Phil Mickelson is one of the best short game players in the history of the professional game, if not the best.
So it goes without saying that, if you’re on the hunt for short-game tips, then there is simply nobody better to listen to than Phil Mickelson.
Mickelson has provided plenty of chipping tips throughout the years.
However, this time we are going to focus on his advice about how to cope when chipping from poor lies around the greens.
Who makes your Mount Rushmore of active golfers?
Any massive names missing out?
Mid-high handicap golfers give so many shots away around the greens due to chunking or blading the golf ball.
The worst lie around a green for amateurs is the bare, scabby lie with next to no grass underneath the ball.
However, six-time major champion Mickelson once shared some truly superb advice about how to cut out the poor strikes when chipping from bad lies.
Phil Mickelson’s tip to help amateurs improve their chipping from bad lies
Mickelson has forged a stellar career for himself in the professional game.
One of the main contributing factors behind the success he has achieved is his sensational short game.
Back in 2023, Mickelson posted an instruction video to his official X account, focusing on how amateurs should approach bad lies around the greens.
Mickelson explained: “I want to share with you a little shot around the green that you may or may not have.
“It’s when you get a really bad lie. Obviously you might want to putt it, that’s the easy way, but if you want to fly it on the green or give yourself the best chance, the toe-down chip is something that we all work on.
“What we do is we get just the toe of the club making contact. Imagine the leading edge being the shaft, trying to get this entire shaft under the golf ball is very difficult but if I tip it to where only the toe makes contact, I can get that underneath the ball easier.
“So what I do is I play it with the shaft as vertical I can and I get the ball as close to my toe and so that only the toe of the club is sticking down. Then I just let it fall right underneath the ball and it comes out pretty consistent.
“Keep in mind you’re not hitting the sweet spot, so it comes out a little slower, so you want to use a little bit more pace maybe to hit it.
“But that’s one way to make solid contact when you have a bad lie around the green.“
Better chipping equates to better scores
Amateur golfers simply don’t realize just how many shots they could save themselves simply by improving their chipping around the greens.
Which would you rather eliminate from your golf game?
Many amateurs beat balls on the range without any purpose when they would be much better served by working on their short games for an hour or so.
Perfecting a technique from a perfect lie is the best place to start.
Try to limit the hinge in your wrists and turn your chest through impact with real aggression and speed.
Your arms will follow and the consistency of your strikes should improve drastically.
Once you have mastered a consistent chipping technique that you’re happy with, then you can move on to trying out different methods for different situations and lies, like the one Mickelson explained above.
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