SympleSwingShortGame Manual

”The MostAccurate andMostConsistent ShortGame System Ever”

From Simple Golf LLCSympleSwing@SimpleGolf.com

Website: http://www.SimpleGolf.com/© Copyright 2006 Simple Golf LLC

Thereis adiscount offeron thefull SympleSwingpackageat theend ofthis e-book.

This manual contains instruction on Chip Shots, Pitchshots, Lob shots and Sand Shots.

The chipping material is taken from our SympleSwing CHIPPING E-book and DVD so the beginningmaterial should be quite familiar to you. We areincluding it again here because the chip shot is thebuilding block of all Symple Swing shots. We’ve alsoincluded links to the chipping video downloads soyour can review the Symple Chipping while you’rewaiting for your DVD package to arrive.

To make it easier to download the view and download thechipping videos in this Ebook we have put video links withdownload instructions on the following web page.http://www.sympleswing.com/chippingvids.html

A significant number of your total strokes will be made within 50 yards of the green.

The following SympleSwing Short Game techniques will dramatically improve your short game and loweryour scores if you spend time practicing them in order to ingrain them. We recommend spending a least 30minutes practicing chipping before you go out to play.

The Symple Swing Short Game method has been designed to give you very effective yet very repeatablechipping and pitching stroke. It uses mainly the larger muscles of the back and shoulders so your stroke will bevery repeatable and very consistent.

The PowerThumb grip keeps the club face square to your swing path so you’ll find this will give youexceptionally accurate short game shots. On the next page we will start learning (or reviewing) thePowerThumb grip.

About Symple Swing

Warning: Although this Symple Swing Short Game method will give you a goodhead start on learning the full Symple Swing it does not cover everything youneed to know to hit full Symple Swing shots.

If you have any questions about the full Symple Swing please feel free to e-mailus at sales@simplegolf.com or call us at 203-798-8489. The full Symple Swingpackage comes with free forum, e-mail and phone support. There are discountlinks for the full Symple Swing package and Symple Putting E-book at the end ofthis E-book.

Overview – Symple Swing Short Game

The Symple Swing Short Game has been designed to be the most accurate mostconsistent short game method ever. What we have done is to simplify the short game soyou can hit more accurate and more consistent chips and pitches.

The three key elements of the Symple Swing Short Game are:1. Power thumb grip.2. Narrow stance.3. Shoulder powered swing with no conscious arm and wrist power

Important Definitions“Whipping the shoulders”We use the term “whipping the shoulders” in the video. By this we mean a forcefulturning of both shoulders and the upper chest as a unit.“The Core” or “Core power”Again here we are referring to both shoulder and the upper chest. Turning the coreand synchronizing the “core” with your arms is the key to generating a powerfulswing. See the article “Turning The Shoulders As A Unit” for additional informationabout that topic:http://simpleswing.forumco.com/topic~TOPIC_ID~337.asp“Wrist Break” or “Wrist Cock”We sometimes say there is no wrist break or wrist cock in a shot. It is morecorrect to say that there is “no conscious wrist cock”. We fully realize on manyshots that some wrist cock will happen near the top of the backswing just from themomentum of the swing. That’s normal and that’s okay.Chip ShotsChip Shot are defined as partial shots where the ball rolls a longer distance that itflies. Chip shot generally are shots from right around the green.Pitch ShotsPitch shots are partial shots where the ball flies a longer distance than it rolls.Pitch shots are generally slightly longer shots than chip shots.Lob ShotsThe lob shot is a specialty shot. The lob shot is a high risk shot that should only beused when absolutely necessary. The lob shot is used when it’s necessary to getthe ball up in the air very high and stop it quickly. It requires enough grass underthe ball so the club can easily get under the ball to generate the desired loft. Themechanics of a lob shot is very similar to the sand shot.Sand ShotsThe sand shot (or bunker shot) is also a specialty shot. It is an explosion type shotused only when you’re in a sand trap (bunker).

The Two Big Differences Between The Symple SwingShort Game Method And Traditional Short Game Method.

