It’s crucial to hitting solid pitch shots —
Most of you are too flat-footed when chipping and pitching. Your weight should be on the left foot at impact, otherwise the bottom of your swing arc will likely be behind the ball—causing fat and thin shots.
To improve your short game, position your right heel off the ground at address and leave it up (left inset). This keeps your weight on your left foot throughout the swing. If your weight isn’t supported by your left foot, you’re going to have a tough time hitting down on the ball properly. Essentially, this adjustment gets you into the correct impact position—immediately at address.
Use this technique on the course as well as in practice. Byron Nelson, who won the Masters in 1937 and 1942, taught his “rocking-chair” motion to help golfers who don’t use their legs much around the green. He wanted the lower body to be in sync with the arms and hands. I’ve always liked picturing Byron’s motion with its blend of upper- and lower-body movement. The result was a consistent hit time after time.
MORE THOUGHTS FROM TOM:
One of the challenges of Augusta is chipping through the closely mowed grass around the greens. In addition to dealing with uneven lies, the grass is so sticky, it grabs the ball. I use a lower-lofted club, a 7- or 8-iron, to run it through this grass. I’ll practice these shots leading up to Masters week.
Fancy Footwork:
Pre-set your impact position at address by lifting your back heel
