We can all recall the last time we shot a chip across the green at light speed. Finding yourself on the far side of the green and facing an impossible shot, with the possibility of it happening again. What do you do then? So you try to not hit the ball too hard. You slow down your downswing, hit the fat it moves a little closer.
Do you sound familiar?
You will have seen my articles throughout the years about angles and the golf swing. The power source or at the very least, one of the most important angles in golf is the angle. The clubface angle is what gives great trajectory to the clubs.
Poor angles are almost always the root cause of chipping errors. You may not have created the best angle for your move away but you have likely released it early in the downswing, leaving you with the clubhead.
Let’s take this a step further. Which angle do I mean? This is the angle between your right wrist and your right forearm. A bent back position.
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Place your left hand in front of you, with your palm facing towards the left and your thumb facing your face. Keep your right arm straight up. You got it! Next, bend your right arm toward your forearm by bending your wrist at the wrist. Take note of the angle between your hand and your forearm. It is this angle we will discuss.
You will only see the bent wrist in better players.
If the right hand is positioned in a slightly bowed position, the wrist should be bent toward the outside. Or slightly bent.
You will understand that I’m referring to being on the top of your backswing.
Also, you’ll see it on almost every range across the country. This isn’t the ideal position. The cupped left wrist needs some adjustments on the path to the ball. It’s because it creates an unnatural clubface, which must be closed or square to allow for good impact.
Here’s where I will stop. It’s okay to know that not everyone will get it. Some may. You don’t have to keep slamming your chips on the green. There are ways to position your wrists to achieve this. Try it at the very least.. start with small swings.. then hit many balls using your wedges. You can bump the ball by using your fully cocked hand. You can either bend your right wrist or flatten your left wrist.
Lock it by cocking your wrists. That should be at the ball’s back. At first you won’t be able hold the cocked position, but you will soon. Then, you’ll notice your hands ahead of where the ball is at impact. This is when you will win. You can’t go wrong with them