THE SHORT GAME- CHIPS AND PITCHES

     Recently, I emphasized the importance of accuracy and 
consistency over length. Anytime you swing a club within 150 
yards of the green you probably add a stroke to your score. The
closer you get to the green the more true and critical this
becomes. Except for occasions of unusually good luck, bad shots
close to the green cannot be made up. Making every shot count is
the essence of chipping and pitching.

     When is it a chip and not a pitch? Well, there are a couple 
general ways to define the difference. 

     One is by distance from the putting surface. When your  
distance from the green can be comfortably measured in feet 
you are generally chipping. Beyond that you are pitching. 

   The other is by the size and shape of your swing. When you 
use a firm wristed stroke similar to a putt, you are chipping.  
When you need a bit longer back swing and allow your wrists to 
break you are pitching.

     The chipping objective is to get the ball on the green and 
rolling as soon as possible. Since roll is easier to predict and 
control than flight we want to land the ball on the nearest edge 
of the green and allow it to roll to the hole.
 
     There are two basic schools of thought on chipping club 
selection: one club for all chips and a different club dictated 
by distance from the target area. 

     Personally, I advocate using the straightest face club 
possible to get the ball to the green consistent with how far the 
ball must fly, then roll. This could be any club from a 5 iron to 
a Sand Wedge.

    A handy gauge is that a 7 Iron will roll two times further
than it flies (1/3  flight, 2/3 roll). A pitching Wedge will roll
about the same distance as it flies.

     The chipping setup is dictated by the situation that there
is very little back swing which means very little lower body 
movement and that  the  ball must be (as any Iron) struck a 
descending  blow. Consequently, your feet will be closer together 
about  a foot  apart) and slightly open to the target line. With
your weight  predominantly on your left side, this presets the
impact position of enabling your left arm to swing freely.
Bending over far enough to let you arms clear your body will
require that you choke down on the club, sometimes to the lower
end of the grip.

     Most short shots are mishit through decelerating into the
ball. This can be easily overcome by shortening your backswing. 

   When you overswing, your subconscious fears hitting too far
and slows your forward swing, making you "sag" into the ball.  A
short backswing works just the opposite. Your subconscious
assists in accelerating through the ball with a crisp "smack". A
little practice will bear this out. 

     Keep your wrists firm throughout the stroke without  any
wrist break. DO NOT get wristy and try  to flip"  the ball into
the air. Try to maintain the same arm and shoulder  geometry as
at set up and merely turn your shoulders back and through the
ball much as with your putting stroke.

     The further you get from the green, the more lofted the club
you will choose, using the same setup and swing technique, until 
you get to the Sand Wedge (which rolls about  30  percent of the
distance it flies). Beyond this distance, any club you hit  with
the chipping technique will generally roll too far. Now you are
pitching.

     The  slight  differences in execution are that  your
pitching stance will widen slightly because your swing will be
fuller. As soon as you  take  the club back to about hip height 
(or  higher),  your wrists  will begin to break. 

With your weight set left and  your stance  slightly  open, you
will hit down on the ball giving  it lots of height, maximum back
spin and minimum roll. These are the shots you  need from 10 to
100 yards off the green. The amount that you choke down on the
club will vary naturally as your distance from the target area
increases.

     While chips should always land 4 or 5 feet onto the green
pitches will be played to a target closer to the hole. How close
is determined not only  by the club you choose but by the
condition, slope and break of the green. 

     With a lot of thought before each shot and a little practice
you will soon be able to consistently get your chips to finish
within 3 or 4 feet of the hole. Skillful chipping and pitching is
good for saving par by turning an "up and down" from a potential
3 into a probable 2.