Chipping Yips

[codysaks]

Hi everyone,

 

Just wanted to get a little input about chipping yips. I’m a 13.8 cap playing about once every 2 weeks or so. I used to be fairly good with my short game but I’ve been busy with work and a new puppy so I never have time to practice, much less play a round throughout the week. I’ve found myself putting from anywhere within 15 yards of a green because I don’t trust myself not to skull or chunk a chip shot. Everything else is going fine, the driver stays in play, the irons are good, the funky 47 yard wedge shots and bunker plays are fine and I’m pretty confident with a putter in hand but for some reason I just can’t hit a standard chip to save my life. Anyone else experienced this and have some sort of input or advice? Thanks

[MonteScheinblum]

This is usually from a few different issues or combo

 

Excess weight shift in the backswing

Excess hip and knee movement in downswing

Rear elbow folding too much

Body not extending in downswing 

 

Thats a few.  As you can see, it can be a lot of different things, so make sure any tips you get are affecting the proper issue or you can make it worse.

 

 

Edited March 25 by MonteScheinblum

[SEP1006]

Go CROSS-HANDED !!!!!

[Nickb333]

Sir Faldo’s on air chipping tip kept me from quitting golf. 
 

To paraphrase.

You can’t just take the club back with your hands. If you do, it will come back straight down into the ground. 

 

You must turn back and turn through. Turn Turn… saved me. 

[mc2]

2 hours ago, Nickb333 said:

Sir Faldo’s on air chipping tip kept me from quitting golf. 
 

To paraphrase.

You can’t just take the club back with your hands. If you do, it will come back straight down into the ground. 

 

You must turn back and turn through. Turn Turn… saved me. 

How do you do really short chips with this technique? I feel like I can't hit stuff in the 20-40yard range ok with this, but for short chips, if I turn I seem to blast it past the target 

[Nickb333]

11 hours ago, mc2 said:

How do you do really short chips with this technique? I feel like I can't hit stuff in the 20-40yard range ok with this, but for short chips, if I turn I seem to blast it past the target 

For me, I open the face a bit and hold it open. That creates decent spin whether I’m going back foot low or front foot high. 

[TLUBulldogGolf]

Keep the right arm moving, unload wrist angle. Possibly too long of a motion.

[GungHoGolf]

12 hours ago, mc2 said:

How do you do really short chips with this technique? I feel like I can't hit stuff in the 20-40yard range ok with this, but for short chips, if I turn I seem to blast it past the target 

What works for me on short chips:

 

Take the wrists out of it - higher hands (so shaft is more inline with your lead arm), lead hand grip more in palm, ball closer to feet so club is a little toe-down, weight on lead leg and stays there, and rock your shoulders like a putt with no wrist hinge or c0ck. Clubhead will stay close to the ground with a big radius and shallow AoA, maximizing chance of good contact.

[Curmudg3on]

I'm still working on the issue but Monte's video "Use the bounce and 2.0" have helped me significantly.  

 

 

[virtuoso]

Grip it tight with your right hand, presuming you are right handed. 8 on a scale of 10. You’re pre-yipping so it won’t happen when you move the club.

[me05501]

A good friend of mine has this issue and it is absolutely tragic to watch. 

 

It isn't just a technique thing. When we play chipping games around the practice greens his technique is perfect and his results are as good as any of us. He knows what to do. 

 

Out on the course he is a hopeless chipper. His body stalls and dips while his hands flip aggressively through contact and he skulls the ball 90% of the time. It looks like a different person. 

 

He recently gave up and bought a Ping ChipR. Might be the youngest ever purchaser of said crutch. 

 

[Shilgy]

On 3/24/2024 at 11:39 PM, mc2 said:

How do you do really short chips with this technique? I feel like I can't hit stuff in the 20-40yard range ok with this, but for short chips, if I turn I seem to blast it past the target 

Ah, not a full shoulder turn.😏 If you can putt rocking the shoulders you can chip with essentially the same motion.

