In the first of our golf tips series, reigning Asian Tour number one Thaworn Wiratchant shares the secret to his chipping game which many has touted him as one of the best short game players in the world.
By Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha)
There is no substitute to practice if you want to have a solid short game and chip well. I practice a lot to ensure it becomes a routine especially when I have to hit certain shots from near or around the green.
One of the key elements is that you need to imagine or visualize the shot that you want to hit before executing the stroke.
To start with, the ball is positioned on my left heel (picture 1).
I also maintain “soft hands” and ensure that it is always a smooth stroke, from the backswing up till the follow through.
On the backswing (picture 2), I cork my wrist and subsequently ensures that I come down steep into the ball. I also maintain the same swing plane as with my other iron shots (picture 3).
The amount of backswing (picture 4) is of course related to the distance you want the ball to fly or how you want the action of the ball to react, whether it is a bump and run shot or a high shot to the flag. But the key is to always commit to the shot and to finish the swing.
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4