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Perfecting Your Short Game: Tips From Jack NicklausThursday, February 2nd, 2006 Jack Nicklaus shared his golfing secrets in Golf Digest a few years ago…secrets that every golfer should know. Having played the game for roughly 55 years, Jack Nicklaus has assimilated some observations, adages and simple advice that should speed your progress and increase your enjoyment on the golf course. “I’ve always used a sand wedge for 95 percent of my chip shots. I vary the ball flight by adjusting my stance and ball position and opening or closing the clubface. This to me was more reliable and eased the decision making that went into choosing one of the other clubs, all of which had different lengths, lofts and lies than my trusty sand wedge. If you’re not putting well, shorten your stroke and hit the ball more firmly. Gordon Jones [a fellow-competitor] gave me that tip just prior to the 1967 U.S. Open, and it made the angels sing. I won the championship. When you get in position to putt, set your head and eyes so you can glance at the hole without swiveling your head. Your eyes are riveted on the ball when you make the stroke and your head must be kept still, but you also want to be target-oriented. To avoid three-putting, select a spot three feet short of the hole and putt aggressively to that spot. You’ll rarely be short by more than three feet because of your aggressive play. If you hit the putt too hard, it can roll five feet farther than your target and you’ll have only two feet coming back. PRACTICE “I don’t like deep divots. When I was younger, I could practice for a long time using a space smaller than a shoe box. The idea is to catch the ball at the lowest point of the club’s apex, where the arc of the swing is widest. If you’re taking a big divot, the club obviously is still moving downward. You can practice with a friend if you’re merely grooving what you’ve got. The conversation and disruptions won’t really hurt you, and it can make the practice more enjoyable. If you’re working on a swing change, it’s better to be alone because you’re going to have to concentrate.�? THE EQUIPMENT �?Quality clubs are important. Trevino has said, ‘It’s not the arrow, it’s the Indian.’ But an Indian can’t kill anything with a crooked arrow. We’ve come a long way with clubfitting, but it’s still far from being a perfect science. It’s impossible, with shaft flexes being expressed so many ways, their individual bending properties and the impracticality of measuring and weighing every shaft/ clubhead combination you want to try. Clubfitting helps, but there’s no substitute for experimenting and trying out clubs individually. Try a softer, more flexible shaft. At the U.S. Open at Oak Hill in 1968, I used a shaft in my driver that was between “R” and “S.” I never could use an extra-stiff shaft; I couldn’t feel the clubhead and as a result tried to overpower the ball with my hands and arms.�? THE SWING �?Not many amateurs have a swing that is perfectly on plane. If you’re going to err one way or the other, the short person is better off being a bit flat, while tall people want to be a shade upright. Big legs are a source of power. I’ve been asked how the legs contribute to power, because they aren’t touching the club. The answer is, sturdy legs give you stability, which in turn allows you to swing your arms faster. There’s a lot of emphasis these days on what the body is doing during the swing. That tends to mask emphasis on what matters most — the club. When you work on some movement of the body, always be mindful of how it will influence your ability to deliver the clubhead back to the ball with the clubface square. The trend among young, flexible tour pros is to keep the left heel planted on the backswing. The average player should lift that left heel. For one thing, it will help you turn your hips level instead of tilting them. For another, you’ll make a bigger turn, which is a challenge for most people. If you slice, try keeping your left shoulder stationary on the downswing. It won’t stay still, of course, but it will stop you from spinning your shoulders to the left and coming over the top. The standard ball position is expressed as “ball off the left heel.” Just remember, the width of your stance determines how far back or forward the ball actually is. If your feet are spread well apart for a driver, the ball will be farther forward than for a chip, where your stance is narrow. At address, the placket of your shirt (where the buttons are) is aimed a fraction to the right of the ball. On the backswing, the turning of your shoulders will aim the placket well to the right of the ball. Here’s another anti-slicing tip: On the downswing, your goal is to achieve impact before the placket returns to the position it was in at address. My last thought before I take the club away isn’t a thought at all. It’s a picture, a visualization, a sensation. If I think of swinging slowly, my last thought isn’t “swing slowly.” It’s an image of me swinging slowly. If your setup at address is sound, there’s a good chance you’ll hit a reasonably good shot, even if you make a so-so swing. If you set up poorly, you’ll hit a bad shot even if you make a perfect swing. Pay attention to the pre-swing fundamentals! Hold your left hand in front of you and make a fist. Now give a “thumb’s up” gesture, making as pronounced a curve in your thumb as possible. If your thumb has a big curve like mine does, you’ll have an advantage playing golf, because the thumb will support the club better throughout the swing. So many great players — Player, Hogan, Snead, Watson and Jones — had this thumb curve. Arnold Palmer’s thumb doesn’t curve much, and I’ve teased him unmercifully about it. He’s an exception to the “rule.” Swing the long irons as though they all have the No. 7 stamped on the sole. If you swing the 3-iron like you do the 7-iron, you won’t swing too hard or try to help the ball in the air — which is the tendency with long irons. |
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