My Short Game Was Utterly Horrific... Until I Discovered This Magical Chip Shot!

A magical setting, filled with lit candles, a dusty spell book and blue smoke filling the room, with an inset image of a golfer setup to play a chip shot floating in an orb like shape above the spell book as if by magic.

I won't try to gloss over this, my short game was utterly horrific for a short period recently - and I was struggling to put together anything close to a decent score.

I started doubting myself, questioning how far to stand from the golf ball and playing around with my golf grip, but really the problem was a knowledge issue rather than a technical one.

I realised that I had lost sight of how to use loft around the green effectively, meaning that I wasn't able to pop the ball up in the air without thinning it over the back or duffing it an inch in front of me.

Thankfully, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Joshua Mayo was on hand to help.

His expert tips and guidance helped me to learn a valuable short game lesson and discover a magical chip shot that has helped me rediscover my mojo around the greens - so I asked him to share it with you too...

How To Use Loft Around The Green To Pop The Golf Ball Up

You don’t have to learn how to hit a flop shot to improve your short game.

A lot of club golfers could simply do with a better understanding of how loft works in the swing, so they can start to ‘pop’ the ball up.

Note where the magnetic rod is pointing in the image below, which shows that loft has been presented at impact. This is going to help the club to slide underneath the ball, maximising height.

The metal rod perfectly demonstrates the loft on the clubface at impact (Image credit: Olly Curtis)

Hit some chips from waist-high back to waist-high through. This is the perfect backswing position to start practising high, short shots.

The rod is pointing up towards my face in the image below. This indicates that I’ve kept the loft on the club, helping to ‘pop’ the ball up.

If it were pointing down to the ground, it would suggest too much hands at the start of the takeaway or that the clubface was kept pointing at the target too long.

Practice with some swings to around waist height on the way back and the same on the way past (Image credit: Olly Curtis)

Note, in the final image, how my torso has rotated towards the target. My weight distribution is fully over the lead side and my left arm is fully extended, with the shaft also extended towards the target.

The lead arm and the shaft are working through the same line, taking a flick of the wrists out of the equation. The rod is pointing back up towards my face, demonstrating that loft has been maintained throughout the swing.

The chest and torso have fully rotated into a strong finish position, and weight is on the lead side (Image credit: Olly Curtis)

You could also force your hand, by adding some pressure.

Try practising from behind a bunker or at the bottom of a slope where you’re forced into having to ‘pop’ the ball up quickly.

Work on these positions and you should soon see it coming out on a higher trajectory and landing softly.

How Do I Spin Chip Shots?

To spin your chip shots, it goes without saying you need clean grooves.

As for the technique, you need to make good contact nearer the bottom of the club while keeping the loft on. To do this, put the ball in the middle of your stance and don’t lean the shaft too far forward.

It should feel like you’re lighting a match through impact. If you drag the club slowly, you won’t create enough friction.

How Do I Play The Chip and Run Shot?

The chip and run shot should be an essential part of your short game repertoire, so here is how to play it in three simple steps:

1. Use a mid- to short-iron and stand closer to the ball, so you address it with the heel of the club a little off the ground.

2. Grip down because you’re standing closer and the shaft is more upright, and hold it like you would a putter.

3. Play the shot by rocking your shoulders exactly as you would for a putting stroke.