Aha Moment With Chipping - Holding Wrist Angle

[Hugh Jars]

I had an aha moment with my chipping recently that has turned my striking around - actively holding my wrist angle, or what feels to me like holding the ‘lag’ (if that makes sense?) as opposed to releasing the club into the ball. Getting a greater margin of error, no chunks and seem to be utilising the bounce more. 

Is this something I should be actively trying to introduce into my full swing?

 

[iacas]

No.

[Hugh Jars]

5 minutes ago, iacas said:

No.

This loyal Australian customer thanks you for your thoughtful, kind  response. 👍

 

[iacas]

1 minute ago, Andy Capped said:

This loyal Australian customer thanks you for your thoughtful, kind  response. 👍

 

It was more kind than your 18 posts are "loyal." 😄 I was at a stop light, and I answered your question.

FWIW I'm not a fan of "hold the angle" with chipping, either. It introduces rigidity and reduces touch, flow, feel, athleticism.

[Hugh Jars]

1 minute ago, iacas said:

It was more kind than your 18 posts are "loyal." 😄 I was at a stop light, and I answered your question.

FWIW I'm not a fan of "hold the angle" with chipping, either. It introduces rigidity and reduces touch, flow, feel, athleticism.

18 posts and a copy of your book. Cheers.

[iacas]

Just now, Andy Capped said:

18 posts and a copy of your book. Cheers.

I think you may be in danger of taking things far too seriously. 😄

 

Like with the full swing, the sequencing and motion keep the handle forward enough. Forcing it to stay there with rigid wrists generally doesn't work. And increasing shaft lean reduces bounce, it doesn't add to it or "utilize it more."

[Hugh Jars]

5 minutes ago, iacas said:

I think you may be in danger of taking things far too seriously. 😄

 

Like with the full swing, the sequencing and motion keep the handle forward enough. Forcing it to stay there with rigid wrists generally doesn't work. And increasing shaft lean reduces bounce, it doesn't add to it or "utilize it more."

Thanks. Ive been told I cast the club/early release so I was thinking this might be something to focus on. I’ll be posting some swing videos tomorrow to get people‘s thoughts and advice.

[saevel25]

26 minutes ago, Andy Capped said:

Ive been told I cast the club/early release so I was thinking this might be something to focus on.

Casting, or an early flip is more indication of something going on elsewhere in the swing. Its basically a compensation for you to find the golf ball with the clubhead. This is more talking about the full swing. 

Edited July 15, 2021 by saevel25

[Big Lex]

I've had success with holding the angle.

Unfortunately, I've had an equal amount of failure with holding the angle. 

For as many times as I've held the angle and gotten a nice, crisp, clean contact on a chip, I've gotten fatted ones, boned/skulled ones, and chili-dipped ones. 

Here is what I _think_ can happen if you get really carried away with holding the angle. 

"Holding the angle" also may mean different things and it can be easy to get confused without pictures, but I will try. 

Please, Sand Trap readers, correct me if I am wrong with this. 

If holding the angle means your lead arm wrist is flat or even slightly bowed, a la the Hogan wrist in his book, then this means (I'm pretty sure) your trailing wrist is bent the other way, or cupped. 

This has the net effect of shortening your radius...it makes the distance from your lead arm shoulder to the club head shorter than it would be if your wrists where not held rigid but were allowed, at some point, to fully extend. 

If your brain knows you have shortened the radius, you must induce some other motion to get the club head down to the ball. 

So you begin to dip, or something, to get the club head down. Then, if you happen to fail to hold the angle, you will get a fat shot or a chili dip. Or, if you manage to avoid releasing, but don't dip down far enough, you get a boned/skulled chip. 

There are lots of theories about how to pitch and chip. It _should_ be much easier to pitch and chip than it is to make a full swing, because there is less speed and less overall motion, so connecting solidly with the ball should require less skill and be less prone to error than in a full swing. In other words, most of us should be able to do it. I think it's easier to figure out how to hit pitches and chips solidly if you can feel the club head and you mainly pay attention to that, to rhythm, to maintaining good posture, etc. 

 

[boogielicious]

2 hours ago, Andy Capped said:

Thanks. Ive been told I cast the club/early release so I was thinking this might be something to focus on. I’ll be posting some swing videos tomorrow to get people‘s thoughts and advice.

I know Phil Mickelson says “hinge and hold” but feel isn’t always real. If you do the chip with the correct motion, your body pivot will move the club and you won’t flip. @iacas went through this with @billchao and I in Erie.

1. Think soft arms and slightly firm grip
2. ball at your left heel
3. weight slightly on your front leg
4. slight shaft lean forward (don’t overdo this)
5. Not much wrist hinge in the back swing.
6. Use your body to move the club and pivot around your front leg
7. Follow through, as in don’t stab at it.

It almost feels like I have a little lag when I do this right and the ball should come out high. I have been practicing this a lot since the Erie trip.

Here is one of the COVID practice videos for chipping with a good drill.

Post a video in you My Swing thread if you have one.

[Vinsk]

I can’t comment on the technical side of your post, but I can say I struggle way too much with the ‘holding angle’ idea. I’ve felt that solid feel before and can see how having that feel with a full swing 5i would feel awesome. Every time I try to hit balls with the feel of trail wrist bent back, lead hand straight or slightly bowed, etc…I get riddled with weak pushes, slices and shanks. Even if I swing like 20yd chip I’ll hit a small shank. It’s just so disheartening to be so untalented. My solid hit feels no different than my shank as far was what I focus on or feel.

[ncates00]

I would agree with others who have warned against holding angles. To me, trying to hold onto an angle is contrived and works against the natural force of the club wanting to line up through impact. As others have mentioned, holding onto the angle may also lead to inconsistent face angle, and therefore, inconsistent start lines. 
 

I feel like my contact, and my game, is better when I let the club head go. Generally, I set up with a bit of forward press lean at address with every club except putter and glide/pitch shots, so getting the club to line up through the shot is good, even for chipping.