Watching Fred Funk hole out from the apron of the green on the 17th hole to win a Champions Tour event in Hawaii last week reminded me of a chipping session that Fred and I once had at the PGA Championship. Fred felt he was chipping well on difficult shots around the green but not on the simpler chip shots, and solicited my advice on developing greater consistency. The first thing we discussed was reading the green. A shot from the apron will spend most of its time on the ground and so needs to be read like a putt. Next we discussed how the lie of the ball and the carry and roll distance will determine the club selection and type of shot chosen. The player must set the shaft and face of the club so the desired trajectory and amount of backspin can be imparted. The stroke chosen also has a number of variables. The club should be gripped at a length that matches the size of the stroke (a longer shot requires a longer stroke so grip higher on the club, and vice versa). The ball position also is determined by the type of shot desired: the stance is moved away from the target for a lower trajectory. The loft of the club controls the amount of backspin imparted. The angle the wrists are also an important adjustment on this shot. The higher the wrists are set and arched the more the stroke is like a putt: the ball flight is low, with minimal spin and rolls out to the hole. Conversely, the lower the wrists are set the more hinge angle in the stroke and more backspin on the shot. This causes the shot to fly higher and check before it rolls out. Having set all the variables and determined the optimal landing spot, the player can now proceed to determine the length and pace of the stroke necessary to get the ball in the hole. When you are confident that holing the shot is a real possibility, remove the pin and be ready to fist-pump, like Funk did.For more advice on how to play these challenging shots around the greens, visit the newly revamped PGA.com, where, along with all the latest tour and industry news, you can find a myriad of game improvement content provided by PGA Professionals under the Instruction link. Also, to find PGA Professionals offering short-game lessons and clinics for golfers of all skill levels near you, visit www.PlayGolfAmerica.com.(Rick Martino is director of instruction at the PGA Learning Center in Port St,. Lucie, Fla. Golf Tips is a feature of Scripps Treasure Coast (Fla.) Newspapers, The Stuart News, Fort Pierce Tribune and Vero Beach Press Journal.)
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