Chunked Chip shots

We’ve all been there and done that and we were never very happy about it. You stripe your tee ball down the middle 15 yards longer than your usual effort. Then you tug your second shot just a little ending up four yards left of the putting surface. Not big deal; it’s a pretty straight forward up and down, one that you’ve successfully navigated plenty of times. Except this time you chunk it and now you’re three yards off the green facing essentially the same shot but with far less self-belief. So rather than roll the sod over it again you put the ball way back in your stance, lean the shaft way forward and then chunk it even worse. How is this possible, you think? Well, actually it’s entirely possible for two distinct reasons: first of all, when you lean the shaft toward the target you totally negate the bounce of the club which exposes the leading edge and makes digging not only possible but highly likely. Most golfers are aware of this. But there’s another factor that’s quite not as obvious but just as destructive if not more so. When you lean the shaft forward while also moving the ball position back your hands are lowered. When you do it to the extreme your whole upper body is lowered. Does that seem like a recipe for a fat shot? You betcha. So, the bottom line is try to keep shaft lean to a minimum. Here’s something else that will help: Rather than have a rigid lead arm (left arm for right-handed golfers), soften that arm which will keep the shoulders more level making solid contact far more likely. Next thing you know you’ll be three feet from the hole rather than three feet from your feet.