also switched to a Steve Stricker style of pitching which is less wristy and seems safer. Worth youtubing.

3: i chip with my putting stroke and make sure to use enough club, even if that means a hybrid

My short ganme is now decent enough to get me out of trouble

Using the forum's search bar I found these threads

I would also check out Stan Ultey's short game book. I like his concepts on pitching the ball as well.

Hi!

Hi!

First of all, you should probably update your handicap in your profile. If you're shooting low-mid 80's your handicap is quite a bit lower than a 26!

One thing I'd recommend is that you start keeping stats on your rounds so that you can really get to know your game. Our ability to discern statistics from memory is terrible. You can use an app or even a scorecard. Keeping track of GIRs (or near-GIR), and number of chips and putts is probably enough to start. Once you have this, you can really assess how you want to spend your time practicing.

In terms of a pitching and chipping, it may be mental, as you seem to hit your irons well. Chips and pitches can be thought of as "mini-swings". Instead of focusing on different techniques, try to do the same thing you do for your iron swings except make the swings much shorter and perhaps set up with more weight forward than you do on a full swing. It sounds like you may decelerate because you're scared of hitting the ball too far. Practice taking these short swings, but swing aggressively , just like on a regular shot, and get to know how far the ball goes when you take the club back 1-foot, 2-feet, etc.

So as you can see by my handicap I am not very good at golf yet so my advice might be way off. Or it just may not apply to your case.

I also frequently bladed or chunked chip shots and I improved some when I quit using my high lofted wedges and went to my pitching wedge or 8 or 9 depending on how far I wanted to go. I just use the same swing (more or less) and let my club choice decide how far it will go. It made it a lot harder to really blade shots. I still hit some to high on the ball and the results are less than desirable but at least I'm on the green 20 feet from the hole instead of in a bunker on the other side of the green. Since I'm less afraid of smacking the crap out of it, I don't chunk as many shots either. Obviously there are times when you are going to need so more loft to get up onto the green or get over a bunker but I'm not touching those clubs close to the green for a while if I can help it.

On the other hand I can not use my less lofted clubs for pitching. I could land it a foot short of the near side of the green and it will roll of the back side. So I still blade quite a few of those and end up as far from the hole as I started.

I'm pretty new to golf so sorry if you already knew this and use this tactic. It was new to me so maybe if someone else is new this will help. Or I could just be spewing garbage, I'm not really sure.

My SW and LW are set up differently than the rest of my clubs in that to get the sole of the club flat to the ground I have to have my hands more forward at impact (and at address).  If I get my hands forward with these clubs then my problem with hitting them thin goes away.  This might be worth experimenting with.

Yes I have. I've always been a very inconsistent chipper and pitcher of the ball. The main reason for my problems was never learning how to properly utilize the bounce of the wedge. I tried every shot with more or less a square clubface and tried to hit down on the back of the ball. skulls, chunks, shanks you name it I've hit(or missed) it.

I watched Paul Azinger's short game special on the golf academy and tried his technique. Amazing. What I've found particularly "liberating",  as Azinger stated, is that you can hit behind the ball and still end up with a good pitch. You don't have to hit each shot perfect for it to end up OK!!!  His method takes a lot of work(they all do) to get used to but it has worked wonders for me. Good luck!

I've gone to just setting up with an narrow open stance, taking the club back with my arms in the triangle, no big wrist hinge or anything like that, and rotating my hip pocket to the ball as I swing the club in a sweeping motion. The size of the swing varies depending upon the length of the shot.

If I'm hitting that high soft lob shot, that changes things a bit.

Short game was ugly at the start of the season, but it's hitting its groove.

Until skill and confidence develops with wedges near green, try using the 9i.  Go to the practice green with only the 9i and a bucket of balls.  Focus on making each and every shot a good strike, and care less about the outcome.  Slowly you will learn how far the backswing, how open the clubface, how loose the wrists all need to be to achieve a good education around the green.  Unless you are a very fast motor skills learner,  this lesson will takes months, or more.

1. Go to a teaching professional who works well with you.

2. Go back to the beginning. Say, "I've never hit a chip shot before. Teach me how to hit a chip shot." Learn all over again from the ground up so you KNOW every move you're supposed to make and WHY they're the right ones. Take notes!

3. Practice what you learned A LOT.

This is how I changed from being an indifferent chipper into a consistently good one.

Do the same thing for pitching.

+1.

Before I watched the quickie pitching video I didn't know if my pitches were going to land on the green at all.  After watching the video and spending a couple hours practicing, it became a strength of my game.

I am just now trying the chipping with a putting method.  I haven't dialed in my distance control with it, but its incredibly easy to make quality, consistent contact.  I think an hour or two practicing with that will make all the difference.