Hitting my chip shots thin...help?

[dontjokewitme]

A lot of my chip shots are hitting the bottom of the club face and are just rocketing across the green (rather than heading up in the air). I hit my chips with a sand wedge (all I have besides a PW that's not good on chips) and I suspect that part of my issues stem from the bounce of the club. I try to get down and under the ball but my club just doesn't seem to get under it. But then again, it seems that lots of folks chip with a SW as well. And buying another wedge is NOT an option for me.

What could help me hit chips and approaches like I'm supposed to? Am I not hitting down on the ball enough? Do I need to move it back in my stance?

Thanks for your help! My short game is a mess right now.

[CG031]

Here's how I hit my chips, and the short game is by far the best part of my game:
-Weight a little bit forward on my left foot (as a Righty).
-Hands SLIGHTLY forward, not too much though...this will help you strike down on the ball.
-Ball off my back right BIG TOE (trying to be specific here, haha).
-And lastly, but BY FAR most importantly, keep your head down .

Give this a try if you don't already do it. I chip with a 56 degree sand wedge with 14 bounce, so I highly doubt it's the bounce of the club, rather your technique.

Good Luck.

[woodzie264]

dido - weight & hands forward, ball back, head down

[ks8829]

try the following for solid contact:

1) chip like you putt with the shaft vertical and with your putting stroke, ball back in your stance.
2) ball back in your stance, start with the ball behind your back foot so that you will have a decending approach to the ball.
3) hand close to the body and extended to the ground but relaxed
4) forward press with your hands close to the front leg
5) expect the ball to roll
6) practice until you make solid consistent contact and not hitting thin
7) watch the pros on tv
8) watch some instructional videos on the web
9) practice for at least 30 minutes everyday for a month

[schigara]

I forget which online video it was but my chipping got much better when I started looking at the the front of the ball. I also stopped trying to "sweep" the ball with the wedge(52-56-60 degree) doesn't matter. I still contact the ball with a descending blow. My chipping saves me 7-9 strokes per round.

These chips are where a good swing and contact come into play. It's up close and personal and much less forgiving.

[dontjokewitme]

Thanks guys.

Now, should I be playing the ball back in my stance and trying to strike down on it when I am chipping and I have a nice lie on a fairway, as well? Or does that only apply to chipping on the rough?

[BigBoy]

Thanks guys.

I'm not a big advocate of putting the ball back in the stance, I think the weight forward technique is enough of a "cheat" to make sure to hit down on the ball - that being said a lot of people like putting it back there so it obviously works for some -

now, that being said, i think its even more important to hit down on the ball, however you do it, in the fairway as opposed to the rough - in the rough around the greens you'll often have a "fluffy" lie allowing you to get away with more around the greens, making a good downward strike is more important on tight lies on the fairway or a shortly mowed fringe I'll also use this post to recommend Phil Mickelson's "secrets to the short game" DVDs - they are pretty cheap on Amazon. The chipping portion of the DVD is the best part of it - its kept simple and to the point as a disclaimer, I'm obviously not a very good golfer as illustrated by my handicap, but the better players I play with, single digit guys, say that my chipping is more advanced than the rest of my game, and they often want me and my handicap on their teams because of how I get around near the greens

[schigara]

I agree with Bigboys advice and want to add something, as far as ball positioning goes. On a short chip, it may appear as though the ball is far back in the stance but with an open stance and feet closer together but relative to the spine, the ball may actually still be center stance or a half or one ball back of center, relative to the spine. No matter the shot, you don't really want to change the ball position much except when teed up for the driver.

You can strike down on the ball no matter where it is positioned in the stance. Try not to change another variable in this game that doesn't need changing. It's hard enough, as is!

Thanks guys.

[CG031]

Thanks guys.

It depends, really. If you want to get a little more height, I play it center. If I'm bringing it a little lower with spin, back in my stance so I can make sure I strike the ball first.

It really all depends on what kind of shot, to be honest.

[schigara]

Here's something else to ponder, which might not apply to you. My brother in law and playing partner, tops or skulls most of the iron or wedge shots. What he does is, he shifts weight back on the back swing and never shifts weight back forward on the downswing. Because of this flaw in his swing, he has to use a long tee to tee the ball up high for his driver so he does not top it.

The problem translates to every shot except putter. To try to combat this bad habit in his swing, I have had him turn his back foot in. He is a lefty so he turns his left foot inward which inhibits him from shifting weight too much back. Since he started doing this, every club has improved. He is getting under and hitting down on his iron and wedges and has started to tee his driver down to more human levels.

[Zeph]

Use your hips and chest to hit the ball. It will give the clubhead enough weight to come nicely through the ball with a high launch. Could also be you are trying to lift the ball. Don't to that. Let the loft take care of that job. Your job is to let the body turn down and through the ball. Picture the center of the face of the club passing right throughthe ball and further down.