Use the Y for Chipping
A great way to learn to chip the golf ball close is to use the Y at address that I describe in my Perfect Connection Golf Swing Video. If you have not seen the video than I suggest that you do, however just imagine the arms and the golf club forming the letter Y at address.
This is the setup position for address for full swing, however when you are chipping I want you to imagine a small letter y. 
With our chipping setup we want our feet about a club head width apart and our hands ahead of the ball. Our hands will be off of our left thigh with about 80% of our weight on our left side. This setup for chipping is in essence our triple stack position for impact for the full swing but with our feet narrow. Even though you are learning to chip better, we are truly working on your impact position for the golf swing. Many people are able to hit the ball ok with their full swing, but struggle with chipping and pitching. This is because their swing is not built on solid fundamentals. During the full swing you have lots of time and space to compensate. During the pitch you have only half the time and during a chip you have only a fraction of the time to compensate for faulty mechanics.
Chipping and the Y Drill
If you are working on the proper swing technique than the pitch is a mini swing and the chip is just a mini pitch. There should not be any different thoughts or different techniques that are taught. This is one reason why the Perfect Connection Swing is great is because it is taught on solid fundamentals that work throughout your whole golf game. Full swing fundamentals and methods that are taught that do not stress the short game should raise doubts and questions immediately. If your full swing impact is different than chipping setup than imagine all the different shots you will need to learn for all the different shots that we encounter on the golf course. Our triple stack position at impact for the full swing is really the position we are trying to form at address for chipping.
Learn to form the small letter y on your chips and you will be well on your way to improving your full swing impact and thus hitting the ball with greater power and control.
Keep em Long and Straight,
CJ
8 Comments
I went out and hit a bucket today for the first time since seeing your video lesson. I am a 12 hndcp and my swing is not too different than the one you present. I hit 20 plus shanks off the hosel in 1 bucket of balls. Which is 20 more shanks than I have hit all year. Not sure why…I practiced the swing outside for days before I hit the range. Also for some reason I am pulling my driver real bad now. Which has never happened. Why? I can hit my irons the old way, but this driver thing has me concerned.
Joel
Joel Pollitt,
Stay patient Joel I am here to help you through this. Together we will get this knocked out. First thing is I am expecting you have overcooked one of the drills. The reason I know this is the pull with the driver and obviously the shanks. First look to see if you have lost connection with your right arm from your body. Second if your right arm is connected make sure you get the transition working. If your right arm is connected then you must be starting from the top down and we need to start from the ground up. If you start from the ground up than the club will be on the proper plane (shoulder) and you won’t hit these pulls. Keep me informed and we will figure this out together.
keep em long and Straight,
cj
Could you please send me some tips how to rectify this following prblem.
1) On driving range when I practice straight from the mat with the irons eg. 7/8/5/ pitching wedge I generally can hit the golf balls but on the course I can not do that nicely. Please advise what to do in improving this fault.
2) How to improve in lofting the balls much higher in the air than what I am doing now.
3) I had a tendency to drive the ball to the left. How can I improve?
Hi CJ, really good advice and it certainly works for me. Narrow stance, small ‘y’ (forward arm and club are aligned), stacked on left side just ahead of the ball. I stand slightly open and vary the club depending on distance to green, distance to hole, lie, slope, etc. The swing is generated from my shoulders, focusing on the grass under the ball. I find this chipping method really reliable and gives me consistent results which we are all seeking. I am a high handicap golfer and am often praised on my chipping by mid/low players. Then again, maybe they are just being pleasant! Pity my full swing is so out of whack.. will be changing that once the Perfect Connection DVD arrives!
Keep up the good work.
Bob UK
Thanks Bob and keep me informed on your progress and your thoughts on the swing.
Keep em Long and Straight,
cj
Hi CJ
Great tip, I find it an easy proceedure to remember, however, do you have any tips on controlling the distances for short and long shots?? as sometimes I can come up a little short or shoot past the hole. I try to land the ball approx halfway to the hole, depending on the club and the distance from the hole.
looking forward to your reply
Les — I think that landing half way to the hole is part of your problem. A sand wedge might be used for landing at the halfway point, but going down to pitching wedge, 9 iron, etc there is less air time and more ground time. Hitting a PW to the half way point would take you past the hole in most cases as it is about 1/3 air and 2/3 roll depending upon ball position. Forward gets more air and backward ball placement gets more roll. You shoud chart your uphill and down hill distances with each club to get a comfortable feel for how far each chip or pitch goes.
les (from Australia),
I would encourage you to get my short game DVD. The reason I suggest this is not trying to be a salesman, but I give tons of information and games that can help you with this process. I also describe a great ratio drill that i have learned from a tour player that is simple to learn but complicated to write on a blog. Let me know if you have seen this because you will also need the 95% rule and the 5% rule which will totally change your course management when it comes to chipping. I promise that these things will amaze you and you will learn a bunch of new chip shots called the cj low, medium, high, ultra high, and the cj slide (which Greg Norman made kinda famous) Support your country man and let me know what you think. hOpe all is well and lets keep talking and I will try to help you out if you cant get the dvd.
Keep em long and Straight,
cj