How Senior Golfers can Play their Best Downhill Chip Shots (Video) - by Dean Butler
How Senior Golfers can Play their Best Downhill Chip Shots (Video) - by Dean Butler

Okay, we're going to talk about playing a chip now on a down slope, not as easy as the upslope, a little bit more difficult. But this is how we go about it, and just imagine here, we are on a slope like this. So the first thing that we're going to notice is that ball is going to fly lower. And because it's going to fly lower, it's going to run a little bit more. So let's just say, we would have played it with an 8-iron. Now we're going to go to a 9-iron, and we're going to go more lofted because we're going to allow for that ball flying lower and it’s going to roll out.

So we've selected the club, let's look at the setup. So imagine this slope, so I have got a golf ball leaving my right foot, which is pushing me on my left side to recreate this down slope. I've got the ball in the centre of the stance and we have as we've all shot game shots, my left foot is being pulled back slightly because of an open set up. And from here, what I want to do is I want to make sure my weight is on my left side, so I'm putting my weight with the slope. I am also positioning my spine perpendicular to the actual slope, so I'm actually putting my spine here. It should have been there is going with the slope, it's going down here. So I'm putting it perpendicular and the whole idea of putting these things in places is that I'm going to hit down and through the slope, not into the slope but with the slope. I'm going to use that slope now because that ball is going to fly lower and it's going to release, yes, we've taken an extra lofty club. But just look at what you are faced with because you are going to get a little bit more topspin, even though you have taken more loft, remember that ball is going to roll out a little bit more. And because of that, you maybe, you just need to play that ball a little bit shorter than what you would have done. So let's put ourselves in this position, so the hands forward is always, put the weight on the left hand side, spine perpendicular. So everything is going with the slope, keep the weight on that left side, and from here, just use your arms. So take the club back arms, and that ball has gone nice. It's gone just the right sort of height. It's just a nice little release out about there. A very, very simple golf shot, but it's all about getting yourself into the starting blocks in the right position. But again, now you got the knowledge, go out and have a go at it and again it's a lot easier than you think. Go and enjoy your practice. 2013-10-22

Okay, we're going to talk about playing a chip now on a down slope, not as easy as the upslope, a little bit more difficult. But this is how we go about it, and just imagine here, we are on a slope like this. So the first thing that we're going to notice is that ball is going to fly lower. And because it's going to fly lower, it's going to run a little bit more. So let's just say, we would have played it with an 8-iron. Now we're going to go to a 9-iron, and we're going to go more lofted because we're going to allow for that ball flying lower and it’s going to roll out.

So we've selected the club, let's look at the setup. So imagine this slope, so I have got a golf ball leaving my right foot, which is pushing me on my left side to recreate this down slope. I've got the ball in the centre of the stance and we have as we've all shot game shots, my left foot is being pulled back slightly because of an open set up. And from here, what I want to do is I want to make sure my weight is on my left side, so I'm putting my weight with the slope. I am also positioning my spine perpendicular to the actual slope, so I'm actually putting my spine here. It should have been there is going with the slope, it's going down here.

So I'm putting it perpendicular and the whole idea of putting these things in places is that I'm going to hit down and through the slope, not into the slope but with the slope. I'm going to use that slope now because that ball is going to fly lower and it's going to release, yes, we've taken an extra lofty club. But just look at what you are faced with because you are going to get a little bit more topspin, even though you have taken more loft, remember that ball is going to roll out a little bit more. And because of that, you maybe, you just need to play that ball a little bit shorter than what you would have done.

So let's put ourselves in this position, so the hands forward is always, put the weight on the left hand side, spine perpendicular. So everything is going with the slope, keep the weight on that left side, and from here, just use your arms. So take the club back arms, and that ball has gone nice. It's gone just the right sort of height. It's just a nice little release out about there. A very, very simple golf shot, but it's all about getting yourself into the starting blocks in the right position. But again, now you got the knowledge, go out and have a go at it and again it's a lot easier than you think. Go and enjoy your practice.