One shot in golf that can teach us a lot about ball striking our irons is the is the chip swing. If you can improve on this, you can grow it into a pitch swing and then your full swing.
The chip swing requires a golfer to make a swing that has minimal activation of the hands and wrist during the down-swing, and through the impact area. Your goal is to learn how to make this swing without firing the muscles in your hands and wrists to move the clubhead.
To help you do this (right-handed golfers), set up and push the grip forward so it is aimed at your left hip. Look at the angle on the back of your right wrist. Make a chip swing and hold your finish, and recognize the position of your right wrist. It should match your set-up or be slightly concave or cupped (see figure 1). If you have pushed your right hand forward, and your wrist is flat or in a flexion position (see figure 2), then you are over-using the right hand during the swing. We call this the “flip.” If you have flipped the right hand at the golf ball, it will cause inconsistency in the depth of your swing so you will hit the ground first or top the golf ball. Better golfers who have no problem with depth will strike the ball but will lack consistency as the clubface angle and loft will be inconsistent with the “flip.”
You can get very good at this working in your backyard or almost anywhere you can make a small swing.
Chip swing practice with focused intention can help you understand and make this small swing properly. Do three sets of the following three exercises for eight reps, four days a week.
- Swing in slow motion controlling your right-hand flexion. This will give you a feeling of how to move the club without over-using your hands.
- Swing with rhythm and hold your finish, evaluate your right wrist. Give yourself feedback, as to whether you are accomplishing the goal.
- Ball striking: hold your finish and evaluate right-hand movement/flexion.
It’ll take discipline, focus and time. When you are able to minimize flexion in your right wrist and extension in your left wrist while achieving rhythm in your swing, improvement will follow quickly. You will improve impact, the depth of your swing and achieve more consistency in distance and direction. At the same time, you will be learning how to strike a ball properly off grass with an iron, improving pitch shots and approach shots.
