Final lesson in this series (still hoping to schedule that round with Chris at some point — TBD on timing). Came in a little tired today, spent my time on Sunday hitting in the garage sim watching the Broncos game yesterday. Forearms very sore.
Focus for today: chipping.
The Problem
Going in, I already had a hunch about my issue — I tend to fall backwards during my chips. I’ve noticed this myself from checking my divots/ground contact a lot. Turns out that instinct was right, and we spent the lesson fixing it. A common theme here, falling back on all shots including full swings. Something I really need to focus on.
The Fixes
A few changes to address the backward weight shift and crappy chipping I’ve experienced periodically:
- Narrower stance — feet a little closer together
- Ball position — moved slightly more forward in my stance
- Hip and chest rotation — focus on turning through the ball, almost like pulling the club to the left
- Stance tweak — right foot stays pretty straight, left foot pulled back slightly and pointed more toward the target, which helps generate a bit more turn through impact
- Hand position — pushing my hands away from my body instead of keeping them flat, which gets the toe of the club down more than the heel
One More Key Note
Unlike my regular full swing, on chips I actually want to come over the top a little bit. Definitely something to remember since it runs counter to what I’d normally think about.
Takeaway
Lots to work on here, but it’s a clear, actionable list. Need to keep grooving this. Was only able to hit a few good ones in todays session but enough to know what the right one feels like. Planning more practice and hope to see improvement on the course. Gonna play in the evening this week
(Side note: pretty sure I never wrote up notes from Lesson 5 — may need to go back and piece that together from memory.)