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ChippingWedge play = Pitching and Chipping Wedges Beginner / Intermediate ⏱ 4 min 🇬🇧 Video in English, summarized

Xander Schauffele's Short Approaches: Ball Behind the Green

Journalist Sean Zak, with a 10 handicap, struggles with shots from 20 to 30 yards. Xander Schauffele identifies his fear of hitting the ball, then simplifies the issue: two types of shots, and a ball positioned much farther back than he had imagined.

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Xander Schauffele
Xander Schauffele · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

5 minNext Level UpHigh-Hands Chip off the Toe: Tiger and SchefflerTiger Woods · Intermediate / Expert6 minSame problemGripping Down When Chipping, by Van de VeldeJean Van de Velde · Beginner / Intermediate21 minFrom the same proXander Schauffele's Putting Drills: Aim and PaceXander Schauffele · Intermediate / Expert

What the lesson shows

According to Xander Schauffele, Sean Zak's problem is a classic one: Fear sets in, you don't dare to swing, and you stop the entire motion. He suggests picturing your chest right in front of the ball, with your hands in the center of your chest. Then he simplifies it, just as he must have done himself on the Web.com Tour: just two shots, a brushstroke a little lower, or a stroke that darts into the ground.

To prick, he places the ball on the right foot, the bat held well forward, making sure to hit the back of the ball. The key point: the hands return exactly to their original positions, in front of the ball, without ever lifting the club. He moves the ball back even further, to the outside of the clubface, noting that this requires a harder swing. For a ball on the up-and-down, he would close the face of the 60 slightly and aim for a slight draw to make it roll. He taught himself by trial and error; you gain confidence by figuring things out on your own.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Imagine your chest right in front of the ball, with your hands in the center of your chest.
  2. Choose your weave: brushed or stitched.
  3. To hit a chip shot, shift the ball back toward your right foot and grip the club a little lower, with your hands forward.
  4. At impact, bring your hands back to exactly where they were at address, in front of the ball.
  5. Feel free to position the ball even further back—all the way to the outside of your foot—and strike it harder.
  6. To make the ball curve, close the clubface slightly and aim for a slight draw.

Key Takeaways

Fear of hitting the ball is the classic cause of failed approaches.
Just two strokes: the brush stroke and the dip stroke.
For a slice shot: place the ball on your right foot—or even on the outside of it—with your racket facing forward.
At impact, the hands return to exactly where they were at address.
When the ball is way back, you have to hit it harder.
Practicing on your own at the driving range builds confidence.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Being afraid to strike and stopping the movement.
  • Place the ball too far forward between your feet.
  • Raise the club like a fishing rod upon impact.
  • Bounce the ball back without hitting it harder.
  • Missing three shots and getting discouraged instead of trying something else.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. Dink shots with the ball on the right foot, then on the outside of the foot
  2. Comparison of the brush shot and the point shot at 20–30 yards
  3. Chips with a slightly closed face and a slight draw on an uphill shot

Your Questions

What are Xander Schauffele's two shots from 20 to 30 yards?

A shot hit a little lower, or a shot driven into the ground. That's how he simplified his short game when he was struggling on the Web.com Tour.

Where should you place the ball for a drop shot?

On the right foot, with the club well forward—even extending past the outside of the foot—just as he’s seen the pros do. This means you have to swing harder.

What is the key point of impact?

The hands return exactly to their position at address, in front of the ball. The club should never rise up like a fishing rod.

Learn More

All “Chipping” videos →Find the lesson that's right for youAll videos on “Wedge Play = Pitching and Chipping” →Find the lesson that's right for you Justin Thomas's chip shot: the “nippy”The “nippy,” a low chip that stops on the second bounce: the ball is played back, the face is shielded by the body, and the three-ball drill (high, medium, low). Ball Climbing Up the Wedge Face: 3 Shots by MorikawaToo much loft at impact causes the ball to rise off the clubface: Morikawa demonstrates how to avoid this with a 40-yard wedge shot, a lob, and an uphill pitch. High-Hands Chip off the Toe: Tiger and SchefflerTiger and Scheffler first assess the lie: if the ball is sitting well, a high chip off the bounce; if the ball is buried, a low chip with hands high, the toe down, and a hook. Xander SchauffeleAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Xander Schauffele). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.

* Amateur competitions with guidance from the pros