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THE LOW SPINNING CHIP
BY TOM ATKINSON, PGA GOLF PROFESSIONAL
Although not the best time of year to use it to its full potential,
I’ve had an email this month about the low spinning chip
shot that you see the Tour players play time and time again.
The amateur has played one successfully on the odd occasion
but usually more by luck than good judgement. It’s actually
not as hard as you think...
With Christmas around the corner you may want to think about
a new sand wedge, one with some grooves on it perhaps, or
some premium golf balls, both of these are essential ingredients
to the spinning chip.
Like the previous short game instruction I’ve given you, setup
is key here. The tendency is to have the ball too far back in the
stance, to hit down on it and to therefore unknowingly reduce
spin.
Believe it or not, it’s not the middle groove we want to use here
but one or two lower than that, verging on a thinned shot, this is
where the most spin will be generated. Of course friction which
creates spin can’t be achieved without speed.
Let’s have the ball in the middle of the stance, the hands can be
slightly forward but we don’t want too much forward lean, an
almost vertical shaft is ideal.
There’s a trend amongst the best players that the follow through
moves to the left of the ball, allowing for the fastest swing speed
possible whilst maintaining control.
How? By maximising the friction and the spin on the ball. Like
every shot in golf this will require a lot of commitment as speed
is essential so once you’ve decided, there’s no bailing out. It’s
a specialty shot that requires the right technique and a lot of
practice. If you need any help then get in touch to book a lesson.
You can contact Tom at Heswall Golf Club on 0151 342
7431, www.heswallgolfshop.co.uk or @heswallgolfshop.
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