Pitching and chipping around the green often causes anxiety for amateur golfers. We feel that these delicate shots are a challenge because we are not confident with our ability to get the ball up and down. Of course practice will help, however staying calm during the entire short game process can be a game changer for many aspiring golfers. The challenge most of us that we focus on the wrong aspects of pitching and chipping hence we do not produce a swing that we can repeat more often than not. That all changes today and Danny Maude is here to help!
The first point Maude makes is for all players to develop a calm, repeatable swing. This focus on mentally staying relaxed for all the swings is very important. I realized many years back that I did not need to over analyze or adjust my pitching/chipping swing. What I needed to do is develop one swing and use different clubs throughout the entire spectrum of requirements. Before I delve any further in this topic, here is what Maude suggests:
I like everything Maude mentions in the video. It is a process (although he does not call it one) that I can get behind because is simple, repeatable and sustainable. Hence, it is a perfect process for my game.
This year I struggle with making solid contact with the ball during my short game around the green. After watching this video (and several hours of practice) I realize that I was not remaining calm when pitching or chipping. Mentally, I was all over the place. I was thinking way too much and as a result I could not duplicate any sort of consistent swing. My friends mentioned this, but I still struggled to figure out what was wrong with my short game.
Fortunately, I have started to work through my issues and my short game is coming back. I do feel much calmer over the ball and as a result my short game is almost back to normal. It is interesting how one small challenge can really affect my mental and physical approach to golf.
When you are working on your short game, I recommend starting with a calm approach to swinging as Maude recommends. It will help develop a strong foundation on which to build.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!