The Problem with Swatting: When you “swat” at the golf ball, your wrists become too active, causing the leading edge of the club to move in front. This often leads to inconsistent contact and poor distance control.

The Setup Fix: To stabilize the shot, set up with a slight lean toward your left side. This positioning helps ensure that your arms, hands, and wrists move quietly through the impact zone rather than flipping at the ball.

The Putter Feel: Imagine you have a putter in your hands. You wouldn’t “swat” with a putter; you would use a steady, pendulum motion. Use that same feeling for these short shots—treat your chip like a bigger version of your putting stroke.

Quiet Hands: Keep the wrists as quiet as possible throughout the entire motion. By removing the extra hand action, you allow the club to work consistently, leading to much more predictable results around the green.

Questions and Answers

Q: Why is “swatting” at the ball a problem?

A: Swatting happens when the wrists are too active, forcing the leading edge of the club forward prematurely. This makes it very difficult to strike the ball cleanly.

Q: How should I stand to help keep my wrists quiet?

A: You should lean your body weight slightly to the left during your setup. This encourages your arms and hands to move through the shot as a single, stable unit.

Q: What is the best visual to use for better chipping?

A: Think of your chip as a “bigger putting stroke”. Just as you wouldn’t flick your wrists while putting, you want to maintain that same quiet, controlled feel during your short game shots.