A big mistake I see with playing automatically is golfers playing too quickly.
They incorrectly assume that they need to play fast, hoping to block out distractions and getting on with things before a malfunction takes place.
But this is wrong. Playing too quickly is no better than playing slowly.
You need to dance. Dance is neither too fast or slow. It’s rhythmical, flowing and graceful. When you’re dancing you are playing at a speed just right for YOU. And when you play at your own special pace great things are likely to happen.
Dance, and you’ll do just fine.
This little fella has learned to play a great game of golf without any formal coaching. He’s also overcome some serious health problems. I think there’s something for us all in the following story.
Enjoy,
It’s true. If you want to improve your golf game you really should improve your chipping. Easy words to say, but how do you do it?
Here’s my seven best lessons for improving your chipping;
Brush the ground to learn a perfect strike
Grab a piece of chalk and draw a line (perpendicular to the target line) on some carpet or a golf mat. With a clear mind attempt to hit the chalk line with the bottom of your club. Forget about all the rules and regulations that you may be used to and focus your attention on brushing (striking) the line.
When you can hit the line consistently you’re ready to introduce a ball. Place the ball about an inch behind the line and keep your focus on hitting the line. This objective will make you strike the ball first and the big ball (Earth) second.
To push yourself further close your eyes, first without a ball and then with one. When you can strike the line with your eyes closed your chipping is on the improve.
If you ever get stuck or start mishitting your chips come back to the chalk line. It’s a simple drill that will improve your short game no end. Also remember to brush the chalk line – hit it hard enough to remove some chalk but don’t bash your club into the ground. A smooth and controlled stroke is your goal.
Place the ball off your back foot
This is about as technical as I like to get. If hitting the chalk line is not working or you find it difficult – then move the ball opposite your back foot. This tip makes it easier to hit the ball first and avoid chipping’s biggest mistake – hitting the ground first.
Although placing the ball further back in your stance will result in a lower trajectory, this is much better than duffing chip shots.
Forget about the high lob shot
I know this will not be that popular but unless you’ve spent plenty of time practicing these shots it’s best you don’t use them. Better to play a shot that you feel comfortable with and one that has a higher percentage of success. For most people this will be a 8 or 9 iron (played off the back foot) that is aimed at a portion of the green.
I’m not saying never hit a lob shot. If it’s your only chance then go for it, but if you have an easier and safer option I believe you’ll be better off. This is also a hint to practice those difficult shots until you can play them with more confidence.
Don’t be scared to use the putter
It’s not weak to use the putter from off the green. If you’re not feeling good about a particular chip shot you can always use your putter. It may not be the prettiest option but it can often be the most effective. If you want to shoot the best score possible then don’t worry about playing boring shots – play the shot that has the most chance of success.
I’ve also had tremendous success using my three wood for chipping. The bigger club gives the ball the extra momentum it needs to get through the fringe and the larger sole of the three wood slides nicely on top of the grass. In other words you’ll avoid those dreaded duffed shots.
You can also chip with a 5 and 6 iron. The stroke is similar to a putt but you’re able to get extra impetus on the ball to get through rough and fairway and onto the green.
Use course strategy to avoid those nasty chips
I’m a big fan of playing to my strengths. My ball striking is my strongest asset with chipping the weakest. I have been able to play better golf and shoot lower scores by avoiding chip shots where possible. I’ll shoot away from tight pins if missing the target means I’ll be left with a nasty little chip shot.
Sure, I don’t make many birdies on these holes but I now make less bogeys or worse. I’m minimising the damage and playing to my strengths. I’m sure you’ll surprise yourself with how many shots you can save by playing smarter and away from those tricky pin placements.
This has been one of the hardest lessons for me to grasp but one that has allowed me to reach a higher level of play, have more fun and reach my potential. This type of lesson isn’t usually that popular but it’s worth exploring if you’re serious about your game.
A little practice won’t hurt
You don’t need to spend hours and hours working on your chipping game but some time is beneficial. My advice is to spend 10 minutes per week on hitting the chalk line and thinking about playing smarter rather than the pretty stuff. I know 10 minutes is not much time but this is more than most people devote to their chipping.
