[PHOTO: Yong Teck Lim]
When around the green, it’s best to keep things simple. The fancier you try to get, the more likely you are to bring some scary situations into your round. (We’re looking at you, the flop-shot obsessed.)
Grace Kim, the 24-year-old Sydneysider who captured the Amundi Evian Championship, is ranked in the top 30 in strokes gained/chipping on the LPGA Tour. Also an LPGA winner at the 2023 Lotte Championship, Kim says there is one easy shot every amateur needs to know how to hit. It’s going to get you landing the ball softly with little runout, and it’s a whole lot easier to hit than the flop.
To hit this shot, stand a little closer to the ball than you usually would and lift the heel slightly off the ground. So now, the toe is down.
“The wedge is more upright, and you use more like a putting stroke feel,” Kim explains. “Contact is just off the toe a little bit; it comes out a bit softer and you can control the shot better.
“The ball won’t run away from you too quickly.”
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One of the nice things about this shot is that even though it sounds similar to a bump and run, it’s more versatile. You can still use a lot of loft with it – Kim says you can use your sand wedge.
“It will feel a bit funny at first, but it’s definitely more of a softer shot for when you’re close to the pin and you want to hold it,” Kim says. “It’s a nice shot to have.”