THE STANCEThe Importance of A Narrow Stance For Your Short GameOne of the big differences with the Symple Swing short game is that we do almosteverything with a narrow feet close together stance. The reason we do this is simple, itreduces variables in your swing and makes you more accurate and more consistent.

When you have your feet apart it becomes very easy to make slight movements withyour body that effect your balance and shift your weight. When you shift your balancepoint your also shift the bottom of your swing arc. That means it will be much hander tomake solid repeatable contact with the ball at impact.

Also, keeping your feet together you will find you have a more compact swing becausekeeping the narrow stance does limit the amount of your backswing. In this case that’s avery good thing because you will be much more consistent with a compact backswing.Many swing errors are introduced at the top of backswings. Having a compact swingeliminates all those potential errors.

When you have your feet together you are reducing the variables in your shot whetherit’s a chip shot or a pitch. The bottom of your swing arc will always be at the same pointgiving you much more consistent contact because there is much less body movement.Some people have done this previously with chips. Now we are doing it for any shotwhere you can get the ball to the green easily with a compact swing with your feettogether. For most people that means all shot inside 50 to 75 (or more) yards.

Let me give you a practical example. When I was at 100 yards I used to hit my sandwedge. Now I have an easier shot to use. I now use my 50 degree PW with my feettogether and an upper body dominant compact swing. With this compact shot I am moreconsistent and more accurate that I ever was with my sand wedge. I normally hit my 50degree gap wedge 125 yards. With my feet close together using the Symple Pitchingmotion I hit my 50 degree pitching wedge 100 yards. The big difference is that thisSymple Pitching motion is very accurate and very consistent. Accuracy and consistencyis exactly what we are striving for with our short game.

THE WRISTSNo Conscious Wrist BreakSymple Chipping and Symple Pitching are not wristy shots. With Symple Chipping youwill learn how to hit solid consistent chips without any conscious wrist break. With theSymple Swing PowerThumb grip the wrist hinges or bends in the direction of the thumb.We call this “thumb cocking” rather than wrist cocking. There will be some “thumbcocking” on your longer shots because of the momentum of the club however you shouldalmost feel like your hitting your shots without wrists.Phil Mickelson hits great wristy lob shots. If you practice 6 hours a day for decades thenyou can hit wristy shots like Phil. However, using the Symple Swing Lob Shot methodyou’ll be able to hit very high, very accurate lob shots even if you don’t play very often.

PowerThumb Grip

Top Hand Grip (The Left Hand Grip for Right Handed Golfers.)The top hand PowerThumb Grip is a key element of the Symple Swing because it allows you to keep your clubon-plane with the clubface square all through the swing. The top hand grip is significantly different from atraditional grip. It does not hold the club in all the fingers. The top hand and forearm are in a completelydifferent orientation from that of a traditional golf grip. It is NOT a strong grip. It is a completely different wayof gripping the club. We call it the “PowerThumb Grip.” It is a flat wrested grip. The “flat wrist” refers to theback of the hand being flat (or aligned) with the wrist throughout the swing)

1. Extend your left arm down again with your elbow joint on-plane. Grab the club in a pinching motion betweenyour thumb and index finger. The back of your hand (near your index finger) will point almost straight up (12o’clock position).

Thumb at 3 o’clock position

Club in middle of palmNotice the whole thumb is in contact with the grip.

2. You should feel a slight groove forming at the base of your thumb, where your palm joins your wrist. The grip of yourclub will go in that groove. Your whole thumb from the top to the base of the thumb pad should be in contact with the grip.

The Groove the Club Fits In

The thumb pad positioned at the back of the club

Your thumb and the large pad at the base of your thumb should be against the grip at the 2 o’clock to 3 o'clock position(for a right handed golfer) on the back side (away from the target) of the grip. The pad at the base of your top hand indexfinger should be right on the top of the shaft.

(The Top Thumb Fits In The Groove)

Then you let your fingers grab the club to hold it securely. It’s okay to have a small gap between the base of your littlefinger of your top hand and the grip.

3. The left thumb (for a right handed player) and the golf club travel back “on-plane” during the backswing and it is also“on-plane” during the downswing.

