BODY / SHORT GAME B
ALIGN TO THE SLOPE
Spread your feet wider apart than you would for a normal chip and distribute more weight left. This makes it easier to align your hips and shoulders parallel to the downhill slope. Make sure to set the handle slightly back, and play the ball forward of centre in your stance ( left ). This will increase the effec- tive loft on the club. It also helps to grip down to the middle of the grip because this shortens the club and promotes a steeper angle of attack into the ball.
KEEP YOUR WEIGHT FORWARD
Maintain the weight on your lead leg as you take the club back, which encourages you to swing down in the direc- tion of the hill. Note the early wrist set and the angle between my lead arm and shaft ( right ). This promotes a steeper angle of descent into the ball with speed, impart- ing more spin so that the ball comes out higher and softer. The steeper the approach, the less grass you catch between the face and ball and the more you can spin it.
SWING WITH THE SLOPE
The purpose of dropping the handle back at address is to help the clubhead release past your hands sooner, adding loft to the clubface and the shot. Your right palm and clubface should point to the sky shortly after impact ( left ). Provided you maintain the loft on the face and the flex in your left knee, and you swing the clubhead along the slope, the ball should come out with enough spin to hold the green and leave you a putt for par.
28 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JUNE 2024
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