Resort Golf School – Chipping Set-Up 3 – Ball Position, Weight Distribution

This is the third video in our Cahill Resort Golf School video golf instruction chipping series and the final video on chipping set-up.  This section covers basic ball postion as well as moving the body center and how weight placement is changed as a result.  The next videos in the chipping series revolve around the chipping motion as well as adjustment we can make to this style.

Cahill Resort Golf School – Ball Postion

For our basic chip shot we will keep ball postion very simple.  First we need to understant that the definition of a “chip” is a shot that runs more that it flies. I say this because the ball trajectory will be farely low when in the proper postion in the stance.  Quite simply we are going to put the ball in the middle of the stance.  When we do this we want to make sure that the ball is placed midway between the distance the feet are apart, not from the middle of chest.  This becomes important as the body centers are placed more toward the target at address.  The easiest way to accomplish this is to address the ball in the middle of the stance before we adjsut our body center.

For most chip shots and especially our basic chip shot the middle ball placement is best.  I like to see it there as it forces the clubhead to comes toward the ball with a decending arc, even more decending as we adjust our body centers forward. This allows us to take a divot on our chips which creates more spin on the ball.  The decending arc also traps less grass between the clubface and the ball making control easier and more consistent.  The decending arc becomes increasing more important the deeper grass our ball is lieing in.

Here the body centers are correctly moved forward toward the target. 3 to 4 inches is usually enough, although depending on the shot being hit they can move be moved forward more.

Cahill Resort Golf School – Body Centers/ Weight Distribution

This is the last section on chipping set-up, but one of the most important. At Cahill resort golf school at Cimarron we teach out students that by shifting the centers forward toward the target we gain better and more consistent ball contact in any position the ball may lie.

The body center is term used for the middle of the head, the middle of shoulder or sternum and middle of our hips.  We can see it visually if we were to stand in a balanced position facing foward and draw a vertical line shooting straight down through our nose down to the ground.

Once we are in a balanced set-up position, meaning our weight would 50% on each foot, all we need to do is move our body center 3 to 4 inches left toward the target for our basic chip.  Be sure when doing this that the hips and the shoulders move together.  Once we have shifted our center our weight will be considerably more on the foot closest to the target. Once we are set-up in this position we hold it there throughout the swing motion.

Keep in mind that when shifting the body centers both the hip center, shoulder center, head center as well as the hands all shift toward the target.  At our resort golf school  we often we see students learning this technique move the hips or shoulders only keeping their balance 50% on each foot. This negates the effect of the shift and causes other problem in the chipping swing.

The body center shift has multiple benefits the chipping motion in the way it steepens the swings arc in the backswing as well as the forward swing. This is beneficial in creating spin and it also helps when our ball lies in the rough.  The shift also gives our swing more consistency by naturally moving our hands in front of the ball. Come to our resort golf school in Palm Springs to learn more.