BOTTOM HAND Grip (The Right Hand Grip for Right Handed Golfers)A two finger overlap grip is strongly recommended although other bottom grips can be used if you use them with the“pinch” modification. We have Symple Swingers successfully using all type of bottom hand grips (baseball, interlock,overlaps, etc.).Those bottom hand grips can cause some people to close the club face through impact causing a draw (orhook). We highly recommend starting with the two finger overlap grip with pinch modification.

The “Pinch”With all the grips it is very important that the thumb and index finger of the bottom hand are “pinched” together. The pad ofyour bottom hand thumb should be resting on the pad of the bottom hand index finger. You are in effect pinching yourthumb and first finger together around the club. The purpose of this “pinch” modification is to slightly weaken the tendencyof the bottom hand to tense up and overpower the top hand and roll it over closing the clubface at impact.

The Two Finger Overlap Grip

Note The "Pinch" With The Two Fingered Overlap Grip

GripOn most chips you should choke down on the club right to the middle or bottom of the grip. This will give youmaximum control over the club and therefore maximum confidence.

Some players prefer to overlap three fingers of the bottom hand over the top. They feel the three fingeredoverlap grip gives them a less wristy chip that the two fingered overlap. Your grip should allow you to hold theclub in a straight line with your front forearm.

Your hands should be slightly ahead of the club head at address and impact which also encourages properdescending contact with the ball. You should notice that keeping the hands slightly ahead of the clubface willcause the club shaft to lean slightly forward (toward the target). It’s normal especially on short chips to see theclub shaft leaning slightly toward the target.

Real Media Video of Griphttp://www.simplegolf.com/videos/chipping_powerthumb.rm

Windows Media Video of Griphttp://www.simplegolf.com/videos/chipping_powerthumb.wmv

Stance

Your feet should be very close together and parallel. Your feet should be perpendicular to the target line. Theirexact distance apart can vary from 0-6 inches depending on your personal preference and body-type. Your feetshould not be any wider because this will encourage over swinging and allows weight shift which often causesan unintentional change in the bottom of the arc of your swing that can cause fat shots or topped shots. The goalis too make sure the lower body (from the waist down) doesn’t move at all.

Your weight at set-up will be 75% or more on your front foot (your foot closest to the target) which willencourage a descending blow and get the ball up out of the grass and on its way to the flag. There is NO weightshift and virtually NO lower body movement except on the longest of pitches. It’s very important forconsistency to keep most of your weight on your front foot.

Stance Note:Feet close together and parallel is what we recommend. However, depending on your build and flexibilitycertain modifications can be made. Some folks find it easier to keep their balance (particularly when pitching) ifthey flare they back foot a bit.Others like to open their stance (toes pointing more toward the target) especially on shorter chips. Still otherslike to keep their feet so close together they’re touching but others find that too narrow and uncomfortable sothey like to have their feet a few inches apart.

All of these minor modifications are fine as long as you keep most of your weight on your front leg and yourstance is narrow enough so there is little body movement or weight transfer.

Real Media Video of Stancehttp://www.simplegolf.com/videos/chipping_feet_and_weight.rm

Windows Media Video of Stancehttp://www.simplegolf.com/videos/chipping_feet_and_weight.wmv

Ball Position

Middle PositionThe ball should generally be in the center of your very narrow stance. The hands should be in front of the ballwith the shaft leaning somewhat toward the target.Back PositionOn short chips when on short grass such as the fringe of a green you can position the ball off your back toe.This assures a crisp descending and a slightly de-lofted clubface which will give you a lower ball flight.Front PositionWhen you need more height on your chip positioning the ball off of your front foot will help get the ball in theair.

The majority of your chips will be in the middle to back positions. When chipping from longer grass moving theball back in your stance will make solid contact much easier although the ball flight will be a bit lower. The bestthing to do is to take a number of balls out to the practice green and practice chipping from every ball positionso you know what to expect.

BACKSWING

Your backswing should be started with your front shoulder since large muscle groups are more reliable andconsistent, especially under pressure. With your front arm as straight (but not locked) bring the club head back.

Don’t try to take the club straight back. It’s normal for the club to swing in an arc causing it to move slightly tothe inside on your backswing. The club comes back on a slightly inside arc and then on the downswing itcomes back on that same arc and automatically squares up at impact. No manipulating of the club face isnecessary.

