Think Gravity for Better Pitches And Chips

One observation I’ve made is that most golfers are too quick when faced with a short chip or pitch.

Maybe it’s because they’ve heard “accelerate through the ball” too many times.

One of the most basic fundamentals of a sound short game swing is swing tempo that’s fluid, smooth and almost “lazily” paced.

So here’s a simple swing thought that will help you develop a chipping and putting tempo and rhythm that will greatly improve your results.

Think ‘gravity’. Just take the club back smoothly and let gravity drop it onto the ball.

This simple swing thought can have a profound effect on your short game. Make it your focus on every wedge shot you hit.

After you take a few moments to gauge the distance of the shot and picture the trajectory you want the ball to fly on, take a couple of slow, deliberate practice swings, with your focus on the length of the backswing … and gravity.

Your simple swing thought becomes to just get the club back to the desired backswing position, long enough for the shot at hand … pause … and then let the arms and hands fall back through the ball, bringing the club with them.

Of course, that’s not really what is happening, but the swing thought of ‘gravity‘ will keep you from starting the downswing too quickly and getting too jerky with your move through impact.

This swing thought also encourages you to be precise in your backswing. It allows you to make longer, smoother, flowing backswings on your chips and pitches, with a smoother transition to the forward swing.

And that’s a key to a better short game. It’s much easier to control clubhead speed and shot trajectory with a fuller backswing and a ‘gravity‘ driven downswing, than it is with a technique that’s shorter and quicker.