Attention all you mid-to-high handicappers or average and beginner golfers: I bet you're wasting lots of strokes in the short game due to the dreaded chunked shot.
Problem is, instead of actually doing anything about it, you're likely still practicing all wrong, and simply just hitting ball-after-ball without much intention or purpose — or think that bombing your drives is the quickest way towards better golf.
Here's the truth: You win from 100 yards in, so if you're not improving on wedge shots around the green or on the putting surface, your golf game's likely stuck in neutral.
Thankfully, there's still hope for you. And with help from top-ranked golf teacher Kevin Sprecher, you can learn how to avoid chunking short game shots when the rough is its thickest — like it is during the summer.
How to Stop Chunking Short Game Shots
If you've played golf at all over the past month or so, you've likely noticed the thick rough — which is known to eat up golf balls and give lots of headaches to average and beginner golfers.
In the video above, Sprecher shares some golf tips to better navigate the summer rough — and to help stop chunking shots for good.
"Here's a situation you'll likely find yourself in around the green," Sprecher explains. "You're in some mild rough, but there's some elevation, so you can't really hit a low chip. You've got to get the ball up in the air a little bit."
Stop Chunking Shots by Choosing the Right Club
While there are lots of reasons why players chunk golf shots, Sprecher says one of the most common is simply using the wrong club.
In this case, given the thickness of the rough and the type of shot you need to hit, it requires something with a little more loft.
"I don't consider this shot a pitch because we're so close to the green, so it's still a chip — it's just a shot that requires a little bit more club loft," Sprecher explains, "From here, I would use either my 58 or my 54-degree wedge."
Next, Sprecher says it's important to take a few practice swings to feel the thickness of the rough. This helps determine how much the grass might twist the clubface as you come into impact.
"I like to do a few practice swings and visualize it," Sprecher explains. "When you're in the rough, you have to make sure you come down a little bit steeper so you can get onto the ball.
"And depending upon how thick the rough is, you might need a little bit more speed. If the rough is really, really thick, you have to use more loft."
Adjust Your Setup to Avoid Bad Wedge Shots
After landing on the perfect club choice for this type of short game shot, it's imperative to make a few setup adjustments, too, which Sprecher says will decrease the odds of chunking the shot.
"My setup is going to be similar to if I was on the fairway, but I'm not going to move [the ball] way back in my stance," Sprecher instructs. "If I played the ball too far back, I'm afraid it's going to come out too hot and it's going to be hard to control. So I'm just going to play the ball middle, but lean [forward in my stance] a little bit more."
So how much should your weight be on this type of shot? Sprecher says it's slightly more than a standard chip shot, which helps with the club's attack angle.
"For your basic chip shot, your setup's about 60-40 [percent]," he says. "But I'm going to put about 70-75 [percent] weight on my lead side here — which increases my angle of attack without moving the ball back too much."
After hitting his wedge shot and watching it pop out without much roll-out after landing, Sprecher explained the two main factors for executing the shot he envisioned.
"[Had I used my 58-degree wedge], I felt like I'd have to hit it too hard to get it to go the distance I wanted," he shares. "If I used my gap wedge, I'm not sure it would've gotten over the hill — and if it did, it'd likely run out too far."
But because thick rough can swallow up golf balls and cause all sorts of different lies, Sprecher suggests bringing a couple different wedge options to help feel what the shot calls for.
"I thought this shot called for my 54, but bring [a club with] a little bit more loft and a little bit less loft to see and feel what the shot requires."
Craving more golf swing tips and golf instruction? Be sure to follow Nick Dimengo on Instagram, and subscribe to Rainmakers Golf on YouTube for more relatable swing advice to help your game improve.
