By Brent Morrison
From time to time, many amateur golfers will achieve a PGA tour putting average of 28–30 putts per round. However, the similarities between weekend warrior and tour player end when you consider that the PGA tour leaders get up and down (chipping & pitching) more than 60% of the time, typically playing these shots from tight lies or heavy rough with rock hard greens and difficult pins. As the shots become longer, more body, hand and arm movement is required. This increased movement also becomes increasingly difficult to coordinate, becoming a source of tension for many amateurs on the course.
When consolidated into a single technique, the coordination of the three swing dimensions of body, hand and arm will eliminate considerable frustration for the amateur golfer, helping eliminate strokes from your game. At the Brent Morrison Golf Academy, we teach a single technique that can be utilized for putting, chipping and pitching by modifying hand, body and arm movement:
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Putting stroke: For a short putt less than 15 feet, the club should remain square to the target. Place two clubs down on the ground as illustrated in the pictures below. Move your putter head back and through, concentrating on keeping the putter face square to the target. In order to maintain a consistent square clubface which is easily repeated, you will need to use a rocking motion in the shoulders. The more you rotate your body during this stroke, the more you will need to use your hands to try and keep the putter blade square to the target. This complicates the motion and results in inconsistent putting!
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Chipping stroke: A short chip technique (10-15 yards from the green, sometimes referred to as a "bump-and-run") is similar to the putting stroke; you will want the club to stay square to the target. To set up for this drill, place a club on the ground between your feet and the golf ball & 2 clubs at right angles to this line. Chip some balls, concentrating on keeping the clubhead traveling outside the club on the ground (the clubface should match the clubs on the ground). You will notice that this is accomplished with minimal hand and body movement. As with the putting stroke, the more you move your body in a chip shot, the more you will need to use your hands in an attempt to square the clubface.
The amount the golf ball will roll and height it will loft will be dictated by the club you select. For an example; sandwedge will loft higher and roll less compared to an 8 iron which will loft lower and roll more.
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Pitch Shot: Select a pitch shot when you want the ball to travel farther than the chip; ideally 15-30 yards. Since you want the ball to travel farther with this shot, you will need to use body rotation, a proportional amount of arm hinge and soft grip pressure to keep the club in front of your body. To achieve the proper feel of this motion it's best to get a nerf/foam ball and place it between your arms. Begin swinging while concentrating on keeping the leading edge of the clubface matching your spine angle (see red lines in photos) and your arms out in front of your upper body. This will ensure you are using the proper arm hinge with minimal hand action as your body rotates.
If you are executing the short game motion properly, you should have fewer moving parts (body, hands & arms) as the length of your shot decreases, resulting in a smaller margin of error and increased consistency.
To practice, begin with three balls and complete the putting, chipping and pitching routines sequentially. Knowing how to produce an effective short game motion is a good start. However, applied knowledge is power! Keep practicing!
The Brent Morrison Golf Academy is located at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort, 1025 Qualicum Road, Qualicum Beach, B.C. V9K 1M5. (250) 752-8786. For more information on instruction programs for adults and juniors, contact the Academy office.
