please help me stop these fat pitches (video)

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nickw511

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Hi Guys...I haven't played much lately but trying to get the short game in order practicing at home. I'm capable of mid-low 80's, but these fat shot are killing my will to live. I have tried everything (holding angles, "moving the divot" as per Bobby Clampet, and weight forward...) and a lot of my short shots are fat. The first obvious thing is some mind-game-reverse-psychology because I'm hitting off concrete...but beyond that I hope your EYES can see WHY i'm doing and something for me to change...


The FRONT ON video has 5 chips, #1,3,5 are all fat. #2 was kinda scoopy and #4 was OK i think.
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DOWN THE LINE is 5 different chips and 1-4 were actually good, and 5 was bad.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EEpAKx6kRpY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EEpAKx6kRpY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

I've been around here for a while and have most of Brian's videos. Thanks in advance!!!!!
Nick
 
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niblick1

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When I had my most recent lesson with Brian, he reminded me of just how far left pros are lined up on short pitches. Also, no re-cocking of wrists on follow-through. My pitching was baddddd.
 
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spktho

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It looks a little too inside out with your path to me too(which is the reason for lookingtolearn's suggestion). I would also try putting the ball on the very back edge of your mat to force you to hit the ball first.
 
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potterphd

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Nick, I appreciate you posting this topic as I too occasionally have difficulty with fatted chips and I believe my motion is similar to yours.

Spktho and Jim, would you mind clarifying your comments a bit more? Should the hand path on a chip not be similar to the hand path on a full shot, i.e. trying to avoid popout? Jim, by "too square" do you mean his stance or are you saying his club should open and close more during the shot?

Thanks in advance for the clarification, and Nick thanks again for the topic and allowing my minor threadjack.
 
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softconsult

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What I see is a hands arms dominated motion. Watch the waggle.
It is programming a sort of loose wristy motion. It has the look of
trying to help the ball up into the air. These are really not chips,
they are little pitches.

Watch the sequence of events. On the downswing the arms move
and then hips move through. You are making contact with hands even with the ball.


So I would say setup for chip should have the hands more forward, as
in more shaft lean. Backswing adds more lean through some limited wrist
cock. Then you go down into the ball with the hands ahead creating a little
shaft bend, as in crisp strike. You need to learn to hit it with your pivot, and then, as I think Brian has said,
learn to do the same thing with less pivot.
 
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BIGBALL

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softconsult said:
What I see is a hands arms dominated motion. Watch the waggle.
It is programming a sort of loose wristy motion. It has the look of
trying to help the ball up into the air. These are really not chips,
they are little pitches.

Watch the sequence of events. On the downswing the arms move
and then hips move through. You are making contact with hands even with the ball.


So I would say setup for chip should have the hands more forward, as
in more shaft lean. Backswing adds more lean through some limited wrist
cock. Then you go down into the ball with the hands ahead creating a little
shaft bend, as in crisp strike. You need to learn to hit it with your pivot, and then, as I think Brian has said,
learn to do the same thing with less pivot.
Click to expand...

I agree 100% Steve - for what it's worth! ;) Saw a lot of loose wrist shots. And I do think his stance is a bit too square.
 
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softconsult

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Another thought. How far away is that house in the background?

Fear of thinning one right into your neighbors window could be at
work behind the scenes. Also the fact that those mats have no
give in them could be altering your stroke.
 
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BIGBALL

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Another thought... I assume you probably have taken this into consideration, but just in case you didn't - the matt being raised is putting the ball be above your feet, which will obviously change the hit if not taken into consideration.
 
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spktho

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potterphd said:
Nick, I appreciate you posting this topic as I too occasionally have difficulty with fatted chips and I believe my motion is similar to yours.

Spktho and Jim, would you mind clarifying your comments a bit more? Should the hand path on a chip not be similar to the hand path on a full shot, i.e. trying to avoid popout? Jim, by "too square" do you mean his stance or are you saying his club should open and close more during the shot?

Thanks in advance for the clarification, and Nick thanks again for the topic and allowing my minor threadjack.
Click to expand...

I'm sure Jim will give better insight, but on chips and short pitches I hit them best by opening my stance and making sure the club face is square to the target. Then the hand path is slightly inside, like the start of a normal back swing, and the forward swing follows a similar path back to the ball. With the opened stance, the shot is like a push so the path isn't too much inside out as you hit the ball. Like others have said, you still need to use a small pivot. I try to push into the ground with my right foot/leg as a way to kind of trigger the pivot.

This has worked pretty well for me, but I'm still waiting for Brian's short game video to see if this technique is good.
 
Chip Putterman

Chip Putterman

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You have way too many distractions going on there. Fear of hitting the concrete...fear of hitting house...and fear of neighbors watching. Chip on the grass dammit; it'll grow back. I would suggest using a plane board to help with your takeaway.
 
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nickw511

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Thanks guys for the comments. I think every single one has made one (or many) great points. Definitely need to work with the plane board again, too wristy (darn Phil Mickelson DVD), concrete, ball above feet....and yes, that house is too close and even though I've never hit it -- every time I thin one I cringe...so that's not good. Oh, and probably the one that rang the loudest bell was just "hit it with your pivot". Back to work.
 
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