THE SHORT GAME
Tips from Tiger Woods - Part II
Excerpts from the book How I Play Golf by Tiger Woods
07/01/2002
I don't think I've ever felt more pressure than the day our Western High
School golf team was going up against our crosstown rival to decide our
district championship.
Our matches were only nine holes and were played at stroke play, with
everybody's score counting. I was playing well that day and came to the
last hole four under par.
But the match was close. When I saw my coach and teammates gathered
around the par-3 ninth green, I knew that what I did on that hole could
spell the difference between winning or losing.
My tee shot sailed over the green, leaving me a tricky little downhill
pitch from light rough. My ball was sitting up nicely. I figured I'd
have no trouble hitting a little flop shot up close to the hole, from
where I would make the putt for par.
I addressed the ball with my sand wedge, opening my stance and the
clubface. Taking a deep breath, I made a healthy-sized backswing, cut
across the ball firmly – and whiffed the shot. My lie, as it turned out,
had been too good. The clubhead had slid right under the ball.
Now, I faced an even more difficult shot, because the ball had settled
lower into the rough.
I settled over the ball again and played the same type of shot. This
time I holed it out – and our team won the title!
Two lessons were driven home to me that afternoon: 1. A good short game
can save a round regardless of how poorly you're hitting the ball from
tee to green. 2. That whiff made it clear that I could never reach my
full potential unless I built a reliable short game.
The basic chip
Once you establish a good chipping technique, the battle is 90 percent
over.
The basics:
• I set my hands slightly ahead of the ball.
• I grip the club as the putter. I don't need a lot of hand action.
• I lean a little toward the target to promote a downward blow.
• I choke down on the club for extra control.
• I flex my knees a little.
• I narrow my stance. I don't need a wide base of support.
• I position the ball slightly back of center to promote a downward blow.
Envision the shot
The chip, like a putt, requires an advance "read." But I'm looking for
more than how the ball will behave after it lands on the green. To control
distance accurately, I choose a spot where I want the ball to land, and
then form a mental picture of the ball traveling there.
Ready to go
• I hold the club softly, with no tension in my arms.
• I open my stance to the target line. I see the line better, and it
helps limit action to my arms and shoulders.
• I keep my chin high, my back straight. A lot of bad chippers hunch
over the ball.
• I hold the club lightly at address.
Give it the old 1-2
The chipping stroke is an easy one-two action controlled by the shoulders
more than the arms and hands. You don't need much force. My goal is to hit
the ball solidly, making sure the clubhead is traveling downward at the
moment it strikes the ball.
I start the backswing with my shoulders, allowing my arms and hands to
follow. I don't let my arms separate too far from my body. Tempo is
important; there's no need to rush on either the backswing or forward
swing.
At all costs, I hit down on the back of the ball. I don't try to help
the ball into the air – the loft of the club will take care of that.
The stroke may be short, but it's not a stab. I try to accelerate
smoothly. A good thought is to return the arms to the position they were
in at address. That means, my hands are ahead of the ball. No scooping!
I keep my eyes focused on the back of the ball, even after impact.
The No. 1 mistake
The worst chipping error you can make is trying to help the ball into the
air by uncocking your wrists too early on the downswing.
Depending on the length of the shot, it's OK to allow your wrists to
cock a little on the way back. But on the downswing, your hands must
lead the way, delaying the release of the clubhead until the last
possible moment.
The simple pitch
The pitch is not a long shot, but it requires a lot more hand, arm and
body action than the chip. That's because you need more clubhead speed to
get the ball in the air.
It's really a mini version of the full swing. Even your lower body plays
a role, as the hips turn slightly back and through to accommodate the
motion in your shoulders, arms and hands.
It's a delicate balance; you need enough momentum to slide the clubhead
through the grass and under the ball, but not so much as to rocket the
ball over the green.
Preprogram the desired loft: The secret to hitting the ball high and
soft is not to force it. Four preswing adjustments will help:
• 1. Choose a lofted club, either your standard sand wedge or 60-degree
wedge.
• 2. Open your stance by aligning your feet well left of the target line.
• 3. Open the clubface to increase loft.
• 4. Play the ball forward, off your left toe.
Focus on your hands: I strengthen my left hand grip a bit by turning it
to my left at address. That enables my hands to cock more easily during
the swing. And hold the club lightly.
Let the club do the work: I pick the club up steeply on the backswing,
allowing my wrists to cock naturally. Watch the tempo – I'm not making a
long swing, but it still needs to be smooth and rhythmic.
Keep everything moving: My main downswing thought is to slide the
clubhead under the ball. I make sure I accelerate – if I allow the
clubhead to stop, I'll probably chunk the shot.
I don't rotate my hands and the clubhead through impact. On the
follow-through, the clubface should be aiming at the sky.
The flop
The flop shot is a high-risk gamble. I only play it when I have little
green to work with or when it's the only way to get the ball close to the
hole.
My stance and clubface are open at address, with the ball played off my
left heel. I grip the club more lightly than normal, to promote hand
speed on the downswing.
On the backswing, I pick the club up steeply and cup my left wrist into
a slightly concave "V" – that opens the clubface even farther, which
guarantees maximum loft through impact. I make a long swing and
accelerate quickly through impact, trying to slide the club under the
ball.
I remember to follow through; I don't want to chop at the ball.
One of my tricks for making the ball land softly is to contact the ball
on the toe of my 60-degree sand wedge. I get the same trajectory, but
striking the ball out on the toe tends to deaden the shot.
From the book How I Play Golf by Tiger Woods with the editors
of Golf Digest. Text copyright 2001 by ETW Corp. Reprinted by
permission of Warner Books, Inc, NY, NY. All rights reserved.
Distributed by New York Times Special Features.
Make practice fun
The game should never be boring, especially when you're working to
improve. I have just as much fun on the practice range and green as on the
golf course.
You can build a lot of confidence in your game – and have fun doing it –
by trying these games during practice:
Different club, same distance: With the exception of the first few
wedges I hit to warm up, I always hit to a target. Use the 150-yard
marker as your target. Start with your 150-yard club (for me, it's a
hard 9-iron) and work up to your 2-iron hitting balls to the target.
9-ball: Pick a spot about 5 yards off the chipping green. Use nine
balls, three each for three different clubs: the lob wedge, pitching
wedge and 8-iron.
Hit to the hole farthest from the spot. See how many shots you can get
up and down with each club. You'll be surprised how quickly your feel
around the green will improve.
Flop it: Place your shag bag – or a bucket or towel – about 15 yards
away and see how many balls you can flop into it with your lob wedge.
Putt and pull back: You and a partner must putt from the same distance.
Whoever is farthest from the hole afterward must increase that distance
by a putterlength. The objective is to hole out in the least number of
strokes.
