Coming up on chip shots

[Sammydreep]

Since returning to playing I’ve developed an awful bad habit of either looking up on chip shots, and occasionally coming up and out of pitch shots.

Its now manifesting itself into almost any trouble shot I have , rough , trees etc, I want to have a ‘look’.

It turned todays round into an 81, when with a decent short game I could have been 2 or 3 over.

Any suggestions on how to distract myself from this, obviously telling myself to try & stay down is not working.

[boogielicious]

7 hours ago, Sammydreep said:

Since returning to playing I’ve developed an awful bad habit of either looking up on chip shots, and occasionally coming up and out of pitch shots.

Its now manifesting itself into almost any trouble shot I have , rough , trees etc, I want to have a ‘look’.

It turned todays round into an 81, when with a decent short game I could have been 2 or 3 over.

Any suggestions on how to distract myself from this, obviously telling myself to try & stay down is not working.

I focus on watching the club head make contract and trusting my swing and aim. Just practice it that way.

[WillieT]

1 hour ago, boogielicious said:

I focus on watching the club head make contract and trusting my swing and aim. Just practice it that way.

That's how I work on it.  Look at where I want the ball to to, what to avoid (water/trees/sand/rough) and then see the flight in my mind and trust the swing by focusing on the impact of the club with the ball. This is my practice routine with chips/pitches in the back yard almost daily.  Kind of the See It, Feel It, Trust It theme I read about in the book Seven Days in Utopia.  

[criley4way]

Have you tried chipping a penny?

[Sammydreep]

7 hours ago, boogielicious said:

I focus on watching the club head make contract and trusting my swing and aim. Just practice it that way.

Thanks for reminding me of that. I was practicing a while back & saying it to myself as I made contact , but then forgot about it.

Where in Boston are you? Our son lives in Belmont, a 5 minute walk from Fresh Pond golf course, I usually manage a game or two when we visit in your summer.

4 hours ago, criley4way said:

Have you tried chipping a penny?

No , I haven’t. Practicing is normally ok, its only when I play, so I guess it’s some sort of performance anxiety.

[boogielicious]

38 minutes ago, Sammydreep said:

Where in Boston are you? Our son lives in Belmont, a 5 minute walk from Fresh Pond golf course, I usually manage a game or two when we visit in your summer.

Woburn, but in the summer I am usually in Rhode Island. I haven't played Fresh Pond, but may try it this year.

[criley4way]

3 hours ago, Sammydreep said:

Thanks for reminding me of that. I was practicing a while back & saying it to myself as I made contact , but then forgot about it.

Where in Boston are you? Our son lives in Belmont, a 5 minute walk from Fresh Pond golf course, I usually manage a game or two when we visit in your summer.

No , I haven’t. Practicing is normally ok, its only when I play, so I guess it’s some sort of performance anxiety.

That changes the equation. If you have the technique to do it correctly all the time in practice then there is something causing you to change your process and execution.How often do you practice with 1 ball, putting out and keeping score?

Does this happen all the time or is it more frequent when the stakes are raised?

[Sammydreep]

51 minutes ago, criley4way said:

That changes the equation. If you have the technique to do it correctly all the time in practice then there is something causing you to change your process and execution.How often do you practice with 1 ball, putting out and keeping score?

Does this happen all the time or is it more frequent when the stakes are raised?

I hardly ever practice with one ball.

I have tennis /tear in my elbow ,so I limit practice to mostly short game so as not to aggravate it too much, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to play as often.

It happens occasionally when practicing , but if I remind myself to stay down I’ll do it, unfortunately that’s not the case when I play.

When I played previously it was one of the strongest parts of my game, I am / was a reasonable ball striker, but I’d nearly always chip to kickin distance.

I remember walking off the 18th one day, and my playing partner said

” Do you realise you just got up and down every hole this nine?

’

Sorry , re stakes raised , not really, I only normally play with the midweek guys.

[criley4way]

13 hours ago, Sammydreep said:

I hardly ever practice with one ball.

I have tennis /tear in my elbow ,so I limit practice to mostly short game so as not to aggravate it too much, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to play as often.

It happens occasionally when practicing , but if I remind myself to stay down I’ll do it, unfortunately that’s not the case when I play.

When I played previously it was one of the strongest parts of my game, I am / was a reasonable ball striker, but I’d nearly always chip to kickin distance.

I remember walking off the 18th one day, and my playing partner said

” Do you realise you just got up and down every hole this nine?

’

Sorry , re stakes raised , not really, I only normally play with the midweek guys.

Try the short game practice with 1 ball, move every time and putt out. Also give yourself some pressure, say getting up and down 5 times in a row before you quit. Also try getting up and down then walking around for a minute so there is no rhythm. 
 

I other words practice like you play. You aren’t creating enough tension/pressure in practice so that you become accustomed to it so play feels different and you respond differently. We did the same thing training for fights. Create stress during training so the real event feels normal.

[Casualgolfer]

Usually when I "come up" on a chip or pitch shot I didn't fully commit to the shot. This makes me decelerate and lift up into the shot catching it thin. When I commit to the shot fully, I will accelerate through and make a good turn which always produces better results. 