The length of the backswing will vary based on the distance of the shot required but you will be amazed by howshort the backswing can be. Do not cock your wrists or deliberately bend your back elbow. For longer shotsthe back elbow will bend slightly without you thinking about it. You should notice that your front forearm andthe club shaft stay straight in a line throughout the chip.

RealMedia ofBackswinghttp://www.simplegolf.com/videos/chipping_shoulders.rm

WindowsMedia ofBackswinghttp://www.simplegolf.com/videos/chipping_shoulders.wmv

DOWNSWING

The key thing here is although you start the downswing with your shoulders you should also push downwardusing your PowerThumb (the thumb of your top hand which should be behind the shaft of the club) on thedownswing. You’re actually hitting the ball with your whole front arm and shoulder but feeling the pushdownward with your PowerThumb. This will help you to accelerate the club through the chip and it will giveyou the “feel” to really control your distance. Think to yourself that you are hitting the ball powering your chipwith only your shoulders (upper torso). Your arms are only “along for the ride”. Concentrate on keeping thetriangle formed by your two arms and your chest constant (shaped the same) throughout the chip. Yes there willbe a little wrist motion in the chip but that will happen automatically rather than as a conscious effort.

The most common error made in chipping and pitching is decelerating the club into the ball (often caused bytoo long a backswing). The club should be accelerating through the ball to hit it consistently and you mustfollow through. This is as true for the shortest of chips as well as full swings. This technique will dramaticallyincrease your accuracy and distance control.

Real Videoof Whole Chipping Motionhttp://www.simplegolf.com/videos/chipping_whole_swing.rmWindows Media of Whole Chipping Motionhttp://www.simplegolf.com/videos/chipping_whole_swing.wmv

Symple Pitching

Simple Pitching is done with the same setup and the same upper body dominant swing that you use for SympleChipping. You just make a bigger turn and bigger backswing. The lower body remains quiet (but not frozen)during pitching. There is some knee and hip motion especially on longer pitches.

For pitching you use the same narrow stance you used in chipping. Again your weight should be mostly on thefront leg

Narrow Stance, Weight On Front Leg

The butt of the club should be pointed at your front armpit.

Butt Of Club Pointing At Front Armpit

Keep the triangle formed by your arms and your chest intact during the beginning of the backswing.

The backswing is begun by turning your upper torso. No conscious thumb cock (wrist break is needed. The clubshaft is kept in line with the forearm until the shaft is almost parallel.

Club In-line With Forearm

Good – Very Little Wrist Break Back – Too Wristy

Your club face should stay square to your swing plane. Picture your in a circular swing trainer (see pic belowright) Your club face should stay perpendicular to the circular swing trainer (which indicates the swing plane)on your backswing and downswing.

Club Face Stays Square To Swing Plane

Your downswing is made with an accelerating stroke begun with your shoulders. You finishby turning your chest towards the target.

The Lob ShotThe goal of the lob shot is to hit the ball high have it land softly with little roll. The lob shot should be used onlywhen you absolutely have to because it is a high risk shot. You need a fluffy lie to hit a lob shot because youhave to slide the club under the ball to hit a good lob shot. You can NOT hit a lob shot from hard pan.

Lob Shot StanceThe feet are close together but the weight is mostly on the back leg. The ball is played further up in your stance.With the lob shot you set up 30-40 degrees open. Your shoulders, hips and feet should all be aligned 30 to 40degrees open. Your swing follows the line of your shoulders so in effect it is an Outside-To-Inside swing path.

Weight Mostly On The Back Leg

Feet, Shoulders and Hips 30 to 60 Degrees Open

Club Face Very Open (toward target)Ball Forward in Stance

Use Your “Power Triangle”No Conscious Wrist Action

Open Stance, Open Club Face

The Sand ShotThe set up and swing for the sand shot is very much like the lob shot. With the lob shot you’re “exploding”from a fluffy grass lie and with the sand shot you’re exploding from sand. You set up and swing exactly thesame with both shots.

