Joe,
Ever since I HAD MY LEFT KNEE REPLACED i DEVELOPED THE YIPS IN THESE TWO AREAS. My putting is okay & my long game is okay. If I'm within 20 yards from the green I rarely git up & down in 2. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Emmanuel Shedlock
Hello Emmanuel,
I don’t know which chipping method you use, but since your putting is OK, you can use your putting stroke for chipping, just choose the right iron that gives you the same distance control as your putter. Of course you must change your ball position to your back foot and make sure your hands stay ahead of the clubhead all the way thru the stroke. However, this only works for chips that do not have to carry very far over tall grass. If your carry must be longer, then take your wedge and strike the ball as hard as you would strike a putt which would have double the distance. In other words, if it is a 40 foot chip, then with the wedge strike the ball as hard as you would strike an 80 foot putt, because half the energy of your stroke is spent sending the ball upward.
Joe
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Joe,
I am desperate for help. I just can't bring my range swing to the course. I practice diligently. At the range I work on all my clubs & chipping. I can hit 200 balls at the range & never top a shot or shank an iron, 70% of my driver hits are long and true, my irons are high & straight, taking divots consistently. Well, I get to the course and sure enough start to shank & top shots, skull my short irons & chips, and pull many shots to the right (I'm a lefty), and rarely take a divot. My swing feels the same & I am relaxed. I know I'm a good ball striker, I watch myself do it all the time. Any suggestions?
Joe - Cleveland, Oh
Hi Cleveland Joe,
On the range there is no pressure, on the course every shot counts so you know you cannot afford to waste a shot. On the range you are swinging every few seconds, so you can get into a good rhythm. On the course you are only swinging once every several minutes, so it is harder to get into any rhythm. Did you ever notice while on the range if you hit too many consecutive shots with a driver, then you have trouble hitting a short iron? The lengths of the shafts are so different that it takes time to adjust if your muscles get too used to hitting drivers most of the time. I would recommend you make changes to your range routine. Start with wedges and whenever you hit a good shot, change clubs and work your way up to the driver. Then put some pressure on yourself by playing an imaginary hole. Pick two targets that define the left and right limits of your fairway, and pretend they are OB markers. If you get your drive in between them, pick any iron and target and see how close you can shoot to it. Then pick a target for a half wedge shot and assume one putt if you hit it very close, two putts if you are reasonably close, and 3 putts if you are way off. What did you score? Try this over and over again, creating the same pressure you would have on the course. For your mental game, it is OK to get butterflies, just make the butterflies fly in formation. It is natural for anyone to get nervous, just accept that and be determined to execute to the best of your ability on each shot, one at a time. Don’t let an occasional bad shot bother you, this happens to everyone, just forget it and do your best on the next shot.
Joe
I am desperate for help. I just can't bring my range swing to the course. I practice diligently. At the range I work on all my clubs & chipping. I can hit 200 balls at the range & never top a shot or shank an iron, 70% of my driver hits are long and true, my irons are high & straight, taking divots consistently. Well, I get to the course and sure enough start to shank & top shots, skull my short irons & chips, and pull many shots to the right (I'm a lefty), and rarely take a divot. My swing feels the same & I am relaxed. I know I'm a good ball striker, I watch myself do it all the time. Any suggestions?
Joe - Cleveland, Oh
Hi Cleveland Joe,
On the range there is no pressure, on the course every shot counts so you know you cannot afford to waste a shot. On the range you are swinging every few seconds, so you can get into a good rhythm. On the course you are only swinging once every several minutes, so it is harder to get into any rhythm. Did you ever notice while on the range if you hit too many consecutive shots with a driver, then you have trouble hitting a short iron? The lengths of the shafts are so different that it takes time to adjust if your muscles get too used to hitting drivers most of the time. I would recommend you make changes to your range routine. Start with wedges and whenever you hit a good shot, change clubs and work your way up to the driver. Then put some pressure on yourself by playing an imaginary hole. Pick two targets that define the left and right limits of your fairway, and pretend they are OB markers. If you get your drive in between them, pick any iron and target and see how close you can shoot to it. Then pick a target for a half wedge shot and assume one putt if you hit it very close, two putts if you are reasonably close, and 3 putts if you are way off. What did you score? Try this over and over again, creating the same pressure you would have on the course. For your mental game, it is OK to get butterflies, just make the butterflies fly in formation. It is natural for anyone to get nervous, just accept that and be determined to execute to the best of your ability on each shot, one at a time. Don’t let an occasional bad shot bother you, this happens to everyone, just forget it and do your best on the next shot.
Joe
