A golf chipping tip...

How to make the big hitter envy you.

As a young boy I received a wonderful golf chipping tip, when I started out playing this game, that has stayed with me throughout my life.

A stranger/golfer/guru approached me on the practice green where I was hitting a few bump and runs with my 9-iron. He said,

“ You do know that the ball is supposed to jump up and not your club. Try dragging it like a rake.”

He noticed my baffled look and took me over to a nearby tree and told me to gather some leaves with my club.

“Now tell me what you are doing and how it feels?”

“Actually I’m not doing very much just pulling the sole of the club along the ground and the club face is collecting the leaves.”

He smiled then continued,

“In order to benefit from this ‘golf chipping tip’, don’t tell me what the club is doing, tell me what you are doing?”

I thought hard and started again and explained to him that I was standing over the pile of leaves that I had already gathered and was pulling more leaves towards the pile from the right-hand side.

I also remarked that my hands were keeping the club shaft at an angle where the club head stopped behind the pile and my hands would always reach further to the left over the top of the pile.

I also established that I was automatically keeping the clubface square to the direction I was pulling it by keeping the palm of my right hand facing the ground at the same angle as my shaft was in relation to the ground.

“Great stuff!” replied the stranger,

“Now try dispersing the pile you have gathered using a mixture of what you were just doing and a swing that resembles a chipping swing."

He then advised that I again try to tell him what I was doing and how it felt.

After swishing the pile of leaves off to the left, I was able to report that the swing was now a little more dynamic and felt more like a sweeping than raking motion.

I knew I had got to where he wanted me because he then said,

"OK you're ready, let's get a ball and close in on the dynamics of this 'golf chipping tip'."

He then told me to make a couple of moves, raking along the grass, as a practice swing and feeling that I was doing this toward the target.

And then once more, a little more like sweeping and then without much thought, do the same with the ball.

This has to be tried to be believed. All at once my understanding and feel for the dynamics of this shot were quadrupled.

I always use this 'golf chipping tip' with my pupils and they thank me for my wisdom.

So Mr. Stranger, for the years that I have enjoyed success in this part of my game and for being able to pass it on to others...

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