Chipping and Pitching

[LDGolf]

Hi Guys,

Have a problem with my chipping and pitching.

I am slightly pulling them both, and when they land they actually have hook spin, i.e. they land and you can see them spin to the left.

What are the likely causes ?

 

[aaron_lohan]

The simplest answer would be that your clubface is closing through impact.

 

[DCgolf]

Do you draw it on full shots? Could be a simple grip problem. Strong grips have trouble flighting pitches. I've seen guys weaken their short game grip which helped this.

 

[LDGolf]

Hi DCGolf,

Yes hit a draw as my stock shot.

Will try a weaker grip with the short game. Thanks.

 

[dannyc]

lie angles too upright?

 

[bgoodyear]

This happens to me while chipping when my left hand has snuck around too far to the right. And also when I play the ball too far forward in my stance without adjusting the swing to hold the face open.

Either way its comes out low and left. I notice it more when I hit longer chips that require a bit more pop and release.

 

[spktho]

I was going to post something on this as well. I was having trouble making good contact on short pitches and chips. So I tried to incorporate the tumble in the chips and pitches. What I found worked best was to keep the club head outside the hands on the backswing, then for the downswing just drop the hands vertical and in toward the front hip while keeping the club head a bit outside the hands. Obviously, good club face control is still necessary. Does this sound like a good technique.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

you are hitting the ball with too closed of a face and probably (again probably) too much in/out on your swings. Trying opening your stance on all your chips/pitches and see what happens, that will probably cure most of it without resorting to many other changes.

 

[BrendanC]

On chipping, I found it the 'Rule of 12' video for figuring out which club to use helped simplify and improve my technique.

I just do the Rule/trick ('build the shot'), and then make the simplest chipping stroke possible - pretty much just focussing on making solid contact and trusting that the 'rule' will work.

I think taking uncertainty out during the shot planning processs makes the stroke much better.

 

[LDGolf]

you are hitting the ball with too closed of a face and probably (again probably) too much in/out on your swings. Trying opening your stance on all your chips/pitches and see what happens, that will probably cure most of it without resorting to many other changes.

Hi Jim,

I do stand with an open stance, maybe taking it back inside the line ?

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Hi Jim,

I do stand with an open stance, maybe taking it back inside the line ?

Pretend you are in a batter's box and you are taking it back right towards the catcher's mitt, if you still hook them then your path is probably ok but face much too closed.

 

[BrendanC]

Fixing inside takeaway?

I was practicing pitching on a beach today. Nothing shows up poor pitching like hitting off sand.

My inside takeaway was just killing me - hitting behind it and shanking it.

The change I had to make was to grip more in the palm of the left hand - even for fairly full shots. The shaft is by no means in the lifeline, but it is not as far up the fingers.

(I use a full palm grip for chips).

Not sure if this is a short term fix or something to integrate as a change across entire swing (to fix inside out/too flat).

 

[spktho]

Pretend you are in a batter's box and you are taking it back right towards the catcher's mitt, if you still hook them then your path is probably ok but face much too closed.

Exactly what I had to feel coupled with the hands going down and left into impact to hit the ball solid.