Don’t forget to automate
Like all parts of the game I think automation of the chipping game will take your results to new heights. There’s no short cut to automating your chipping. It takes discipline, courage and some persistence. The effort is well worth it because you’ll end up with something remarkable.
There’s really no magic to better chipping. The biggest key is to play the shots you know you can hit. This means forgetting about hitting chips you think you should be able to play and only attempt those you really know you can play successfully.
This strategy takes some patience. You may have to putt from off the green and play safely from difficult situations when you’ll be tempted to go for it. It’s not always fun but you will shoot lower scores and this is what most people are after. And shooting lower scores really is a lot of fun 
OK – so you’ve been playing automatically but you now want to improve your golf swing. What’s the best way and how do you do it?
Great question and one that needs some attention.
First off, you need to have spent some time playing automatically. This is key. If you’ve never given automatic a chance you’re wasting your time and will NEVER experience your best golf. Why? Because you will get a mixed bag of results and will have nothing solid to work with. After all, it’s impossible to fix anything if you keep making different mistakes each time. When you play automatically you’ll actually find your game, and this, believe it or not, will be fairly consistent.
Secondly, it’s crucial that you only attempt to fix something that’s broken. Don’t make up stories and don’t fix something just for the sake of it.
It’s also important to choose one thing at a time to work on. It’s just not possible to fix your grip, backswing, downswing and follow-through all at once. Make it easy on yourself and stick to one thing at a time.
With these in mind let’s look at how to make an improvement to your golf swing.
Get the best information
Do everything you can to find the best information. Beg, borrow or steal it if you have to. I was so disgruntled at the contradictory nature of golf instruction that I embarked on a journey that led to a major scientific study into the golf swing. A little bit overboard perhaps, but the information I was left with ended the confusion and self-doubt that I once had.
How do you find that information? BioSwing is a good place to start. I would avoid any radical teaching theories. Anyone claiming to have invented a new swing, grip or special technique is likely selling snake oil. If you can find a golf coach that is prepared to help you enhance your natural swing (not take it apart and destroy it) and teach you a free flowing action, you’ll do just fine. If she wants to get too technical and try and turn you into a robot I would encourage you to run, not walk, the other way.
How to make swing changes
Assuming that you’ve got some good instruction and you’re working with a golf coach that isn’t trying too technical, here’s a method for integrating changes into your game.
Note: I’ve adopted the following techniques from Carey Mumford’s 32 ball drill and from working with my mentor Michael Craig. Michael Craig has been an Olympian and national hockey coach for Australia and Japan.
When you want to make swing changes or alterations to your game you have to enter what I call “training mode”. Training mode is focussing your attention on the ONE aspect that you want to fix. You are not fixing your golf swing, trying to play golf and attempting to hit perfect golf shots all at the same time. This is a recipe for disaster! Work on one thing and that thing only.
I have always found that best results are achieved away from the golf course. One of the best things you can do if you want to work on your swing is to find a practice net. Installing one at home or the office is well worth it if you’re serious about improvement. I like to keep the golf course for playing golf and the practice net for “training mode”.
The idea of training mode is to make four or five conscious attempts at whatever you’re working on. Remember, your focus and attention is on the drill or the action – don’t worry about the quality of the strike. Good or bad at this stage it’s irrelevant. Too many golfers want to hit perfect shots during practice, when they don’t get it they lose concentration and interest. Forget about results during training mode – your attention needs to be on whatever you’re working on an that’s it!
The next step is important and one that Mumford and Craig are big on. You have to simulate “play” after a short while. There’s no point hitting hundreds of shots and expecting changes to be made. After four or five attempts you need to simulate play on the course. You do this by going through your full routine and striving for automation. This is the time to forget about swing thoughts and play golf.
The final part is to repeat the above two steps a few more times. That is, hit a handful of balls thinking about your technique then let go and hit some automatically. This process ensures your practice sessions are short and sharp and all changes are integrated into your game. This is what practice is all about. Learning to make changes and then being able to take them to the course.
