instruction
Backswing
I tell my students to think about
swinging the club with their shoulders
and arms, not with their wrists. The key is to
make sure they keep their wrists firm and
that the clubhead stays behind the hands in
the backswing. I remind them that the sand
wedge has plenty of loft and that the ball will
get in the air on its own – if they try to help it
into the air by flipping their wrists, they’re
going to hit it high and short. Their hands
only need to go about waist-high on the
backswing.
Follow-through
Once they’ve hit the ball, I make sure my
students keep their wrists firm and stop
their hands once they get back to a waist-high position. This abbreviated follow-through will help keep the ball low. Nine
times out of 10, this approach will get the
ball closer to the pin than a high-lofted
shot for most golfers.
The Benefits of Teaching the “Long Chip”
I find there are many benefits to teaching my students how to hit
the long chip shot. First of all, it gets them in the mindset of
trying to get the ball on the green with an easy-to-execute shot
instead of trying to emulate the cute shots they see PGA Tour
players hitting on TV. Second, it’s a swing they can use in a lot
of different situations: punching out from under trees, hitting a
knockdown shot into the wind or advancing the ball out of deep
rough. It also helps improve tempo for most students, which
cuts down on overswinging and helps them make more solid
contact and impart more backspin on the ball for better flight.
