CHECK YOUR SETUP AND LEAD WITH THE HANDS

Setup is super important when hitting pitch or chip shots. A perfect example is what happened to me at the first event of 2017, the SBS Tournament of Champions. I was practicing these shots, and Patrick Reed saw me struggling. He came over, adjusted my feet and body, and then I started hitting them way better. What he noticed was my body was too open (aligned left of my target), and my lower body looked wobbly when I hit the shot. So he told me to keep my feet a little open, square up the rest of my body a little more, and make sure my legs felt stable when I swung.

As far as my technique, grip is key. I weaken my left-hand position on the club when I want to hit a higher pitch (meaning I rotate my hand so the thumb is more on top of the shaft). For a low checker, I strengthen my lefthand grip. And I’ll even go to a putting grip for a bump-and-run shot. When swinging, remember two things: (1) Keep your body rotating toward the target well past impact; (2) Let your hands lead the clubhead. That means the shaft should be leaning toward the target or upright on contact ( near, right).