In order to stop scooping or flipping your chip shots, we have found an incredible training aid, the Chip Assist.

A topped shot and a chunked shot are the same thing, a topped shot is hitting the ball first and a chunked shot is hitting the ground first. But in both cases, the club is passing your hands at impact. When we try to get people to get their hands ahead of the ball, we usually use the impact bag. However, often people incorrectly swing at the impact bag and unintentionally drag the handle through impact. What we really want to happen, is we really want to get our hips out of the way of the club. It’s the same action as skipping a stone.

I often say to students, when we are learning to swing the club, we are trying to swing the club exactly like we would skip a stone. So we came across the Chip Assist tool that helps us achieve this. The Chip Assist also comes with an adapter for anyone with a smaller grip on their clubs such as juniors, ladies, or men with small hands.

When using the Chip Assist, you will set up with the tool resting on your lead hip or lead waist. When making a swing, if you tend to get scoopy or handsy, the device will correct this movement pattern by smacking you on the side.

The best way to use this tool is to accompany it with the impact bag to create both good impact position as well as getting those hips working toward the target. We want our club shaft to lead our club head. When your hip gets out of the way, you are probably going to get the hands ahead of the club face. To purchase yours: https://amzn.to/3rfggjN

Click the picture below to watch the full video.

After a few discussions regarding proper etiquette on the golf course, the big takeaway for a lot of people is the importance of taking care of the golf course. It’s one of our biggest priorities to leave the course in better shape than you found it. So in today’s blog, we are going to explain the top three ways you can take better care of the golf course you are playing!

#1. Repair Your Divots

In the south, every golf cart has sand to repair your divots. A divot occurs when you hit the ball and then the ground, although it can also happen when you chunk a shot…but I digress. If you are playing on cool season grasses, your divot should actually come out in one piece. Go fetch your divot, and put it back where it came from. You should step on it and try to reconnect it to the ground. If you are playing on warm weather grasses, the grass will not come out in one piece which is where the sand comes in. Dump some sand in your divot and then smooth it out with your foot so when the mower comes by, it won’t get sand in the blades. If you can, repair some other divots while you’re at it. You should go back to the club house with 2 empty sand bottles.

#2. Repair Your Ballmarks

Especially on bent grass greens, you can get some really big ball marks on the green. To fix your ball marks, locate the high part of the ball mark, or the back of it, take a golf tee or a ball mark repair tool and push the prongs in at a 45 degree angle toward the middle of the ball mark and push straight up to 90 degrees all the way around the ball mark. Then tap it down with your putter or your foot. If you are close to the hole, use your putter. Also, try to pick up your feet while you’re on the green, especially if you have soft spikes. Also, repair your ball mark and a few others if you see them.

#3. Rake Your Bunker

During the last couple of years when golf has become really popular, golf courses were taking the rake off the golf course to avoid the spread of illness. They were telling people to just give yourself a good lie in the bunker and don’t rake it. Since a lot of people started playing golf during this time, newer golfers may not know about this common courtesy to other golfers. Very simple, forward and back with the rake and smooth over the foot prints.

Golf is called the gentleman’s game for a reason! It’s extremely important to not only take care of the golf course and leave it better than you found it, but it’s also about helping out your fellow golfer and having courtesy for those playing behind you. We hope you found this informative. Feel free to comment on ways you make your golf course better!