It’s not always about shooting a great score. Sometimes playing with freedom, fun and without stress makes the game worthwhile. This reader understands the magic of a perfect mindset;
For the past few weeks I’ve tried your techniques, including in a few tournament rounds and really enjoy it. I can’t say I am taking fewer putts per round but I’m not taking more. I am certainly taking less time to putt and it’s less stressful. I really enjoy the process of reading the putt, committing to a line then getting over the ball and making my natural stroke. No practice strokes, no worrying about line or speed, just letting my feel take over. My goal is to commit and hit – listen to my inner voice that says this one should be hit harder or softer or higher or lower. When I do that I am hitting and making some nice putts. When I don’t, the quality of my putt is not as good, so I have become much more aware of what it feels like to let go and trust it.
Thanks for the great ideas.
When you can play good golf without having to stress, taking lots of time but still have a great time, why would you want to play any other way? It sure beats the alternative.
Since I’ve been spilling the beans on playing automatically I’ve received a number of questions about alignment. The most common one is, “how do I align to the target?”.
Good question.
After testing this extensively I believe that alignment is a “one percenter”. Something that you don’t need to concern yourself with and something that should happen instinctively.
Here’s the scoop.
We do so many other skills without worrying about alignment. We throw balls, run, catch and hit without a thought of aiming. It happens naturally and for the most part successfully.
Golfers have had it beaten into them that they must stand squarely to the target. I’m sure you’ve placed a club on the ground parallel to the target. This may or may not work for you. By forgetting the target and getting set up (and aligned) automatically not only will you hit the ball straighter, it will ultimately feel more comfortable, you’ll play more quickly and it’s so much easier to do. Does that sound good?
Here’s the drill.
When you’re behind the ball look where you want to hit it and then move into the ball naturally and automatically. Be sure to get set first, and then and only then take a peek at the target. You can then hit the ball without delay or self-doubt.
Sidebar:A fantastic exercise is to hit the all shots without looking up. Try it. Do all your planning behind the ball and then walk up, get set and hit the ball without any further connection to the target.
There is a catch to playing this way. It will feel uncomfortable at first. You will doubt that you’re aligned correctly, you will want to shuffle about and check your club face. This is only normal – but when you can trust and commit to the process you’ll free up your swing. This can only lead to a better game.
I haven’t seen any golfer follow this method and align herself poorly. Sure, she may be a little (read not much, tiny or a small amount) closed or open but is this a bad thing? I don’t think so, especially if this allows her to swing in a way that suits HER. And this my friend is the entire point of the exercise!
If you struggle with alignment and feel uncomfortable with your set-up it’s time to throw away the preconceptions that are holding you back. Give the task to your subconscious and go with it. Yes it takes a level of trust and a dose of courage – but these traits are exactly what are lacking in most of us.
Aligning to the target is important – trusting yourself to do so naturally is more important.
And finally: Please don’t expect an instant cure. You have to give yourself some time (maybe a round or two) to adjust. But hang in there. The rewards are definitely worth the effort.
The following lesson is a gem to help you control nerves and maximise your chances of hitting a great shot. It is also a beauty when facing an important shot like from the first tee or that winning putt.
I call it Pre Setting
Pre setting allows you to get comfortable and confident prior to having to hit the ball. Here’s how it works.
Prior to the actual shot get into your set up position over the ball (be careful not to hit (or touch) the ball), get comfortable, look at the target and generally become familiar with the situation. It may take a moment to ensure everything feels right – take your time because getting comfortable is the goal of the exercise.
Once you’re confident and feeling good about the shot back off and go through your routine as you normally would. When you get to the ball it won’t feel different or strange because you’ve already experienced the situation moments earlier. If you do happen to feel a difference from before back off and try again.
This is a brilliant strategy that can work for all shots but I’ve found it particularly helpful with the following;
- Opening tee shot
- Difficult lie or stance
- Anytime I feel it’s an important or “must make” shot
- Those tricky little putts
- Over the last few holes when I’m getting nervous
- Anytime I’m unsure or in doubt
I wouldn’t recommend doing it on every shot you have, it would take too much time and you’d get tired. Save it for when you feel you really need it and I’m sure it will help you perform better.
