Many golfers struggle with their chip shots. The main reason for it may be the lack of concentration. Try this hack to calm your mind and improve your chipping!

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Many golfers struggle with their chip shots. The main reason for it may be the lack of concentration. I asked my students what they are thinking during their shot and they usually respond with a checklist of 20 points. they are going through, from setup cues to swing cues.

                  • Weight on left side
                  • Handle forwards
                  • Keep weight still
                  • Rotate back and through
                  • Don’t use wrists
                  • Bla bla bla

While all those things may be well and good, we can’t possibly perform great under pressure with all those thoughts going on. What is the solution?

"My three cents" Hack

Stay instinctive! You can solve your chipping problems with a small coin. Put it on top of a grass and then sweep it off the grass towards the hole. Pretty simple, right?

Now for the the hack itself. Line up 3 coins in a row and place your golfball on top of the last coin. Then brush the first and second coin towards the target, making sure you hear a nice ‘ping’ as your club strike the coin. Be instinctive; forget mechanics and set up for a moment – do what feels comfortable.

Walk into the third coin (the one with the ball on top) and simply repeat the same action, with the intention of sweeping the coin forwards towards the target. Listen out for that crisp clean ‘Ping’ again. When you get to the coin with the ball on top, every bone in your body will want to go through that procedural checklist again – refuse to do it. Just step in and sweep that coin towards the target like a child would. You will find that, as your action becomes more natural and similar to the swing you use when sweeping the coin, your results will get better and better too.

Why It Works?

The majority of golfers are completely bound up by not only by internal focuses (body movements etc), but also too many declarative thoughts. Science proved that too much attention to technique under high pressure situations can cause choking. Internal focuses can not only increase the likelihood of suffocating, but they can slow down skill learning and retention.

In my book “The Practice Manual – The Ultimate Guide for golfers”, I discuss ideas behind where you place your focus and how it can affect both performance and learning. Join the thousands of golfers who have bought the book and are improving their games by clicking this link!