GET A GRIP ON YOUR CHIPS

By Erika Larkin on 8/7/13

For better greenside chip shots take a hard look at your setup, in particular your GRIP. I've seen many amateurs with a strong grip position hit great shots for full swing, but around the green they end up scooping, chunking or blading their chip shots because the same grip position backfires. Using a strong grip is difficult to keep the left wrist flat (which is a key component to solid chips).

At setup, (see picture #1) a strong grip, one where your lead hand is rotated away over hinges the wrist and promotes a scooping/flipping action through impact which undesirable (see pic #2).


  
Picture 1                                                                  Picture 2

NOTE: if your grip is strong and you try to force a flatter lead wrist it usually leads to a closed clubface position which will lower your ball flight and pull it off line/cause fat shots.

Using a weaker grip position (see picture 3), one where your lead hand is turned more toward the target helps promote the flatter left wrist from start to finish (see picture 4).


  
Picture 3                                                                  Picture 4


Erika Larkin is the Director of Instruction at Larkin Golf Learning Community, at Stonewall Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia. She was named the 2012 Middle Atlantic PGA "Teacher of the Year" and the 2011 "Top Golf Pro" by Washingtonian Magazine and she's ClubSG's newest columnist! She writes on a variety of topics including instruction, so if you have a question for her or an idea for a column, email her at ErikaLarkin@pga.com. Enjoy!