Jason:  sounds like you are setting up like a digger but not using digger fundamentals.  Or you may be a trapped slider trying to break out!  Head over to the new "My Game" section and check out some of my short game videos (shameless self promotion) for both sliders and diggers.  We utilize TPI screens and singled handed chipping tests to identify your strengths. 

Hi Ryan,

Thanks so much for the feedback - I checked out both videos and found them very helpful.  They certainly gave me some setup and technique ideas to think about and my chipping feels a little better already, albeit on the living room carpet!  This is one area of my game I am putting some serious work into.  This past Saturday I had an 83 that could have been a high 70s score if my chipping was up to snuff.

Thanks again,

Jason

Great!  I hope these help...regardless of the location!  :)

I try to have a go to chipping swing when I'm just not feeling it.  To get it, I'll go to the range and take the same chipping swing with all my short irons and wedges.  That way on course I can make the same go-to swing with different clubs and I know about how far my 7-60* will carry and roll out (for the most part).  

When I'm really feeling it I just focus on a small spot on the green and try to land it there.  I don't think too much about technique and focus more on the spot and feel.

You described my early season chipping form to a "T".  

The last round I played was simply a practice round of which I decided to focus on my close game; specifically chipping.   I found that my problem was simply a contact issue.  Not staying focused on the task at hand. 

If I focused and concentrated on contact, I made good chips.  If I just went through the motions and didn't focus, I hit thin or fat; mostly fat or behind the ball which resulted in being well short of target.  Precision contact on chips. 

In my practice rounds, I play tee to green like a real round.  When I get to the green, I'll throw down about 4 or 5 balls and try shots from the same distance with different techiques to see which I'm more consistent with.  Bump and run or fly and die?  If I bump and run, which club am I more consistent with; 7,8,9,P?  If I fly and die; P,52,56,60?   Every situation is a little different, but usually I choose the 8 on the bump and run and the 56 on the pitch.  Those seem to be my "go to clubs"  the majority of the time.  

Focusing on contact is the name of the game for me.  Fundamentals are there - it's the mental aspect of the game I find most challenging.

I see short game 3 ways, chipping, pitching, and low spinner.

Chipping, getting the ball on the ground and rolling out. Chipping isn't my favorite. My chipping is with a putter, if the distance to the green is very short I use a normal putt, if I need to fly the ball a little bit(over a bad spot on the fringe) I put the ball back in my stance and actually hit down on the ball, hitting the ball into the ground, this will fly the ball a little and then it really rolls out, it will roll farther than a normal putt. I've never been good at wedge, 7i, or 3w chipping, but I have seen a lot of people that are very good with the 7i and of course the pros use wedge.

Pitching, fly the ball over half way and let it roll, the higher it flies the less it rolls, spin isn't a big factor. It doesn't take a lot of practice to learn to hit the ball and to learn to land the ball reasonably close to where you want, learning to pick the right spot seems to be the hardest. Many times I have landed the ball exactly where I planned, I just planned wrong.

Low spinner, this is my favorite, spin is a big factor, you need to know your ball. Most cheap balls you get more roll out than a standard pitch, because the ball is flying lower and faster and the ball doesn't spin a lot, so this is kinda like a long range chip. When practicing I use a sleeve of cheap balls and a ProV1, its the same technique, just fly the ProV1 farther.

If you're using a high end ball and haven't learned the low spinner then you are missing out on the performance you are paying for. Like they say, all balls will fly close to the same distance, the big difference is around the green.

You need to find a way to enjoy practice, 1 way is to learn different shots then use these different shots to see which will get closer to hole in different situations.

Jason,

Watching the videos and encorporating RC's ideas about chipping will truly help your game.  I've been working with him for over 1.5yrs and I'm playing the best golf of my life.  My short game used to be a weakness and now I don't mind missing a green.  Believe it or not there are sometimes I'd rather be chipping from below the hole than putting down hill.  We reworked my follow thru this year and it's made trajectory control really easy.  I would say that RC and I spend approx 70% of our time on working on the 125 and in game. 

good luck and i hope it helps. 

Hey Josh!

Thanks so much man - I'm going to watch the videos again, figure out which style suits me best and really work at this.  Analyzing my score card again from this past weekend it really was very clear where I am losing strokes - and my goal this year is to get into the mid-high 70s consistently.

Hope you have a great season!

Jason

A really simple technique that works for short chips is leaning shaft forwards and locking arms then swinging like a pendulum. thanks for question!!!!