[596]

Me, me me!

 

I was an excellent chipper a number of years ago.  I was playing 2 to 3 times each week. One morning I was at the putting green and like a lightning strike I actually missed the ball on a PUTT!!

 

I have no idea what happened, but I could not putt or chip at all. I'd miss the ball completely.  Put me 10 yards off the green and I could hit flop shots all day long.  Whatever this was effected chipping and putting only. Over the next 3 to 4 years I've tried everything! And I mean everything. I contemplated quitting the game it was so bad.

 

Today, I can hit putts with a normal grip from 10 ft in. Anything longer requires a claw grip.  Chipping was and still is,  a total non starter.  I can't chip at all. No method or grip changed anything. I can still miss the ball or dig a hole to China, or both at the same time!

 

About 3 months ago I purchased a left handed wedge. I'm right handed.  Totally natural chipping!!  I can chip up a storm left handed. Without much practice I can chip with many different ball positions, swings, etc. It's totally fun again to chip!!  I carry 13 right handed clubs and a dedicated left handed 9 iron for chipping. 

[Ty_Webb]

Duffing and skulling aren't quite the same as a yip. At least not to begin with. I can duff and skull chips without yipping quite easily. With that in mind, if you're not actually yipping it and are just misjudging depth, that's because something is changing the radius of your swing between address and impact. If you figure out what that is, you can fix it. There's an interesting video on youtube with Coach Lockey and James Ridyard. Ridyard goes through different grip types and releases and how those can affect radius. Take a look at that.

 

If it's a yip, that probably started as a mechanical issue and has morphed into mental too. I'm a veg - like 596 seems to be from his post. Chipping when my yip is bad is so bad. Double hits, missing it 40 degrees right. I basically can't release the clubhead or the ball is going far too far and left. Oy - not fun. Things that help me with it:

 

- no alcohol

- no caffeine

- changing my technique on the fly. Sometimes I'll try feeling like Jason Day with no wrist set at all. That one's working most of the time at the moment, but it doesn't feel natural. 

- Sometimes I notice that my hands go and the clubhead doesn't, so I'm lagging it. If the hands get past the ball and the clubhead hasn't that's death. So I try to focus on making sure my hands release and keep moving.

- Sometimes one of the ones that Monte mentioned (hips too much on downswing) happens and subconsciously I know that there's too much force in the shot and too little loft, so I won't release it

- it gets me with my longer putting too - I use the claw now and that's shut it down pretty much completely with that, but I can't chip with the claw grip. Doesn't work. 

 

I've also played with people who chip left hand low - that can be helpful. I played with one guy who chipped one handed - he did pretty well at it. My right hand is where the yip is and my left isn't strong enough to do it on its own, so not going to work for me.

 

2002 is the first time it happened to me and I'm still ^ much of a headcase about it now. Ho hum...

 

Good luck!

[mizunotpz]

I wasnt releasing my hands and my left shoulder was too high so my low point was too far back. I leveled the shoulders and kept pressure left through the swing and it got much better. But took me a lot of practise to get rid off the yips! My way in general was to learn as much as I could about technique. Montes tips on having lower body more stable and rotating the chest was also a big help!

[mizunotpz]

Focusing on the tempo when doing practise swings and in the actual shot has helped many Ive heard

[NittanyCPA]

On 3/24/2024 at 9:08 PM, codysaks said:

Hi everyone,

 

Just wanted to get a little input about chipping yips. I’m a 13.8 cap playing about once every 2 weeks or so. I used to be fairly good with my short game but I’ve been busy with work and a new puppy so I never have time to practice, much less play a round throughout the week. I’ve found myself putting from anywhere within 15 yards of a green because I don’t trust myself not to skull or chunk a chip shot. Everything else is going fine, the driver stays in play, the irons are good, the funky 47 yard wedge shots and bunker plays are fine and I’m pretty confident with a putter in hand but for some reason I just can’t hit a standard chip to save my life. Anyone else experienced this and have some sort of input or advice? Thanks

You never mentioned what technique you're currently using. Self-taught? If you want to frame everything nicely, there are lots of great systems readily available - Dan Grieve, Monte's Use the Bounce, etc. I'd suggest spending a little time researching, testing and when you find one that clicks, go all-in on it. It'll help you avoid the noise and stay focused with the limited time you have available.

