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Marcus Westerberg Chipping Tips: Stop helping the ball in the air

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Chipping is a part of the game that can save golfers loads of shots but will often cost them instead. Marcus Westerberg has a great drill for us to help us start improving.

Marcus Westerberg Chipping Tips: Stop helping the ball in the air

Trying to lift the ball when chipping with loft is one of the most common faults that ruins a golfer’s strike around the green. Marcus Westerberg shows us a drill to allow you to stop helping the ball in the air and use the loft of the club more naturally.

The front foot only drill – stop helping the ball in the air

When chipping with loft, the worst ball strikes are often guilty of trying to lift the ball in the air rather than allowing the loft of the club to do it for you.

The result of this is a golfer will drop back onto their rear foot and scoop at the ball, often causing a thin across the green or, even worse, a fat shot that finishes just in front of where they started.

chipping tips

The drill Marcus gives us to correct this is the front foot-only drill. To do this, take your normal stance, and then drop your right foot back so that it’s on its toe with no weight on it, just using it for balance.

Now when you take some practice swings, you will find you can’t possibly lean back and try and help it in the air without falling off balance. Hit a few shots like this, really trying to hold your finish in balance on your front foot, and you will find your strike improving and your shots finishing closer.

If you take your rear foot out of the shot, it kills the lifting reflex. This should help you stop helping the ball in the air.

stop helping the ball in the air

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About the author

Callaway Epic Max driver review
Jack Backhouse

A member of the PGA for 13 years, Jack has lived golf for more than half his life. Inspired by Tiger Wood’s winning putt at the 2008 US Open, an obsession began with watching slow motion golf swings on the internet and reading What’s In The Bag articles in magazines.

Not destined for a life behind the desk in a pro shop, Jack has focussed more on coaching, working closely with regional teams in North Yorkshire and helping golfers of all levels on their journey to enjoying playing the game more. Jack has coached many junior golfers into the county teams, and once worked with a player at the 2018 Open Championship at Carnoustie.

After letting his game fall apart prior to COVID, Jack rediscovered his love for playing golf after joining Silloth Golf Club in 2020 and whipping round the windy, firm links course. Playing regularly with a half set of clubs he has a passion for shot making and developing skill, and claims to have the sharpest 30-100 yard game in the North of England (only because he doesn’t know anyone in the South), and now maintains a +1 handicap at a club much closer to home, Sand Moor GC.

Jack has always tinkered with his equipment, once building his own Frankenstein one length set of clubs after watching Bryson DeChambeau burst onto the scene after winning the US Amateur. He firmly believes in getting custom fit and is happy to debate anyone about blade irons being superior to any other iron category.

Jack loves: playing quickly, 2 ball golf, match play, heathland courses, pencil bags, foursomes, Tiger Wood’s swing 2005-2009.

Jack hates: buggies, unnecessary trees, giving shots, the 7 iron loft debate, graphite shaft lovers weird superiority complex.

What’s In Jack’s Bag:

Titleist TSR2 Driver

Titleist TSR2 Fairway wood

TaylorMade P7MB 3-P

Titleist SM10 wedges

TaylorMade TP Reserve Blade putter