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I have developed a big problem with my half shot chips or quarter shot chips.

Everything else in my game is in good shape at present but this is doing my head in.

When i have a half shot I seem to be really digging deep into the turf and hitting the ball very fat and it goes nowhere. I wonder if I am doing one of the fundementals very wrong. Should I try and get my hands in front of the ball? Should I open my stance?

Its just annoying as I dig a good 1 inch down into the turf.

Please help.

Set up is important, like you suggested.

With the weight mostly on the leading leg and the hands in a forward press (and ensuring that you are not cocking the wrists), take a couple of practice swings to see where you make contact with the ground. That is where I place the ball (for me, it's about 1 ball's width to the right of center of my stance - right handed set up). I am also choking down on the club close to the junction of the grip and shaft.

Make sure that the loft of your club and not your wrists flipping it up, gets the ball into the air. The club flip is what I see a lot of people attempt to do.

http://thegolfdrillguru.netfirms.com/nfblog/?p=173

Yeah its frustrating.

What you say makes sense, i think that i probably have the ball too far forward in my stance meaning that the club is still descending downwards in its path as I hit the ball which would explain the chunk or hitting it fat. So *** **** frustrating though.

They do say that its better to be too far back in the stance than forwards I suppose.

Thanks

My problems with the game pertain to the full swing with woods and driver. Just a few months ago (after a break from playing, practicing under suboptimal conditions, etc), I couldn't get a wedge airborne for some reason. Luckily, chipping and sand shots are not a problem for me.

Actually, re-read that statement over again. The "club ... still descending downwards in its path as I hit the ball" is a good thing -- a very good thing. This is why you see the pros toss up major divots on pretty much every iron swing. You want to hit the ball with a descending blow. You want the bottom of your swing to be in front of the ball. The average touring pro's swing has the bottom of their swing 4 inches in front of the ball (that's the lowest point in their divots). So, basically, instead of trying to hit the ball, try to hit a point a few inches in front of the ball. Trust that the club will come around and hit the ball. I like to achieve this feeling by concentrating on getting the hands out ahead of the ball at impact and trusting that the club will come through. I know that it is cliche to say it, but a real emphasis on making a good swing and just letting the ball get in the way really helps -- as opposed to trying to hit the ball by controlling the clubhead. Just learn to trust that the clubhead will be returned to the ball by making a good swing -- with the bottom of the swing out in front of the ball.

I have a question ...
Is this a chip or a pitch? It doesn't really matter what you call it ... I'm not arguing over it, just want to have it clear in my mind ... even the tournament announcers are inconsistent on the terminology here.

To me, a chip is a shot usually played further back in the stance, delofting the club, and usually meant to just land on the green and roll to the hole. More of a putting motion is used than a full swing motion.

To me a pitch is primarily a shorter full swing shot, played more like a full swing, but with a shorter back swing to get less distance. The ball takes a higher trajectory and usually flies closer to the hole than a chip.

It sounds to me like you are talking about what I would call a pitch. To really help, we need to know what kind of swing you are taking here ... and where you place the ball in your stance. Also, do you move your grip down on the club or use an open stance?

I had the same problem on my chip last round I played, turned out for some reason I was not putting my weight on my leading leg, causing fat shots or bladed shots, I was fuming, as I am pretty good with chips. As soon as I put my weight slightly on my leading leg the problem went away. I always get the feeling that my lower body stay stable and still, and my chip pivots around my left leg, that gives me good contact with the ball and good distance control.

This is spot on...the way to make this happen is to position the ball directly below your sternum at set up...weight favoring the front leg, stand tall and place the club in front of the ball where the lowest part of your swing should be, extend your arms so that they are fully extended as they would be just past impact with centrifigual force pulling them from the shoulder sockets, set that distance, then address the ball maintaining the same head position and spine angle and swing...this will guarntee that you don' t hit fat provided that you stay in balance and don't straighten up through the shot...

Sorry been away for a few days but as a poster asked above it is definitly a pitch, in that I am hitting it from 40 yards plus and I am not delofting the club as in to play a bump and run.

Its just annoying as when I do hit it properly it stops very quick and is very accurate. I wasnt doing this all year last year and now I am doing it every now and then. Not good when you play off of 5 :)

So as s ometimes I need a refresher what should be my thought process and what execution should I use ie. ball position, hand position and weight position.

Thanks for all replies

You still have to watch out for "Peeky" head. Yes Ball Position is very important not only where in the stance also for far it is from you. But if you peek before hit, nothing matters. Ask your friends whether you're peeking or not. It's not easy to detect this yourself.

Just want to add a few comments ...

Thanks for clarifying exactly what kind of shot you are making.

I'm no expert, and after that clarification, I have little to say.

But ... I was reading H. Penick's Little Blue Book, and he is reluctant to adjust a student's swing unless he is absolutely sure it will help them.

But ... he also recommends to avoid chili-dipping pitches (super fat shots), keep your grip at the end of the club (don't choke down), and use a SW. I assume he recommends the sandwedge because the bounce will mitigate fat hits. I'm not sure of that, but that is what I read between the lines.

Ugh! I had the same problem this past week. I had been pitching beautifully and then suddenly I start chunking. Huh, I said. Question: Could it be caused by not staying connected? Arms and body moving independently. I try to start my pitch after the backswing by rotating the body and making sure I face the hole on follow through. I was still doing that but still chunking. Then I thought turning the body is not helping if you don't stay connected. I just kept thinking I was decellerating but couldn't figure out why.

This sounds like the culprit to me...I find it quite common for "chunkers" to take the club too far back and therefore have to calculate the power on the way down. I also find that unstable or active legs will cause a fat shot, especially if there's any "peek-a-boo". The way to cure it to keep the lower body quiet, weight slightly forward on the ball of the lead foot, stay connected (meaning keep the hands in and feel the triceps against the pecs) and only take the club back as far as necessary to execute the shot with acceleration and power. If you only take the clubhead back 6 inches, you can only hit it so far...you can increase the takeaway and use the same acceleration and power and gain a little distance. I feel like this is one of the fundamentals of the golf swing that is easy to forget and let get away from you...that, and this one

Shade

Well I a mgoing out to hit my entire practice bag this afternoon and try the suggestions that have been said.

No peaking

Weight forward and try not to decelerate.

Most importantly I think be confident with the shot, I will iron it out me thinks.

will let you know when I have finished practice.