Vancouver Sun

Pro offers tips to get game in ‘chip’ shape

Bear Mountain teaching pro’s tips can lessen frustratio­ns on links

- CAM TUCKER

Life around the greens isn’t always fun. Chipping can be difficult for recreation­al and profession­al golfers.

Technique such as proper setup and hand positionin­g, and arm and shoulder movement is essential.

With a shot that requires deft touch and precision in order to help shave strokes off one’s game, a case of the yips can test the minds of even the world’s best, and psyche out players before they even stand over the ball.

The Vancouver Sun spoke with Bear Mountain Golf Resort teaching profession­al Doug Hastie — the PGA of B.C. Teacher of the Year in 2007 — to better understand the proper physical and mental techniques of chipping:

Q: Generally, what are the physical components that players should focus on when they’re chipping?

A: Most people don’t get the setup correct, first of all. They set up like they’re taking a normal shot and chipping should be totally different from that.

When you watch good chippers, they’re very close to the ball. Even six inches away from the ball, maybe a foot away but definitely not the normal distance away. Stand up tall. Feet closer together. And if you’re hitting a standard chip shot … there should be a little shaft lean, which means the hands are closer to the target than the club head. If you get the setup correct then it’s a lot easier to chip the golf ball.

Q: When you’re about to hit the ball, I was told, ‘Don’t focus your eyes on the ball. Focus two inches in front of the ball.’ Is that a personal preference or is there something more to that method?

A: It’s definitely a personal preference. It does work for some people. Some people look at the back of the ball. Looking two inches ahead of the ball will usually allow you to get through the ball, not hit at the ball.

Q: With the mental aspect of chipping, it’s almost like hitting from the bunker or the short putts where a player might walk up to the ball and psyche himself out. Do you come across this?

A: Very often, yes. You’ve heard of the chipping yips … when people get just bound up about it. What happens to people is they get a very short little backswing and then try to accelerate in with their hands and wrists.

People like that, first of all you need some confidence. So practise from a good lie. Don’t practise off bad lies to start with. Get a good lie, always check your finishing position to see if your wrists are in the same position in your finish as they were when you start.

And then I’ll give people a challenge: Take as big a backswing as you can with your shoulders and arms and see how short you can hit it. Even though that sounds counterint­uitive … most people are trying to accelerate too much with their hands. I’ll get them to try it, just feel it — a big backswing and just ease the club into the ball. You’d be surprised how that starts to feel.

Q: Would you stress then to players to just relax going up to a shot?

A: Especially their shoulders and arms. You can actually be a pretty good chipper gripping (the club) tightly. But you can’t be a good chipper if your shoulders and arms are tight. So definitely in the shoulders, relax.

And then just picture tossing a ball. How relaxed would you be if you’re just tossing a ball to a target? Because it’s really the same motion. I get that image into people’s heads a lot. Just try to say, ‘OK, if you’re going to toss a ball out to me, for accuracy your arm’s going to go very smooth. You’re not going to accelerate into it. You’re not going to speed into it.’

That’s what people seem to get when they chip. They want to try to just hit at it. Instead, just swing the club, make good contact and see what the ball does. Really good chippers of the ball, there really isn’t a lot of accelerati­on. It’s very smooth to the ball and that’s how you control distance.

Q: How often should recreation­al golfers practise chipping?

A: Practising chipping can actually improve your long game. So I tell people, if you’re going to have a practise session, start with your chipping. Get a feel for your club and for the ball and for impact. Really, you know when you have a good handle on chipping is when you can hit the landing spot.

If you can do that, you should be pretty good on the golf course.

It really matters to the person how much they want to practise. If you really want to get good at it, obviously you have to spend time with it.

Q: What else would you like to add about chipping?

A: Tempo is really important. And then, people think they’re not using their wrists. But in a lot of cases, they are. We don’t want to use our wrists in chipping.

A simple drill I use is I get people to grip way down on the club, almost by the shaft. Put the grip of the club right against their lead arm.

If you’re right-handed, it goes against your left arm. And then make some motions back and forth and see if the grip of the club leaves that lead arm or stays on that lead arm. It should stay on that lead arm. If it feels really different from what you normally do, then obviously you’re using your wrists when we chip and we really want to avoid that.

 ?? KEVIN LIGHT/BEAR MOUNTAIN RESORT ?? “Practising chipping can actually improve your long game,” says Doug Hastie, teaching profession­al at Bear Mountain Golf Resort.
KEVIN LIGHT/BEAR MOUNTAIN RESORT “Practising chipping can actually improve your long game,” says Doug Hastie, teaching profession­al at Bear Mountain Golf Resort.

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