Golfing Fore Gold - A Golfers Blog with Equipment Reviews: Short Game

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Thursday 4 December 2014

Golf Tips how to Improve your Chip Shots with a 7 Iron Golf Club

Golf is a game about consistency

By improving your chip shots both your golf and score will improve. To score well you need to be consistent in both your physical approach and your mental concentration. A golfer will need to have a large repertoire of shots that they can muster at any given point throughout a golf-round. The chip-shot is an essential part of this repertoire.

The real point scoring part of golf and a part that you need to be very comfortable with is the short-game.

The “chip-shot” falls into this category. It is a short range shot generally but can be used up-to distances of 70 yards, if the ground and course are conducive to this range. However generally this shot will be used to get you very close to the pin at distances of 30-40 yards. A choice club for this shot may surprise you but a 7 iron or a 5 iron is the best, as it helps keep the ball low and allows the golf ball to roll. Remember this is not a pitch shot so no wedges are needed.

A chip-shot is characterized by a low shot trajectory with minimal loft, that results in the ball bouncing and running a short distance beyond its landing point until it comes to rest.

It is useful as it eliminates height from a shot. This can be useful if height may create other problems, for example a bunker or water-hazard to the left or right of your intended target direction. By keeping the ball low you are avoiding potential problems.

Be aware that the swing associated with this shot is not a full golf swing, but more restrained and restricted.

The following tips will help you improve this aspect of your game:

Bring your feet closer together than normal, they should be inside you shoulders width level with your chest muscles.

Spread your weight out to a ratio of 60% to 40%, with the most weight on your front foot. You will physically be able to feel this weight-shift.

Lean slightly forward, the club handle should be in line with your front facing hip.

Next concentrate on your grip as it will be lower than normal. The wrists will not be flexible like in a normal golf-swing but will remain locked with the forearms and the shoulders.

This type of rigid grip will feel strange at first, but the idea is to get the ball to literally “chip” off the ground, not fly high.

There will be no divot after the ball has been struck. You are not compressing the ball as a traditional shot would accomplish, instead you are pinching the ball off the ground.

It is important to consider that the back-swing will not be a full swing. Ensure that no more than a half-turn backswing is generated depending on the distance required.

The forward-swing must intentionally be stopped short and should not rise above waist height.

This forward-swing will promote the chip shot by keeping the ball low with the idea that the ball will stop short of the pin and roll the rest of the distance.

To familiarize yourself with these new techniques it is advisable to take time on your local driving-range and practice. The rigid grip and restricted swing may feel unusual but your chip shots will improve.

Learn to Hit any Golf Shot Yards Further than Your Playing Partners

Deciding when to lay-up on a golf course is a tactical and strategic decision that will allow you to play to the best of your abilities.

It is often ignored at the peril of the amateur golfer, resulting in more strokes on the score-card and a round of golf damaged beyond repair.

To “lay-up” is to play the ball shorter than normal to create the chance of the next shot being more favorably to the golfer

A golfer may hit a 7 iron with greater consistency than a Sand Wedge – so they are looking to get the ball as far away from the green yet within the distance the 7 iron will hit the ball.

There are two reasons why a golfer will ignore laying the ball up short.

The first golf problem when hitting long shot is due to automatic conditioning

Upon approaching the tee a golfer will think unconsciously he or she has to hit the ball as far as possible and will reach for their driver, the big club in the bag. Secondly there is an element of ego-boost, in being able to hit further than your playing partners. A general look at club-reviews on most golf sites and golfers will always mention how far they can hit with the suggested clubs.

To overcome this it is necessary to think about what golf is

It is purely a game of distances. The distance is to the pin from the tee-off area. The aim is to get as close to the pin in as fewer strokes as possible. This may seem like an overstatement but the explanation is necessary to explore the following.

A typical Par 4 hole of 360 yards should be broken down into 2 shots to get to the green to achieve GIR (Greens in Regulation is being on the green with 2 putts for par)

This then gives the golfer 2 putts to get par. Now let’s go back to the distance of 360 yards. It can be broken down into two distances. A tee-shot of 200 yards and a second shot of 160 yards, places the ball on the green for GIR. There is no need to hit the biggest club as a 200 yard shot can be achieved with a 5 wood or a 4/5 iron.

Consideration should be given about when to play this “lay-up” shot

On a difficult Par 5 of 496 yards, from the tee-area there are two hazards. There are bunkers on the left at 220 yards and a pond on the right also at 220 yards with the fairway between being very narrow at about 30 yards.

The idea here is to take away the risk of trying to drive these two hazards

Ideally you would want to hit a ball about 160-190 yards with your tee shot thereby removing the hazards from ruining your hole. Your second shot now will only have to carry 50 yards to be clear of the hazards, and you will also notice that the degree of open fairway has expanded in front of you so creating more room for error on your second shot.

If we go back to the distance concept and we break down the Par 5 into 3 shots to get GIR, then we will notice we have 2 shots to total 300 yards – this will be two very easy 7 iron shots.

Your playing partners will be surprised about this, but you have accomplished three results. Your ball is safe from the hazards, you have a greater percentage of success with the follow-up 7 iron shots and you will protect your round by keeping the big numbers off your score card.

Wednesday 29 February 2012

When and how to lay up on the golf course

Deciding when to lay-up on a golf course is a tactical and strategic decision that will allow you to play to the best of your abilities. It is often ignored at the peril of the amateur golfer, resulting in more strokes on the score-card and a round of golf damaged beyond repair.

To “lay-up” is to play the ball shorter than normal to create the chance of the next shot being more favorable to the golfer. A golfer may hit a 7 iron with greater consistency than a Sand Wedge – so they are looking to get the ball as far away from the green yet within the distance the 7 iron will hit the ball.