[Djmc25]

It’s the same body action as tossing a horse shoe. Use the body to swing the club. 

[bdcava]

If my lie is good I putt with loft. Generally a 7 iron to pitching wedge depending on the roll out distance. It’s a better miss.

[Mike_C]

10 years ago I had them very bad.   I used to be very handsy and a "feel" chipper/pitcher, that just didn't seem to work as I got older.   I was getting very steep, ended up totally changing technique, more of the "using the bounce" style, worked on shallowing the clubhead out a lot.   I have to almost feel like I'm barely holding on to the club and turn, turn, turn, and don't let my weight get all the way to my left too soon.  I literally think of just letting the club do the work and never trying to "hit" the ball, it seems to have worked, and I'm passable now.  It used to be a strong suite of my game, now I just try to have it not cost me shots...

 

I play with a couple of guys who have them now, so sad to see.  One is a former top level amateur in the country, he just plays now and then nowdays, has family/kids, etc.  He will use a hybrid to roll the ball on the green if that shot is at all possible from probably 30 yards in.  His other shot is a full swing lob/explosion shot that might work, or it might go 10 feet, or 100 yards..... sad to see.....

[PedronNiall]

Faldo: Turn, turn

Tiger: 1-2 with the shoulders, back and through; hit down at all costs

 

Simple, smooth, repeatable. Nothing to yip at if you keep it high level. 

[stryper]

1 hour ago, PedronNiall said:

Faldo: Turn, turn

Tiger: 1-2 with the shoulders, back and through; hit down at all costs

 

Simple, smooth, repeatable. Nothing to yip at if you keep it high level. 

Except Tiger himself went through a horrible bout of the yips…so even his method isn’t bulletproof. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Nickb333]

9 minutes ago, stryper said:

Except Tiger himself went through a horrible bout of the yips…so even his method isn’t bulletproof. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I don’t remember the exact timeline, but Tiger went through a complete swing rebuild, lots of physical stuff and his stinger phase. All of which would kill most of us. I’m still amazed the guy can walk let alone play golf today. 

[PedronNiall]

36 minutes ago, Nickb333 said:

I don’t remember the exact timeline, but Tiger went through a complete swing rebuild, lots of physical stuff and his stinger phase. All of which would kill most of us. I’m still amazed the guy can walk let alone play golf today. 

 

On top of trying to have multiple different "swing gurus" adjust him to be "better", including in the short game with their microcosms and chunky monkey around the green methods. 

 

@stryperKeep it Faldo & early Tiger simple and you won't end up yipping it, which Tiger wasn't even doing at his worst. The yips is having trouble pulling the trigger and letting the stroke play out, not stabbing it into the ground or chunking it because you let your current golf whisperer put nonsense in your head. Miller didn't have technique issues when he had putting yips, his brain and body stopped playing nicely with each other and he couldn't execute when he wanted to or make consistent strokes.

 

Happy to admit I'm wrong if you can show me periods where that's what Tiger was doing around the green. 

 

Also, if OP simply has a technique issue and not an actual mental overload from trying to do too many things then going to triple down on classic Tiger or Faldo as the go to for an easy as it can get fix. Literally cannot get any easier than letting the shoulders rock with a solid grip. As OP says he's fine literally everywhere else it sounds like dumbing it down so his brain can chill instead of actively guide the club across every millimeter will serve him well. 

[PJE]

If it is truly a confidence or mental thing, consider getting  a Ping Chipr and hopefully,and eventually, the problem will subside. 
That club is a one trick pony but you shouldn’t  chili dip or skull shots with it. 
 