[ncates00]

On 1/28/2020 at 11:20 PM, Sammydreep said:

Since returning to playing I’ve developed an awful bad habit of either looking up on chip shots, and occasionally coming up and out of pitch shots.

Its now manifesting itself into almost any trouble shot I have , rough , trees etc, I want to have a ‘look’.

It turned todays round into an 81, when with a decent short game I could have been 2 or 3 over.

Any suggestions on how to distract myself from this, obviously telling myself to try & stay down is not working.

You're probably taking too long of a backswing, slowing way down on the downswing, and looking up to see where you're going to have to play your next shot because you didn't execute this pitch/chip correctly. 

I don't really see coming up as a problem.  Stenson and Sorenstam and others are barely, if at all, even looking at the ball when they hit it.  Do you look at the football when you toss it to another person?  Do you look at the basketball when you shoot it at the goal?  We might see it through our periphery, but we don't concentrate on it.  That said, this is likely a technique issue--take a much shorter backswing and try to keep the swing speed the same back and through on pitch shots; pretty sure I read that on pitching there's not much acceleration and with putting no acceleration at all.

[Patch]

I might suggest if the OP putts well, without looking up, then perhaps giving Paul Runyon's chip/putt stroke a look see. (See You Tube)

It's easy too learn to chip, since the golfer already has their putting stroke down pat. Both strokes are essentially the same. 

From my expirience using it, distance control, and accuracy are much better than with the conventional chip stroke.

Just a thought. 

 

 

[Sammydreep]

6 hours ago, criley4way said:

Try the short game practice with 1 ball, move every time and putt out. Also give yourself some pressure, say getting up and down 5 times in a row before you quit. Also try getting up and down then walking around for a minute so there is no rhythm. 
 

I other words practice like you play. You aren’t creating enough tension/pressure in practice so that you become accustomed to it so play feels different and you respond differently. We did the same thing training for fights. Create stress during training so the real event feels normal.

That’s an excellent idea that I will put into ‘practice’, thank you.

6 hours ago, Casualgolfer said:

Usually when I "come up" on a chip or pitch shot I didn't fully commit to the shot. This makes me decelerate and lift up into the shot catching it thin. When I commit to the shot fully, I will accelerate through and make a good turn which always produces better results. 

I think you’ve hit the nail right on the head, I’ve since discovered that occasionally I quit on it a bit. I thought it was because I was coming up but its more a lack of acceleration at contact.

4 hours ago, ncates00 said:

You're probably taking too long of a backswing, slowing way down on the downswing, and looking up to see where you're going to have to play your next shot because you didn't execute this pitch/chip correctly. 

I don't really see coming up as a problem.  Stenson and Sorenstam and others are barely, if at all, even looking at the ball when they hit it.  Do you look at the football when you toss it to another person?  Do you look at the basketball when you shoot it at the goal?  We might see it through our periphery, but we don't concentrate on it.  That said, this is likely a technique issue--take a much shorter backswing and try to keep the swing speed the same back and through on pitch shots; pretty sure I read that on pitching there's not much acceleration and with putting no acceleration at all.

Thanks, I have a fairly short backswing on chips , but you are correct re the lack of acceleration, I think that’s the most likely cause.

[Sammydreep]

18 minutes ago, Patch said:

I might suggest if the OP putts well, without looking up, then perhaps giving Paul Runyon's chip/putt stroke a look see. (See You Tube)

It's easy too learn to chip, since the golfer already has their putting stroke down pat. Both strokes are essentially the same. 

From my expirience using it, distance control, and accuracy are much better than with the conventional chip stroke.

Just a thought. 

 

 

Thanks , I’ll try and find that, putting is the most improved part of my game .

When I first started playing again it was awful , a couple of games I had 38/39 putts!

I changed to the pencil? Grip , ( basically taking the right hand out of the equation, two fingers on the shaft) and I now feel confident with the putter in my hand.

 

[Killa]

12 hours ago, Sammydreep said:

Thanks , I’ll try and find that, putting is the most improved part of my game .

When I first started playing again it was awful , a couple of games I had 38/39 putts!

I changed to the pencil? Grip , ( basically taking the right hand out of the equation, two fingers on the shaft) and I now feel confident with the putter in my hand.

 

I don’t think you’ll be able to chip with a putting stroke using the pencil/claw grip though. 

[uitar9]

Had a chipping problem a while back, chunking those shots 10-15 feet from the green. Usually make 8 out of 10. I was chunking everything.

Went to the range and realized I had the ball to far forward in my stance. Just forgot.

I have to constantly remember those little things.

[cooke119]

On 1/30/2020 at 7:38 AM, Casualgolfer said:

Usually when I "come up" on a chip or pitch shot I didn't fully commit to the shot. This makes me decelerate and lift up into the shot catching it thin. When I commit to the shot fully, I will accelerate through and make a good turn which always produces better results. 

My problem exactly, I can feel when I didn't commit to the shot, usually because I feel timid about the shot, i.e., I feel like I will hit it long so I don't fully commit to the shot. Have to learn to trust myself more. A nice pitch or chip shot over a trap is a great feeling.