Has mats/golf simulator given me the chipping shanks?

[Mugs050]

I live in Canada so I have been playing on golf simulators all year. Recently I went down to Las Vegas to play my first outside round of golf of the year. I had been chipping amazing on the simulator and overall playing pretty good. Now I will add this disclaimer that could of added to my chipping shanks:

-I was hung over

-First round of the year nerves

-Playing for big money for myself

-The wedges were huge shovels

Has anyone else experienced this from practicing on matts? I feel they allow you to get through more which could add to getting away with shots. I am worried I have been practising a shank all year.

[dkolo]

I live in Canada so I have been playing on golf simulators all year. Recently I went down to Las Vegas to play my first outside round of golf of the year. I had been chipping amazing on the simulator and overall playing pretty good. Now I will add this disclaimer that could of added to my chipping shanks: -I was hung over -First round of the year nerves -Playing for big money for myself -The wedges were huge shovels Has anyone else experienced this from practicing on matts? I feel they allow you to get through more which could add to getting away with shots. I am worried I have been practising a shank all year.

Could give you a case of the fatsies, but shanks would be weird. You're pushing path to the right too much somehow. If it sticks around, try the putting chip method. Pretty idiot proof with respect to shanks.

[Golfingdad]

Could give you a case of the fatsies, but shanks would be weird. You're pushing path to the right too much somehow. If it sticks around, try the putting chip method. Pretty idiot proof with respect to shanks.

Agreed. Mats can somewhat mask fat shots but that's pretty much it. If you're hitting the ball off the hosel on a mat then you're hitting off the hosel on grass too.

[Nosevi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkolo

Could give you a case of the fatsies, but shanks would be weird. You're pushing path to the right too much somehow. If it sticks around, try the putting chip method. Pretty idiot proof with respect to shanks.

Agreed. Mats can somewhat mask fat shots but that's pretty much it. If you're hitting the ball off the hosel on a mat then you're hitting off the hosel on grass too.

Agree with both of the above. I've hit a lot off mats over the winter and it's not hurt my chipping and small pitches, in fact quite the opposite. A mat is just like a tight lie, I actually feel a slight mat then ball contact off a mat more than I do off turf, especially off a decent mat. You might get away with it but you know when you've done it. A good mat will also kill the spin you get around the green on shorter shots in exactly the same way as a poor strike off turf.

These are both hit off a mat with the same club for a small 20 yard pitch. This one was a bit of a flippy one which bottomed out before the ball and caught the mat first (deliberately :) ) giving less than 3000rpm backspin.

This was a proper strike, catching the ball cleanly and giving over 7100 rpm backspin so at that ball speed it will skip and stop:

Hitting off mats with launch monitors will give you all the info about how you're striking the ball so you can use them to good effect when practising, you just need to get used to reading what they're telling you.

I think the hang over probably had more to do with it than the mat :)

[Fourputt]

I live in Canada so I have been playing on golf simulators all year. Recently I went down to Las Vegas to play my first outside round of golf of the year. I had been chipping amazing on the simulator and overall playing pretty good. Now I will add this disclaimer that could of added to my chipping shanks:

-I was hung over

-First round of the year nerves

-Playing for big money for myself

-The wedges were huge shovels

Has anyone else experienced this from practicing on matts? I feel they allow you to get through more which could add to getting away with shots. I am worried I have been practising a shank all year.

I never play mats or simulators, and I get the chipping/pitching shanks at times.  It's technique, not surface being played from.  Seems like about once each round I can either shank a chip or hit so close to the hosel that it's a miracle that it isn't a shank.  I haven't figured out exactly why it happens, but as long as I keep my focus on making a proper stroke, it doesn't happen.  It's only when I get quick or lose my focus a bit that I do it.  I know that if I let my right elbow wander too much that a shank is more likely.

[Mugs050]

Thanks all. I figured I was just tight and a little out of it. I played better towards the end but my chipping was horrendous. The shanks early on messed with my mind so I was hitting them long after that.

My main concern which you guys put me at ease with was I was developing a shank like swing from the simulator.

[dkolo]

Thanks all. I figured I was just tight and a little out of it. I played better towards the end but my chipping was horrendous. The shanks early on messed with my mind so I was hitting them long after that.

My main concern which you guys put me at ease with was I was developing a shank like swing from the simulator.

Haha, you and the fella in your profile picture have a lot in common on the short game side apparently.

Like with him, it's a relatively easy fix that's part confidence and part developing a reliable technique.

Review this thread. It's a method I've been practicing all winter and I use it with in certain situations. I also use it as my go-to when things are going badly with my regular technique (a variant of the Mickelson hinge and hold). Like I said earlier, it's pretty idiot proof and the nature of using a putting stroke is that the hosel never comes into play.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/70998/chipping-with-a-putting-method

[tefunk]

I have a mat and net set up in my house that I hit off all the time. For chips, half swings, working on alignment, posture, takeaway, and working on making solid contact... It's great. I don't see any difference from normal clean lie shots out on the course. The big downfall is on the full swings. I have a tendency to pull and/or hook, so even though I typically know when I'm doing it, sometimes I don't notice it when I don't see the feedback from ball flight.