Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Golf is such a hard game.

Instructors tell us what to do, what we should feel and where our hands, hips and head should be during the swing.

We nod and smile, as if we understand.

This St. Patrick’s Day edition of Finding the Tips is dedicated to a simple proposition:

In this issue

• Chipping made easy

• Simple takeaway move

• Three simple tips

Chipping made easy

Todd Kolb at US Golf TV is one of my favourite YouTube golf coaches. He keeps his teaching simple and direct and gives us tips that will improve our games immediately.

In this video, he walks us through the chipping method he espouses. He wants you to set up to the ball with your heels close together and your feet flared slightly open. The ball should be aligned with the center of your heels.

Then put about 70% of your weight on your lead foot. This helps ensure you hit the ball first and the turf second. Try to avoid placing the ball further back in your stance as this makes it very easy to chunk the ball or skull it.

Swing the club straight back and then straight through and the ball will jump up and roll out toward the hole.

Todd recommends you use one club for all your shots around the green, until you’ve had a chance to practice chipping with other clubs. I like using my pitching wedge, but I’ll also use an 8 or 9-iron if I have lots of green to work with or a sand wedge if I don’t have much green. But start with one club and then practice getting a feel with other clubs. The technique does not change.

Simple takeaway move

The Get Good at Golf channel on YouTube features professional coach James Robinson.

Like many coaches, James knows that unless you take the club away from the ball in a consistently correct manner, you have little chance of making great contact with the ball and getting the distance you want.

He teaches a low takeaway, in the tradition of Jack Nicklaus. James wants you to start the backswing with your chest until the club shaft is parallel to the ground. From there, you can check to ensure the clubhead is just a little outside your hands. The clubface should mirror your spine posture.

You then complete the backswing, loading the club with your trail wrist fully cocked at the top.

From this position, you are best equipped to start the downswing by shifting pressure to your lead foot as your arms start to lower. Then just turn towards the target, letting your lead hip clear out of the way.

Three simple tips

As we leave winter and get ready to play golf once again this spring, Matt Fryer offers three tips to start the golf season correctly.

When you reach for a club again after a long winter, your grip might have changed. This will affect your aim and the line that the ball follows after impact. Matt shows you how to take a neutral grip and gives you a way to check it. The grip is quick and easy and ensures you are ready to go!

Next, he wants you to check your posture. Imagine you’ve been told you have a great swing and the confidence that brings you. You stand strong and tall at the ball, ready to hit a great shot. Pull your shoulders back so that your chest opens up. Now stand with minimal (not zero) bend at the knees. Bend from the hips slightly. You might feel like your backside has moved back. Keep your shoulders pulled back so your chest is wide, and your spine is straight. In all, it’s a very athletic position. Take a few short swings, feeling the room that you have to swing back and through the ball. Then hit a couple balls, just to reacquaint yourself with your clubs and your best swing.

The third simple tip ensures correct ball position in your stance. Matt shows you how to position the ball when hitting a wedge or 9-iron (near the center of your stance), a mid iron (just in front of the center) and your driver (off your lead heel). With those three positions as your guide, you can adjust the position of the ball in your stance with other clubs. Remember, less loft means move the ball to the lead foot. More loft means move the ball toward the center of your stance.

And finally….

Golf is supposed to be fun. Watching this video might help remind you. Have a great week!