One of the biggest issues for golfers, even those quite advanced can be shots which result in a duff or thin shot around the green. A lot of the reason comes back to a time when we were first taught chipping. I, like a lot of people, were taught to drive the hands forward when chipping in order to maintain forward shaft lean. This approach can work well for a period of time but most people can fall into a trap by overdoing this action which does lead to chipping issues when older.
The other reason why golfers fall into this action is because it is the movement most similar when performing the normal swing. When you do your normal swing it is encouraged that you do drive the hands forward because this is what compresses the golf ball. However when using this action with chipping it can lead to digging as the more the hands drive forward, the more you only use the leading edge of the club. The 'thinning' is the result of your body fearing the club will dig and thus the upper half tends to stay back and the club starts to hit high on the ball.
Now the best way to overcome this is setting up in a position that enables the club to release naturally. The first element to this is having the ball position in the middle of the stance with the handle only slightly forward of the clubface. I would also recommend you open the clubface at address to give you further forgiveness as you will be more inclined to using the bounce. The next stage is to do practice swings where you turn your body back and though.
Now the most crucial element to fix your technique is your sequence on the downswing. When you have the old technique of driving the hands, the downswing is often initiated too aggressively with the upper half. What you now need to try and do is feel the lower half initiate just like you would a normal swing. Once you can feel this, you will notice now that your arms will start to naturally swing through. This then starts to release the club and thus allowing you to move forward through the ball and hitting crisp chip shots.
If you'd like any further help with your short game just contact myself at David Waters Golf.
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