Masterclass: No.6 Chipping without spin
John Cook continues his short game series - showing you why you can have 14 putters in your bag.
Posted: 23 September 2004
by John Cook
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Reaching for one of the 14 ‘putters’ you carry
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We watched with great admiration as the players in the Ryder Cup – especially the Europeans, I might add – chipped and putted with great skill.
It was probably the main difference between the teams, apart from the team spirit the Europeans seemed to generate.
This was in no small measure, down to their ability to get up and down from the various surfaces they find on the European Tour. Not every course has uniform rough around the green, so versatile Europeans have to adapt and have a wider range of shots in their locker.
Chipping the ball without spin – as opposed to with spin, which we covered last time – means having the equivalent of 14 potential putters in your bag with varying degrees of loft.
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Putt with a 7-iron, for example, from the fringe
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Many amateur golfers lack the confidence to chip the ball with, for example, a wedge with a steep downward motion to impart check spin – they prefer to take a putter from well short of the green and risk a poor roll through thick grass.
Here’s an alternative. When faced with a shot from off the green, reach for one of your 13 other putters instead.
Choose the one with the loft that you feel will lift the ball above the fringe and land it about three feet on the putting surface and then run to the hole.
Instead of thinking you are playing the shot with, say a 7-iron, feel you are merely putting the ball with a putter that has the loft of a 7-iron.
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Use your putting grip on your lofted club
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Grip the club in the same way you would grip your putter, stand to the ball the way you would if you were putting and putt the ball towards the hole. The ball will lift in a gentle arc, land and run towards the hole.
As with all these shots it demands a little practice, but you’ll soon discover there are more ways to save your par than you first thought.
John Cook’s short game clinics, which are running throughout the summer at The De Vere Belfry PGA Academy, near Sutton Coldfield, range from a full-day’s coaching for £179 to two days of short game coaching, including accommodation and all meals from £335. For more information or to book, visit
www.johncookgolf.com
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