A few good chipping videos

There are a lot of  ‘golf lessons’ on youtube,  although most of them are not particularly useful.  There are exceptions however.  This post offers a selection of chipping lessons and drills that should help you improve your short game.

Short Chip with a sandwedge:

To provide a quick summary of what he said:

1 Make sure the ball lines up to the back of your stance. This will encourage a downward blow, sending the ball into the air with a good measure of back spin.

2 Keep your stance open. This will clear your hips and allow your shoulders to guide the chip.

3 Maintain a straight wrist, similar to a putting stroke. This will minimize hand action leading to good contact. e.

PS- He forgets to mention that you must keep your hands forward . Notice how he actually moves his hands about two inches forward before he starts the backswing.  This will further encourage a descending blow, and help prevent fat and thin shots by keeping the club face square.

Straight left Wrist Video

The following video is very short, but it really emphasizes the importance of keeping the left wrist straight.

A really good Drill:

This video presents a really good chipping drill. It is very simple, very easy to setup, and it will drastically improve your feel.  I apologize for the advertising but what can you do.

So there you have it. I will continue the search for good quality videos, especially for short game, but I hope this does for now.

Don’t let your game get Moldy

One of my worst habits is leaving empty banana peels in my bedroom dustbin. Because I don’t often eat in my room, I seldom have to empty this dustbin. This means that after about three weeks I’m treated to what looks like a massive green spider web erupting from bin, and with the smell to match this splendid  home for excessive mold. Fortunately, it doesn’t have any major consequences. The mold basically stems from an act of neglect on my part. In many ways, leaving your golf game for several weeks at a time will also lead to the production of mass quantities of mold.  Golfing mold feasts off your short game first, then it preys on your drives and then all of a sudden you’re struggling to strike an 8 iron.

Don’t let this happen to you. Take a look at this picture of neglected teeth.

Moldy moldy moldy

Do you really want your golf game to demonstrate the effects of neglect?

Praticing at Home

A lot of golfers don’t practice enough. In most cases the range is either too far,  too expensive, or simply too inconvenient to get to.  The solution to this problem is very simple…Build a practice range in your back garden.

A simple and affordable solution

Three good reasons to buy a practice net:

1 You can unleash your driver without going to the range (or killing anybody)

2 You can find some really cheap practice nets that work perfectly well

3 You can work on your swing whenever you like

Of course setting up a  practice net doesn’t mean you can forget your short game.  To work on your short game at home I suggest purchasing a chipping net or simply using a circular object that can be aimed at. I personally use an upside down dustbin (trash can) lid.

Chipping Practice is essential for lowering your handicap

Finally, a putting mat is also a good buy if you want to take your game to the next level. If you are really skint then a carpet should suffice, provided you have something to aim for like a peg or a box of matches.

Putting practice: the most under-rated way to a better game

To take your game to the next level, you have to take advantage of your home space. Tiger used to spend hours chipping in his living room, and almost every professional golfer lives on a golf course or has a personal driving range built into their back garden (their gardens are that big). Obviously not everyone can be so lucky, but there is no excuse not to use your garden as a practice facility. Practicing at home will improve your game and lower your handicap, making the game a lot more enjoyable to play.

PS-Make sure you practice putting. It is the easiest part of your game to improve and can take off anything between 1 and 5 shots in an average round.