Set Up Open 30-40 Degrees

Sometimes because of the slope of the sand in the bunker it’s difficult to set up with a narrow stance. In thatcase just set up with as wide a stance as you need to be stable and then “freeze the knee”. Freezing the knees(not changing the bend of your knees during the swing) will make sure the bottom of your swing arc staysconstant so you enter the sand the proper distance behind the ball. The club face is open (towards the target).

Here’s a drill to help learn how much sand to take with a sand shot.

SandTee Drill

Put a tee into the sand with a ball on top of it. The top of the tee should be justlower than the top of the sand. During the swing you are going to try and clip off thetop of the tee. To do this you have to hit behind the ball at a shallow angle. You arein effect slipping the club through and under the sand. Visualize this the next timeyour ball lands in the sand. Take a long shallow divot of sand and keep your left armmoving through the ball. Control distance by the length of your backswing. Do notquit on the shot.

Again notice that the sand shot also is an upper torso powered swing with noconscious wrist action. (Yes there is some wrist break but it is cause by themomentum of the club not by conscious action. The line of the swing followsthe shoulders ( Outside-To-Inside Swing).

The Club is On-Plane With The Butt OfThe Club Pointing at the Extended Target Line

Finish With Chest Towards The Pin

PRACTICINGYOUR SHORT GAME

As you learn the Symple Swing chipping (and Symple Pitching) it is very important to practice effectively tomaster this simple yet most often overlooked part of the game. There are many different ways to practice but themost common method when practicing alone is to start from just off the green, on the fringe of a practice greenwith 10 or so balls.

We would you like to start with short chips of 10 - 15 feet. For your target use an imaginary 3 foot circle aroundthe hole (you can also use your club to measure the distance). Your objective is to put as many balls into thatimaginary circle as possible.

The key to success is to picture where you want to land the ball and project the amount of roll up to the pin.Please figure out what kind of shot you are to play - pertaining to ball position in your stance. A shot with lowtrajectory will roll on the ground farther then one with high degree of loft with little roll. Normally, you shouldtry to fly the ball 1/3 of the way and have it roll the other 2/3’s of the way. You are successful when you haveput at least 6 or 7 out of 10 in the circle.

Once you have become consistent with this distance then back up or lengthen the shot. Repeat this method forall kinds of chips – short chips (under 5 yards), medium (6 to 10 yards) and long (10 yards or more) with allthree different trajectories needed. Then move out and practice short pitches. Learn the highest percentageshots for all shots around the green, with the objective or goal is to chip it close enough to make your first putt.

You should practice chipping from short and long grass as you will encounter all different types of lies as youplay. Practice as often as you can, so you are able to play these short shots with confidence and accuracy.Practicing your short game is the best way to reduce your scores quickly.

For shots longer than 20 to 25 yards lengthen the shoulder swing arc (bigger shoulder turn) and increase youracceleration on your downswing and trust your swing to hit the ball exactly where you aim. On longer shots youshould flare your back foot out 45 degrees (still keeping a fairly narrow stance) to make the shoulder turn easier.

Good Luck and please go to the SympleSwing.com website for more helpful information. Be sure to check outour forum at http://simplegolf.com/forum.htm

If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail us at support@simplegolf.com or call us at 203-798-8489.

Discounts

Symple Swing DVD DiscountSince you have read this far you are obviously a diligent golf student. Wewould like to reward your diligence with a $10 discount on the fullSymple Swing package. This $10 discount is valid for 30 days after the dateYou purchased the Symple Swing Short Game package.

When purchasing Symple Swing just click on: http://www.simplegolf.com/a/go.php?c=ebookNote: This discount is not available after you have purchased Symple Swing! The discount will beapplied automatically when you check out if you use the link above.

Note: Symple Swing Package is available in DVD or VHS format at SimpleGolf.com. It is also available in E-book format at SympleSwing.com. The above discount is available for any version.

Symple Putting E-bookYou should also check out our Symple Putting E-book at www.SymplePutting.com You can get a $10 discounton the Symple Putting E-book if you use this link to make your purchase:http://www.simplegolf.com/a/go.php?c=sympleputting It’s normally $29.95 so your price would only be $19.95for the E-book