Working on the Short Game
A new article in the new Golf Digest was on getting loft to your short game with your irons. This is something I have been working on in practice around our practice green. I can do just great with this but when I get on the course and around the green something goes haywire.
This article is by Hank Haney and says this shot creates trajectory and to learn how to increase it. As he says the loft in the short game almost always produces a shot where the club makes contact directly with the ball. The closer you hit to the bottom of the ball it will increase the loft on the club face and the higher the ball will go. Now that makes sense but one does not always hit the bottom of the club. Sometimes it hits directly in the middle of the ball and that sends it screaming across the green. Been there done that too many times.
The secret here is maybe using the sand wedge and doing one or two things like addressing the ball with an open club face or lowering your grip to the end of the club. Opening the face at least a little on all pitch shots will limit the exposure of the club leading edge to the ground. As he says doing this will eliminate the club from hitting into the ground and hitting it fat.
He adds that another way to add loft is to lower the grip at address and this will increase the loft in much the same way as opening the face. Haney suggests that this is a good example for bunker shots where a wider stance promotes a lower than standard hand position
Haney sums this all up with one misconception to forget that all pitch shots with open face or lowering the hands makes the ball fly to the right. Hit the bottom part of the ball and it will go straight and high. It seemed to me by the picture that was included that the club face could slide right under the ball and pop it up with no forward run. It is something worth trying as many shots can be lost around the green by faulty chip and pitch shots. I think I will try lower my grip on the club as that seems to me with this I will make a shorter arc of the club and be able to control it better. I do try to keep my head and eyes behind the ball so the club can swing smoothly through the shot. Any thing is worth trying if it saves strokes around the green.
This article is by Hank Haney and says this shot creates trajectory and to learn how to increase it. As he says the loft in the short game almost always produces a shot where the club makes contact directly with the ball. The closer you hit to the bottom of the ball it will increase the loft on the club face and the higher the ball will go. Now that makes sense but one does not always hit the bottom of the club. Sometimes it hits directly in the middle of the ball and that sends it screaming across the green. Been there done that too many times.
The secret here is maybe using the sand wedge and doing one or two things like addressing the ball with an open club face or lowering your grip to the end of the club. Opening the face at least a little on all pitch shots will limit the exposure of the club leading edge to the ground. As he says doing this will eliminate the club from hitting into the ground and hitting it fat.
He adds that another way to add loft is to lower the grip at address and this will increase the loft in much the same way as opening the face. Haney suggests that this is a good example for bunker shots where a wider stance promotes a lower than standard hand position
Haney sums this all up with one misconception to forget that all pitch shots with open face or lowering the hands makes the ball fly to the right. Hit the bottom part of the ball and it will go straight and high. It seemed to me by the picture that was included that the club face could slide right under the ball and pop it up with no forward run. It is something worth trying as many shots can be lost around the green by faulty chip and pitch shots. I think I will try lower my grip on the club as that seems to me with this I will make a shorter arc of the club and be able to control it better. I do try to keep my head and eyes behind the ball so the club can swing smoothly through the shot. Any thing is worth trying if it saves strokes around the green.
Related Articles
Editor's Picks Articles
Top Ten Articles
Previous Features
Site Map
Content copyright © 2023 by Letta Meinen. All rights reserved.
This content was written by Letta Meinen. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact Sandy Eggers for details.
