Duff Chips

[mc0388]

Well, I was at the practice green today and had mixed results. I tried a couple different things, but what gave me most success was the setup I outlined above. Feet close, ball back in stance, weight forward a little, hands forward to deloft the club. I was making good contact maybe 8/10 times, but those two mishits were the dribblers that barely leave the clubface.

I like this set up because it quiets the hips. On the duffed shots, are your wrists breaking early on the downswing?

[wubskis]

I like this set up because it quiets the hips. On the duffed shots, are your wrists breaking early on the downswing?

I couldn't honestly say. My stroke is somewhere between Mickelson's "cock the wrists then lock them and swing" and all arms. I've got a little wrist cocking going on during the backswing, then I hold that throughout the downswing. I don't release my wrists on the downswing, they stay locked.

Is this the problem? I hope not, this seems dumb

[mc0388]

I couldn't honestly say. My stroke is somewhere between Mickelson's "cock the wrists then lock them and swing" and all arms. I've got a little wrist cocking going on during the backswing, then I hold that throughout the downswing. I don't release my wrists on the downswing, they stay locked.

No, as someone mentioned above the wrists should stay firm. I duff the ball sometimes and usually it is lack of focus and sometimes (rarely) Ill swing with my wrists (not sure why I do this) and have the same duffed shot. That's why I asked

[wubskis]

No, as someone mentioned above the wrists should stay firm. I duff the ball sometimes and usually it is lack of focus and sometimes (rarely) Ill swing with my wrists (not sure why I do this) and have the same duffed shot. That's why I asked

Right, fair enough. I've got it instilled not to be wrist-y with my chips, so I don't think that's the problem. Like I said, I'll get someone to tag along to the chipping green so I can have a bystander to tell me if I do something drastically different during my duffed chips.

But hey, it's good to hear it sounds like I've got the principles right!

[mc0388]

Right, fair enough. I've got it instilled not to be wrist-y with my chips, so I don't think that's the problem. Like I said, I'll get someone to tag along to the chipping green so I can have a bystander to tell me if I do something drastically different during my duffed chips.

Good luck with it

[Zeph]

A problem with cocking the wrists too much is that you have to release them to get the club down on the ball. The alternative would be to have the arms parallell to the ground at impact. Forward press and hands in front of the ball at address takes care of the cocked wrists. From there you keep them locked.

[golfdad]

A problem with cocking the wrists too much is that you have to release them to get the club down on the ball. The alternative would be to have the arms parallell to the ground at impact. Forward press and hands in front of the ball at address takes care of the cocked wrists. From there you keep them locked.

i think on cocking the wrists,,,it depends. for low loft clubs, it is more or less like putting, so mim wrist involvement. but for sandwedge etc, may need to cock the wrist to get the best approach angle. either case, however, i dont think the thought of releasing the club should enter the mind. there should be no wrist action at all on the downswing,,,the left wrist bows out all the way. michelson comes to mind with his finish.

can chipping be done with "some" wrist involvement? sure. however, a chip without wrist and one with wrist may land on the same spot, but roll differently, because of different backspin, to a different final destination. problem with wrist action is that every time the wrist action may be different, so it is very difficult to control distance and productivity with practice is low because the tech is not reliable. without wrist, life is much simpler.