Downhill Chips

Video Transcript

We’re going to make a very difficult shot a little bit easier for you. I’ve got the dreaded chip on a “downhill lie.” I’ve hit it over the green, I’m on this severe slope and I’ve got to chip my ball down and nestle it close to the pin. The biggest danger here, is the feeling that you’re going to fall down the slope when you try and keep your balance you rock back and that forces you to catch the ball on the up swing. The key is to get your swing so that it bottoms out even with or slightly in front of the golf ball. To do that, you want to get your body set a little bit more with the slope so that you have most of your weight on your left side. Then your practice swing is the key. Notice where I’m hitting the ground, that’s going to tell the story. Once I get that successful practice swing, I step up and execute the shot. Notice how I hold my finish on this shot too. All my weight is on my lower leg, now it doesn’t matter if you get your body set with the slope and if you feel that your ball position’s in the right place if you can’t clip the grass in the right place. You want to clip it even with the ball or slightly ahead of the golf ball and if you do your results will look like that too. This shot won’t look quite so difficult.

Mike LaBauve
Kierland Golf Club
15636 N. Clubgate Drive
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Tel: 480-922-9283

Mike LaBauve is one of the world's greatest short game instructors and teacher to LPGA phenom Grace Park. He is listed as one of Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers and Golf Digest's #31 instructor in the world.

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