Seve Ballesteros is in the conversation for the greatest chipper of all time.
He showed incredible creativity and natural touch around the greens, pulling off shots that no one else in the game could. Just think back to his iconic Open Championship-winning pitch to earn him his maiden major victory in 1979.
Even Greg Norman, Australia’s most successful golfer, once tipped his hat to the Spaniard, calling him a “magician” in the short game.
Norman also said that Seve Ballesteros gave him “the greatest tip of all time” for improving your chipping around the green.
Seve Ballesteros’ chipping advice to Greg Norman
If you want to become a scratch golfer, the first thing you need to address is your short game. Getting up and down for pars consistently will bring your score down, and hopefully, you will have more trust in your chipping after this Ballesteros tip.
Norman, when speaking about Ballesteros’ chipping prowess, reflected on some advice he was given that stuck with him for the rest of his career.
He said, “Seve was probably the magician of the short game. He hit shots better than anybody else I’ve ever seen in my life. He hit shots that I had never even thought about seeing in my life.
“But one of the things that Seve taught me the most, and it’s remained to this day, he said, make love to your hands when you put it on the golf club. More so in chipping than anything else.
“And what I mean by that is you have to caress the grip of the golf club. Do not choke it, do not white-knuckle it, just caress it. The more you have your hands soft on the grip, the easier it is for you to accelerate through the ball.
“Seve Ballesteros, who’s not with us anymore, gave me the greatest tip of all time that’s lasted for me to this day, which is make love to your hands when you put them on the golf club when you go to play a chip shot.”
Colin Montgomerie stressed the importance of soft hands in a typical swing. It goes against every instinct when you are nervous and determined to play a good shot, but ensuring that you have a looser grip on the club can revolutionize your game.
Seve Ballesteros explains the importance of soft hands when chipping
Don’t just take it from Norman when you can hear from the man himself! Ballesteros once filmed an instructional video on chipping and explained why gripping the club too hard can be detrimental to your swing.
He said, “You have to hold the club with enough pressure to control it, but don’t strangle the club because the result of that is that you will create too much tension on the forearms. And what will happen is you will lose club speed, and you will swing too fast.
“Stand tall at address, grip down the shaft a bit, have the ball about in the center of your stance, which should be square. The swing is short and is more arms than hands. There is no check on the shot. The ball will roll and roll on, landing all the way up to the flag.
“Remember, have your hands ahead of the ball at address, and keep your left side firm throughout impact.”
So remember next time you are standing over a difficult chip, the best thing you can do is relax.
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