How the run up golf shot can help you hit more greens (Video) - by Pete Styles
How the run up golf shot can help you hit more greens (Video) - by Pete Styles

If you feel that when you’re around the greens and you’re hitting shots into the green, you’re not quite getting the ball close enough or sometimes even you’re missing the green with your chip and your pitches. Consider that the higher you hit the ball, the more risky it is, and the lower you hit the golf ball, the safer it is. So, if we go ahead and take a relatively low-lofted golf club, let’s say we’re hitting a 30-yard shot, but I’m going to take an 8-iron. Now my 8-iron would normally go way, way over the back of this screen, going to chip with the 8-iron next time. I’m going to narrow my stunts, grip down towards the bottom of the golf club, really lean my body weight into my left hand side. It’s a completely different set of a normal full 8-iron strike. Now, just a very delicate back and through chipping action, nothing in my body, all set to be trying to hit the ball high here. Everything is about hitting the ball low.

Now, one really important factor here is you pick the area where you want the ball to land. Don’t get pseudo-complacent and look at the flag and try and pitch the ball at the flag. That isn’t relevant. You don’t want to land the ball next to the flag because the wall will just roll on far too far. You’ve got to be really specific and pick a spot at the front of the green. Tell yourself “That’s where I need this ball to come down. I need to hit that spot. Then I can get the ball rolling from there.” Now, one of the easiest ways for you to pick that spot would be to imagine you have the ball in your hand and you want to toss the ball on to the edge of the green and see how it released. If you throw it really high in the air, it will land and stop. That would be your sand wedge or your lob wedge shot. But if you were to roll a ball a lot lower, it could land a lot near at you, a lot near to the edge of the green and ruin up. So, pitch that landing-short, rolling-up type of shot. Stare at the landing area, not the flag. Set yourself up with the narrow stance down the grip, lean to the left side. One last little look at your landing area, not the flag, and then go ahead and pitch right into your landing area and just watch the ball release from narrow up towards the hole. When you’re close to the green, keep the ball down. That will give you more accurate and better results when you’re chipping and pitching.

 2012-12-03

If you feel that when you’re around the greens and you’re hitting shots into the green, you’re not quite getting the ball close enough or sometimes even you’re missing the green with your chip and your pitches. Consider that the higher you hit the ball, the more risky it is, and the lower you hit the golf ball, the safer it is. So, if we go ahead and take a relatively low-lofted golf club, let’s say we’re hitting a 30-yard shot, but I’m going to take an 8-iron. Now my 8-iron would normally go way, way over the back of this screen, going to chip with the 8-iron next time. I’m going to narrow my stunts, grip down towards the bottom of the golf club, really lean my body weight into my left hand side. It’s a completely different set of a normal full 8-iron strike. Now, just a very delicate back and through chipping action, nothing in my body, all set to be trying to hit the ball high here. Everything is about hitting the ball low.

Now, one really important factor here is you pick the area where you want the ball to land. Don’t get pseudo-complacent and look at the flag and try and pitch the ball at the flag. That isn’t relevant. You don’t want to land the ball next to the flag because the wall will just roll on far too far. You’ve got to be really specific and pick a spot at the front of the green. Tell yourself “That’s where I need this ball to come down. I need to hit that spot. Then I can get the ball rolling from there.” Now, one of the easiest ways for you to pick that spot would be to imagine you have the ball in your hand and you want to toss the ball on to the edge of the green and see how it released. If you throw it really high in the air, it will land and stop. That would be your sand wedge or your lob wedge shot. But if you were to roll a ball a lot lower, it could land a lot near at you, a lot near to the edge of the green and ruin up. So, pitch that landing-short, rolling-up type of shot. Stare at the landing area, not the flag. Set yourself up with the narrow stance down the grip, lean to the left side. One last little look at your landing area, not the flag, and then go ahead and pitch right into your landing area and just watch the ball release from narrow up towards the hole. When you’re close to the green, keep the ball down. That will give you more accurate and better results when you’re chipping and pitching.