When I’m giving short-game lessons, I’m amazed when I ask my student to pick a landing spot on the green, and they choose something two or three paces from the hole! They always want to fly the ball as close as possible to the flagstick. Then they look surprised when they swing the club back too far, decelerate into the ball, and either skull it or flub it.
Photo: J.D. Cuban
The easiest way to control the distance on your chip shots is to reduce the amount of time the ball spends in the air and get it rolling on the green. During my college playing days, I would think of most chips as having a 1:1 carry-to-roll ratio, meaning if there were 20 paces between me and the flagstick, I’d choose a landing spot 10 paces before the hole. Then I’d grab my pitching or sand wedge and take a few practice swings based on where I wanted to land the ball, not where the flagstick was.
Next time, use the flag to judge overall distance, then forget it’s even there. It’s only the end, not the means. Choose a landing spot about halfway between you and the hole – closer to the hole if you’re using a lob wedge and closer to you for an 8 or 9-iron – and make that your focus [above]. You’ll find it easier to hit this shorter target, and your chips will settle closer to the hole.
Jordan Dempsey teaches at the PGA Tour Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
