Section One
Long putts — rolling it close.
On long putts, stop trying to make it. Your job is to cozy the ball into a 3-foot circle around the hole so you’re left with a tap-in. Almost every 3-putt comes from poor speed, not a poor read — so speed is what we train.
01 · Grip
Palms face, thumbs down.
Set both hands so your palms look at each other, thumbs running straight down the flat front of the grip. This quiets the hands and lets the face swing squarely. A reverse-overlap — lead index finger over the trail-hand fingers — ties them into one unit.
02 · Pressure
Soft hands — about 4/10.
Light hands feel the weight of the putter head, and that’s what gives you touch. A tight grip kills distance control. There’s no single “correct” grip — the job is only to keep the hands quiet, so keep whichever lets you roll it smooth.
03 · Speed
Look at the hole, not the ball.
Make two or three practice strokes looking at the target — let your body feel the distance the way you’d feel an underhand toss. Then step in and roll it with that same feel. Speed first, line second.
Section Two · Your Foundation Shot
Chipping — the shot everything is built on.
A small shot that flies low and rolls out. We’re after the same, boring, repeatable strike every time. Three keys make it happen — and the set-up that lets them work: club sole flat, chest over the ball, ~60% weight on your lead foot, hands just ahead.
01
Loft
Let the club do the work. Don’t scoop or try to help the ball up — the loft on the face already lifts it. Trust it.
02
Down
Strike the ball first, then brush the grass. A gentle downward hit gives clean, predictable contact — this, not scooping, is what gets it up.
03
Straight
Swing straight back and through — no twisting or flipping. Keep the path simple and the face quiet so the ball starts on line.
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Drill it: lay a tee just in front of the ball and chip so your divot starts after the ball — never behind it.
Section Three
Pitching — same foundation, bigger swing.
A pitch is your chip’s taller sibling: higher and longer with a fuller motion, but the exact same Foundation Shot. The engine gets bigger; the fundamentals don’t change. Four things to watch.
One
Lead hip moves forward.
The near hip starts over the ball and drives toward the target through the shot. Your weight goes forward — you don’t hang back.
Two
Chest stays tall & level.
The chest stays vertical with no lean to the side. Rotate around a steady, upright body — don’t tip or sway.
Three
Trail wrist keeps its bend.
Coming down, the back wrist stays bent back — that’s what holds the loft and delivers a crisp, downward strike instead of a scoop.
Four
Club splits the triangle.
Just after impact the shaft points down the middle of the triangle made by your arms and shoulders — proof the body led and the hands stayed quiet.
Section Four
Awkward lies — adapting the shot.
You’ll almost never get a perfectly level lie out here. So the awkward lies aren’t advanced — they’re non-negotiable. Keep the same Foundation Shot and change only what the lie demands.
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Uphill
Flies higher, comes up short. Let weight settle onto your back foot (lean with the hill), ball a touch back, slightly bigger swing.
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Downhill
Comes out lower and runs. Weight onto your front foot, ball a touch forward, slightly smaller swing — accept the lower flight.
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Ball above feet
Tends to pull left. Aim a little right, open the face slightly, grip down and stand the club up so the sole sits flat.
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Ball below feet
Tends to leak right; easy to thin. Stand the club up so the sole sits flat, get a little closer, and stay down through the shot.
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Before every awkward shot, ask three things: how much loft, how much speed, how steep or shallow the swing? Answer those and you can play a shot you’ve never practiced.
Today’s Clinic Guide
The full short game guide.
Putting, chipping, pitching and every awkward lie — with photos — on a printable PDF you can keep in the bag.
Download the PDF