Something extra:Pre setting works particularly well out of bunkers. You’re able to move into the sand, shuffle your feet about and get comfortable. Then, step away and check your footprints and ensure your ball position and alignment is spot on. When you’re ready to play the shot you can jump straight back into the footprints you left behind and hit the shot. Easy!
Before I go I’d like to credit US based author Carey Mumford for this technique. I first read about this strategy in 2006 and have used it ever since with great results.
After watching Padraig Harrington sink three good putts in a row to win the US PGA I thought I would give you a putting strategy that has turned my putting from my weakest link to the strongest. This putting system is also part of what I taught Aaron Baddeley when he was still a junior. He has since become one of the world’s best putters (check his stats from 2003-2008.)
The key fundamental for great putting is to learn to automate your putting stroke. You must be able to hit every putt with the same mindset – this is the only way you’ll learn to putt consistently. Trying to consciously control the putting stroke doesn’t work and can lead to the putting yips. This is something I know plenty about. To learn more about playing automatically shoot over here and discover how to think less and play more.
Reading greens
I’m not too fussed about reading greens. Dave Pelz, the leading putting guru, has said that golfers can’t read greens correctly. After testing thousands of golfers he discovered that it’s difficult to read the true amount of break on the greens, with even the best players struggling to get it right. When I read that I decided that if the best players can’t read greens correctly then it was unlikely I could too. So I stopped worrying about the line of the putt and it made a huge difference.
I like to get an approximation of the line. I don’t stress about getting it exactly right – near enough is good enough if you ask me. I have since learned that the correct line is also dependent on the speed of the putt. And since you don’t know exactly how hard you’re about to strike the putt it’s impossible to get the line 100% spot on. What I do like to do is look. I look at the putt from behind the ball with level eyes. It’s no good having your head tilted to the side – keep your head and eyes level on all your putts and you’ll improve your consistency. On longer (or tricky) putts I will walk the length of the putt and get a view from a different angle. All this helps my subconscious get all the necessary information it needs and I’m also consciously able to get an approximation about the line and speed of the putt. All this gives me the confidence that I’m doing everything possible to make the putt. I’m not wasting time or energy thinking too much about the line – my trust is in my subconscious to work out all of the minor details.
Getting to the ball
I think a neglected area of golf instruction is the walk to the ball. Without knowing the best way of doing this you allow self-doubt, fear and tension enter the system. Not a good thing if you want to make a slick and breaking three footer with all the money on the line. Once you’re ready to go I recommend you start counting in your head. Walk to the ball with your eyes focussed on the ball with your conscious mind focussed on counting.
Note: This helps you get into your own little world. You’ll become immune from distractions like other players, the target and your inner voice. This one step is crucial and will allow you to become the best putter you can be.
The set-up
Once you get to the ball you want to get set first and look at the hole or target later. I like to say, “set up like you mean business first and then look up at the target if you feel the need second”. Too many golfers get distracted by the target early into the set up – avoid this by making sure you keep focusing your eyes on the ball while you get into your setup position. And don’t forget to keep counting!
Pulling the trigger
If you’ve followed the above steps you’ll be in good shape. Your mind should be uncluttered and you’ll be ready to pull the trigger automatically. There’s not much to do other than trust the automatic process. Keep counting and let your subconscious strike the ball in any way that feels good and right to you. Don’t undo all of your good work by over thinking and trying to control the stroke at the last second. You have to let go and allow your natural instincts to take over. I can promise you that this is an easier and more effective way to putt. It will allow you to make more of those pressure putts and keep three-putting to a minimum.
Summing up
Improving your putting doesn’t require that you overhaul your technique. I believe that putting technique could be the simplest of all sporting tasks and to improve it requires that you get out of your own way and stop thinking so much.
Your objective is to roll the ball along the grass – this doesn’t require any special talent or physical gift. All golfers possess enough skill and talent to become great putters – the real trick is to get out of your own way and let it happen automatically.
If you’d like to learn more about my putting system you can do so by downloading my FREE putting book. To do so please visit, www.perfect-putting.com.