[naval2006]

On 3/28/2024 at 8:43 PM, mizunotpz said:

Focusing on the tempo when doing practise swings and in the actual shot has helped many Ive heard

Most often when giving tips and advice about the yips people will provide technical info.  Serious yippers can't take the club back or through out of a mental block, especially in competition or a casual round.  

 

Trying to practice on focus and the present shot is a stage the yipper has completely forgotten since they're functioning on survival mode and they only worry about hitting the damn ball.  

 

It's a mentally good thing to practice what @mizunotpz states, it's refreshing and it does help more than you'd expect.  

[Mark_Tha_Tinkerer]

Hello everyone.  My name is Mark.  I have the chipping yips.  Step 1:  I admit and accept that I am powerless over chipping and my golf game has become unmanageable.  Step 2:   I believe that a power greater than me is necessary to restore me to sanity. 

 

Years ago, a high percentage of my chips would settle 10 feet or closer to the hole giving me a legitimate chance for an up and down.  Today, a high percentage of my chips result in one of the following:  (1) double hits; (2) shanks; (3) jamming the club into the ground behind the ball; (4) blading the ball well over the green; or (5) even hitting the top of the ball.  Each type of mishit seems as prevalent as all the others.  All I know is that when I chip I am relieved if my ball ends up on the green.  Anywhere on the green.   Sometime during my swing,  I just expect a spasm will hit and my stroke will look worse than Charles Barkley’s even on his worst day. 

 

This week I decided that I will dedicate myself to chipping everything anywhere from 5 to maybe 40 feet off the green (assuming no bunkers or heavy rough are between my ball and the green) using a 4 (22*) hybrid.  I intend on gripping way down on the club and using my claw putting style for the chip.  My reasoning (maybe flawed) is that it should be geometrically/scientifically impossible to double hit, shank, chunk, blade or top a ball with a 4 hybrid using a putting style grip and stroke. 

 

I suppose that this is more like trying to eliminate the symptoms than trying to cure the disease.  I can only use the 4 hybrid on some of the supposedly easiest of chips and certainly not all.  However, I think I desperately need to experience SOME success again on the easiest of chips to rebuild some confidence and then figure out how to improve the others. 

 

Thank you all for participating in this group therapy session.  If the 4 hybrid doesn’t work,  that's OK as I still have 10 steps left to go.

[Nickb333]

If lack of technique causes fat chips, you naturally try all kinds of other nonsense avoid the chunk. And now you’re toast until you…

 

Turn turn and start hitting decent chips again. 
 

 

[CasualLie]

On 4/5/2024 at 4:36 PM, stryper said:

Except Tiger himself went through a horrible bout of the yips…so even his method isn’t bulletproof. 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

You have the entire world hound you about your flings with waitresses, then disappear to a sex clinic, then take a few months off golf, and let's see how you chip! 😉 

[ewaldbeukes]

On 3/25/2024 at 3:08 AM, codysaks said:

Hi everyone,

 

Just wanted to get a little input about chipping yips. I’m a 13.8 cap playing about once every 2 weeks or so. I used to be fairly good with my short game but I’ve been busy with work and a new puppy so I never have time to practice, much less play a round throughout the week. I’ve found myself putting from anywhere within 15 yards of a green because I don’t trust myself not to skull or chunk a chip shot. Everything else is going fine, the driver stays in play, the irons are good, the funky 47 yard wedge shots and bunker plays are fine and I’m pretty confident with a putter in hand but for some reason I just can’t hit a standard chip to save my life. Anyone else experienced this and have some sort of input or advice? Thanks

Quick way to diagnose if you are flipping the hands at impact (this will cause both duff and skull) is to take a alignment stick and chip with it without it jamming into your left side. If it is, then thats a good place to start.

 

Basically weight left, sternum ahead of the ball and then chip with the alignment rod. Hard to not learn a thing or two from the motion that ensues.

 

 

Might help if you send a video...

 

Good Luck!