Short Play Tips Please

[paininthenuts]

I have only been playing 8 months, and whilst certain aspects of my game have improved, my short play is dreadful. My lobbing is so bad, I don't even attempt it now, so I tend to pitch and run using my 8 iron. Sometimes I smash the ball in the face, and it shoots off of the back of the green, and other times I make some useless attempt, only to find it has gone 6 feet. I am going to have a lesson when I get back from my holiday, but until then can I have some tips to ponder over whilst laying by the pool.  Thanks

[divot dave]

try limiting as much movement as possible:

Little to no arm movement

Little to no wrist movement (or hinge)

No head movement

plant your weight on the front foot

Just turn your shoulders (trunk/torso whatever you want to call it) while keeping everything else basically still... Practice that and see if you are able to bottom out your swing at the same spot each time before using a ball... 

Just my 2 cents

[RandallT]

This thread is referred to often. I'm guilty of drifting away from this style of pitch into my own blend of stabbing at the ball and chipping with weight forward, hands forward, etc. Always a good reminder to keep these techniques fresh in mind.

 

[boogielicious]

16 minutes ago, RandallT said:

This thread is referred to often. I'm guilty of drifting away from this style of pitch into my own blend of stabbing at the ball and chipping with weight forward, hands forward, etc. Always a good reminder to keep these techniques fresh in mind.

 

I would also add this method below for situations where you have a clear line to the green. I have holed out with both methods and use them for different situations. The one below is really easy to master.

 

[9wood]

2 hours ago, paininthenuts said:

I have only been playing 8 months, and whilst certain aspects of my game have improved, my short play is dreadful. My lobbing is so bad, I don't even attempt it now, so I tend to pitch and run using my 8 iron. Sometimes I smash the ball in the face, and it shoots off of the back of the green, and other times I make some useless attempt, only to find it has gone 6 feet. I am going to have a lesson when I get back from my holiday, but until then can I have some tips to ponder over whilst laying by the pool.  Thanks

tendency is to pick your head up to see your ball flight, but you'll get much better results if you keep your head down through your swing. Your ball should be descending when you pick your head up. That's what works for me.

[Mop Bucket]

Use a little more shaft lean when you try lobbing it. Remember, even though you are trying to elevate the ball, you still want to make impact on the down stroke.  Whenever I skull a wedge shot, it's usually  because I'm not hitting down enough on the ball, especially if in a tight lie.

[Ernest Jones]

Don't lob the ball (yet). It's difficult and requires a lot of practice. 

Quick fix would be to learn the Chipping with a Putting technique that @boogielicious linked. Dead easy and you can get it to go pretty darn far by swinging faster and/or going to a longer iron. 

Long term fix is to understand what you're trying to accomplish with pitching/lobbing, and that is to engage the bounce and hit it slightly fat with a very shallow attack. The bounce will allow to club to glide along the turf. This takes some practice but once you get it, it's pretty easy to maintain the skill. 

[dave s]

Actually, I think it's kind of good your mention of pitch and run with your 8-iron.  What works best with the longer clubs when chipping is a almost a putting stroke.  Remembering a Johnny Miller video on pitching with 9-6 irons.  His approach is a stroke very similar to his putting stroke.  Three easy practice swings where he's just 'brushing' the turf AHEAD of the ball, then step up and put the same putting stroke on the ball.  It comes out low due to lower loft, and runs out.

If you can hit those 8-iron shots with consistent results, move to your 9-iron, then PW and SW.  Note how far each of the more lofted clubs fly and roll out.  It's really GOOD to be able to pitch and chip with a variety of clubs because there are so many different lies around greens with different access or path to the hole.

Trust me when I tell you I miss a LOT of greens so my short game gets LOTS of practice.  Now that I know how to hit just about every shot around the green you can imagine, my last swing thought before hitting a pitch or chip is, 'get the ball ALL the way to the hole.'  You'd be surprised how many go IN the cup when you get them all the way to the hole.  Those we leave short have a 100% miss rate.  Granted, there are times when snugging a ball up close to a hole leaving an uphill 3 foot or shorter putt is best, but most of the time, getting them all the way to, and a bit past the hole has produced the best results for me.

dave

[nevets88]

What @RandallT and @boogielicious said. And read James Sieckmann's book on the short game.

[Avalanche]

Hit the small ball first.  

 

Unless you're in deep rough, or have a tufty lie.  Then you can use a club with some bounce and hit the big ball first.   

[dchoye]

If you can I think it's better to use imagination and art rather than getting to pigeon hole into technique in the short game.   It's a __(your favorite )___ and run  which I like to visualize a landing spot and run to the hole 

Or it's a shot with enough energy to the pin  visualize stopping at the pin without needing the green to work the ball to the hole 

Edited April 26, 2016 by dchoye

[boogielicious]

4 hours ago, dchoye said:

If you can I think it's better to use imagination and art rather than getting to pigeon hole into technique in the short game.   It's a __(your favorite )___ and run  which I like to visualize a landing spot and run to the hole 

Or it's a shot with enough energy to the pin  visualize stopping at the pin without needing the green to work the ball to the hole 

You use imagination with any technique. I chose the technique that my situation allows. Visualization of the landing area is part of both the pitching and chipping with a putting method techniques. 

[paininthenuts]

Thanks for every ones replies.  I was given a tip yesterday, that I tried out today, and to some degree it worked, albeit I need  a lot more practice. The tip was to concentrate more on the left hand, and pull the club, rather than push it. I managed to put the ball on the green with every chip today using that tip, however I still didn't get very near the hole. Still an improvement though.

[iacas]

20 hours ago, 9wood said:

tendency is to pick your head up to see your ball flight, but you'll get much better results if you keep your head down through your swing. Your ball should be descending when you pick your head up. That's what works for me.

Please don't do this. "Keep your head down" may be the single worst advice for several areas of the game: the full swing, the short game… it's okay for putting, but that may be about it.

[9wood]

3 minutes ago, iacas said:

Please don't do this. "Keep your head down" may be the single worst advice for several areas of the game: the full swing, the short game… it's okay for putting, but that may be about it.

Since it works well for me, it very well may be of help to someone else, and BTW, it was taught to me by someone with a 2 HC

[iacas]

Just now, 9wood said:

Since it works well for me, it very well may be of help to someone else, and BTW, it was taught to me by someone with a 2 HC

Just offering my opinion. It's up to the OP to weigh a 19 handicapper's opinion against mine, I suppose.

"Keeping your head down" limits torso rotation and freedom, which is necessary in many short game shots and the full swing.

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, paininthenuts said:

Thanks for every ones replies.  I was given a tip yesterday, that I tried out today, and to some degree it worked, albeit I need  a lot more practice. The tip was to concentrate more on the left hand, and pull the club, rather than push it. I managed to put the ball on the green with every chip today using that tip, however I still didn't get very near the hole. Still an improvement though.

Good this works. Pulling through feeling might just control your swing speed better.

Also, take a look at the quickie pitching video posted above. That has been pretty invaluable for improving my short game.

 

5 minutes ago, 9wood said:

Since it works well for me, it very well may be of help to someone else, and BTW, it was taught to me by someone with a 2 HC

It's not really good advice, steady head works better and it's not the same thing.

[9wood]

15 minutes ago, iacas said:

Just offering my opinion. It's up to the OP to weigh a 19 handicapper's opinion against mine, I suppose.

 

So you're saying the golfer with the 2 HC that taught it to me opinion doesn't count?

16 minutes ago, Lihu said:

It's not really good advice, steady head works better and it's not the same thing.

I keep my head down and it doesn't move. Is that steady enough?