i just downloaded phil mickelson's secret to the short game... he teaches the hinge and hold method to chipping... i have to say he makes chipping the golf ball a lot more complicated.... i think his short is one of the best, if not the best on the tour...

but

i have always been taught to keep the hinge as minimal as possible.. but he advocates strongly that his method is the ONLY correct way to chip the ball, hinge the wrist and accelerate through then hold(which i do when i want to pitch the ball but same as chipping??).... my short isnt that great, so i thought phil would give out some drills and tricks to practicing on the practice greens and performing in the rounds...

but, thought to myself, golf is supposed to be hard and he is a masters champion so he knows what he is talking abt...

so tried them today on the practice greens... the results were awful... one old orang putih came up to me and started teaching not to hinge and so on(my old way of chipping)....

just wondering if anyone else have seen this phil mickelson DVD and chips it the phil way?

U need fantastic hand-eye coordination to chip like him.

I saw the video, some of the things he teach works, but some don't (for me at least). Besides the natural talents he was blessed with, don't forget that one also need to put in the same amount of practice to achieve the same results. He's the best example - how many right handers you know plays left handed?

hehe... he has wat i dont have... talent... but it just struck me... coz in golf i thought there is no one absolutely correct way of hitting the ball... its just he clearly says that his way is the only correct way of chipping... made me think, shld i practice my short game more with my chipping style or start practicing from scratch and hinge n hold my chips? i am gonna stick with my old style but more practice and develop more feel.... but was just curious if anyone here hinge and holds it... coz other than phil i dont see anyone else do it...

Just do what works for you... dun ever go follow how pros hit.... imagine if you are trying to learn to swing like jim furyk... tempo yes... but learn to swing like them, you are going to be stuck for some time. Doesn't mean you swing like them, you will play like them.

Drizz0, my old coach taucht me to chip like what you used to do and my new coach taught me to do it Phil's way.

It's difficult when you're in transition. We need to do enough reps to be confident and proficient with the new method. Only then we can compare different techniques. Unfair to compare old habit vs new habit.

and I'm also still in transition....must buy into the program and stick with it. No short cuts in golf kekeke

There is no such thing as the ONLY correct way. There is only "What Works For You". I tried the hinge and hold and I couldnt chip to save my life. Only on the rare occasion where I have really good tempo and rhythm than it works like magic. Now I simply just have a slight forward press and hole it in the back swing and through the down swing. It works wonders for me on a CONSISTENT basis

duffader: so true, still remember when my mate tried incorporating a slight hop to his swing ala tiger woods... lol hilarious


pushslice: thats one thing i love abt golf.. techniques takes a short time to learn, but will take ages to get good at, let alone master.. good luck on the transition..


winston: same here, thats what i do... hehe.. its just the dvd said its the only correct way which i kinda disagree... guess phil whole heartedly believes it.. and why shldnt he?

Agreed that Phil is one of the best short game players out there. But then I also believe that not all they say is gold. I made a mistake of pla gof for almost 2 months wihtout a coach. I reliased that I need one and I must say he is really good. He teaches me a swing that will work for me according to my physical limitions.

Is phil's GIR stats any good?

Back to short game, I learned abit by watching champions tour not by the swing but on the club selection and the way they chose to play certain shots ard the green. Simple yet effective.

I use the hinge and hold method he advocates.

Its pretty simple and effective as you minimise the flip thru with the wrists as you follow thru.

The beauty of it is that the action is the same from short chips to 60yd pitches. There isn't a need for a different chipping stroke and a pitching stroke, only a longer backswing and follow thru.

Simplified my short game.

If your results aren't showing, u are probably doing it wrong. Video yourself doing chips and compare it to his video to spot the differences.

just feel there are too many moving parts in the action..... to each his own i guess....

You may have more moving parts in your stroke wrt trying to execute the move.

That includes your legs, head, and hinging but not holding.

Flipping is a common problem in most ppl's chipping. Very easy to see. Just hold your pose at the followthru and look at the shaft of the club. If its more in line with your right arm as opposed to the forearm of the left, you are flipping your wrists thru the stroke.

Phil's approach is good.....just tat I think it requires hell alot of training and if not, hell alot of talent

Due to my un-intensive training , I am now embracing a short game approach which requires less training and also lowering of expectation.

@drizz0 ...." one old orang putih came up to me "

Wow Dan, glad to know in such short time, you have already increased your grasp of local lingos....ha ha You will accumulate more as time goes by. Cheers

Titu