HOW DO I PLAY...
TWITCHY CHIPS
We tend to associate the yips with putting, but most golfers have
also experienced an unpleasant twitchiness on chipping and
pitching at some stage. If the feeling of this is tough to describe –
mental confusion and a loss of clubface awareness are certainly in there – the results are certainly not; expect duffs, thins, even double hits. As and
when this affliction shows up in your game, try this fix on the practice
area; I’ve seen it work wonders with golfers at their wits’ end.
THE FAULT:
Hands drive downward into impact. Twitchy chips often crop up when we continue to swing the hands downward into impact.
As the gap between the club’s handle and the ground narrows, we are forced to delay the release of the club to avoid hitting the turf before the ball.
Effectively, we are trying to hit the ball and not hit it at the same time!
No wonder this move causes mental strife. Expect low, sharp ball flights, excessive wrist flipping, and a complete loss of clubhead control.
THE FIX: Hands swing up, more release
We need to replace this damaging, downward drive
with a new approach in which we allow the hands to
move upward naturally, supported by a controlled
body rotation. To train this feel, place an alignment
stick about 12 inches in front of the ball. Set up
normally, the ball centred in a narrow stance.
Strike the ball, miss the stick
Hit the shot, focusing on making a smooth, controlled
motion. As you swing through impact, avoid hitting
the alignment stick by allowing your hands to move
upward instead of staying low. Finish the swing
standing tall over your front leg, allowing your body
rotation to lead the movement. It may take your
action a few goes to settle down, but ultimately this
simple exercise promotes a quieter wristed and
better-timed release of the club, improving strike,
trajectory and control. Better yet, it puts your mind
and body back on the same page
