A ‘super important’ shot for aging golfers to master

As golfers become older, which means they often lose distance. And as they proceed to age, that additionally means their scores get greater. That’s the character of the sport.

But there are methods for aging or senior gamers to sluggish an growing handicap, and the easiest way, in accordance to GOLF Top 100 Teacher Todd Sones, is to work on these key short-game chips and pitches.

“Most senior players, around the greens they are hitting fat and thin shots, topping the golf ball … they are not hitting as many greens in regulation anymore, but they are probably getting it around the green, so to me that 20- to 30-yard shot becomes super important to them,” Sones mentioned. “If you can get them to make decently solid contact, get it up on top of the green surface and work on their lag putting, they can score decently. As soon as their chipping and pitching goes awry, they are going to shoot big numbers.”

Sones says it additionally helps to have a change in mindset. Too many bogey golfers have the aim that they want to save par, however to him these gamers want to fear extra about defending bogey and avoiding the round-killing massive numbers.

As for working towards and pulling off photographs from that key short-game vary, Sones mentioned it’s essential to be sure that your weight shift is appropriate.

“Making sure they are more on the left side at impact (for right-handed golfers), and not their right side and try to scoop the ball into the air — which a lot of them do,” Sones mentioned. “Use the loft of the golf club to loft the golf ball instead of the body. If you can get that happening, they score decently. The game is not fun, and it’s embarrassing, when you start blading shots around the green.”

As for a drill to give attention to this chipping challenge, right here’s one Sones recommends.

The flamingo drill

Below is a video from Sones’ private YouTube channel you may watch and replicate to enhance this important a part of your recreation. (He really advised me he known as this the flamingo drill, however within the video he calls it the stork drill. But hey, names evolve, so I digress.)

For this drill (which begins at 3:07 within the video beneath), take your regular stance after which take your lead foot and produce it again so it’s nearer in keeping with the golf ball (centered below your sternum). Then take your path foot and pull it again behind you, away from the golf ball, and contact your knees collectively. Like this:

“You want your (back) toe pretty much lined up with your instep. I call it a single-pivot point — I’m pivoting right around the single leg,” Sones mentioned. “A lot of people, you give them two legs, and they hit off the back leg, so this gets them really centered and pivoting around the front leg. So you lift the heel (on the back foot) — this is important — and if I put my (back) toe even with my instep, and lift my heel, I’m going to learn how to pivot this way.”

Then begin hitting photographs. You’ll rapidly get that really feel down. Check out the video beneath.

Josh Berhow

Golf.com Editor

Josh Berhow is the managing editor at GOLF.com. The Minnesota native graduated with a journalism diploma from Minnesota State University in Mankato. You can attain him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.