The post How to cure your chipping yips, according to a short-game expert appeared first on Golf.

The post How to cure your chipping yips, according to a short-game expert appeared first on Golf.

Q: Dear Chef, I’m struggling with the chipping yips. Any easy remedies? —Kyle M., Wilmette, Ill

Kyle, I feel for you. The chipping yips are a huge bummer and can happen to anyone. Even Tiger Woods suffered from them for a while, back in 2015. But he bounced back, and so can you! 

Try this simple solution: Next time you’re hitting shots around the practice green, add a toe tap with your lead foot before you swing through to impact. You can do this in a variety of ways, even pausing your swing at the halfway point. The goal is to make sure you’re getting that toe tap in before you start your through swing to impact. 

Not only does thinking about the toe tap help you get out of your head and ease the anxiety of the impending strike, it also encourages you to have your weight properly positioned throughout the swing.

You’ll find much more of McLachlin’s advice at ShortGameChef.com, which provides golfers with a comprehensive resource to improve their short games. Through personalized tips, drills and expert insights, McLachlin helps players of all levels gain more confidence and a deeper understanding of their short game to lower their scores. You can browse membership options here.

Sign up for GOLF Schools Today

Improve your game with GOLF Top 100 Teachers.

Buy Now from golf.com

The post How to cure your chipping yips, according to a short-game expert appeared first on Golf.

The post Short-game expert details the keys to hitting from fried-egg lie appeared first on Golf.

The post Short-game expert details the keys to hitting from fried-egg lie appeared first on Golf.

The dreaded plugged lie doesn’t have to be a disaster. With a few key adjustments, you can turn a fried egg into a confident up-and-down chance. 

Start by assessing the situation: The ball is likely sitting below the surface and the sand is soft. That means you have to go steep and deep. To build a vertical swing, stand closer to the ball — closer than feels comfortable — and narrow your stance. This helps you hinge the club straight up and down, minimizing lower-body movement and allowing the club to dive under the ball.

Open the clubface slightly to help the ball pop out with height and softness, especially if you’re short-sided. Keep your sternum centered over your strike point, about 1.5 inches behind the ball, and commit to the steep angle of attack. No big finish here — this shot needs a short, quiet follow-through that finishes with the club buried in the sand.

Practice this motion: Hinge it up, hit down and leave it in the sand. With the right setup and a steep strike, you’ll turn one of the scariest shots in golf into a strength.

You’ll find much more of McLachlin’s advice at ShortGameChef.com, which provides golfers with a comprehensive resource to improve their short games. Through personalized tips, drills and expert insights, McLachlin helps players of all levels gain more confidence and a deeper understanding of their short game to lower their scores. You can browse membership options here.

Titleist Vokey SM11 Tour Chrome Custom Wedge

$199.99 from Fairway Jockey

View Product

The post Short-game expert details the keys to hitting from fried-egg lie appeared first on Golf.

The post You *must* learn this shot to play links golf, says short-game expert appeared first on Golf.

The post You *must* learn this shot to play links golf, says short-game expert appeared first on Golf.

Q: Dear Chef, I’m heading across the pond to play my first round of links golf this summer. Which short-game shot do I need to master before then? —Andrew V., Traverse City, Mich.

Links golf? Let’s go! You’re about to step into golf’s purest form — tight lies, firm turf and unpredictable wind. The shot you must have ready before wheels up? The bump-and-run.

This is your go-to when you can’t fly it to the hole. I’m talking ball back in your stance, shaft leaning forward, minimal wrist action. Think putting stroke with a wedge-narrow stance, quiet body and a low finish. You can use anything from a 9-iron to a 6-iron, depending on how much green you have to work with.

The best part? It’s reliable. The ball stays under the wind, handles any sketchy lies and rolls out like a dream. Practice it now and when you’re standing on the 4th at North Berwick with the wind howling, you’ll know exactly what to do.

Cheers!

You’ll find much more of McLachlin’s advice at ShortGameChef.com, which provides golfers with a comprehensive resource to improve their short games. Through personalized tips, drills and expert insights, McLachlin helps players of all levels gain more confidence and a deeper understanding of their short game to lower their scores. You can browse membership options here.

The post You *must* learn this shot to play links golf, says short-game expert appeared first on Golf.

The post The secret to hitting a chip shot from a fluffy lie appeared first on Golf.

The post The secret to hitting a chip shot from a fluffy lie appeared first on Golf.

Q: Dear Chef, I keep getting too far under the ball on fluffy lies. What’s my problem? —Tyler F., Westhampton, N.Y.

Don’t be so hard on yourself, Tyler! On fluffy lies, it’s very easy to slide the club too far underneath and miss the middle of the face. Try moving the ball slightly back in your stance and focus on keeping the arc of your swing shallow. This helps your clubface catch more of the ball, not just the grass underneath it.

Also, make sure you’re not opening the face too much. That adds unnecessary loft and can make it harder to control distance.

One more thing: Trust your feel. Take a couple of rehearsal swings to sense how the club moves through the lie. That will help you adjust your setup and swing for better, more solid contact.

The post The secret to hitting a chip shot from a fluffy lie appeared first on Golf.

The post How to judge your lie in the rough, according to a short-game expert appeared first on Golf.

The post How to judge your lie in the rough, according to a short-game expert appeared first on Golf.

At last summer’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, the players dealt with some of the gnarliest rough they saw all year. But whether you’re playing in a major or with your buddies on Saturday morning, knowing how to handle heavy cabbage is a game changer, and it starts with reading the lie.

Before you swing, ask yourself: How much grass is behind the ball? In thick rough, no two lies are ever the same, even if they look similar. A ball sitting down deep is going to require a steeper angle and more speed to power through. If it’s sitting up a little more, you can get more creative.

For the deeper, buried lie, move the ball slightly forward in your stance and use more loft — something like a 60 degree. You want to catch it later in the swing arc, so you can really get under it and pop it out. If the ball is sitting higher, move it slightly back in your stance to catch it earlier, which helps reduce grab and keeps the face square through impact.

Once you’ve committed to the shot, make a hinge and release motion. Trust what the lie is telling you. If you’ve read it right, you’re giving yourself a recipe to escape and maybe even save par.

McLachlin is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher and PGA Tour short-game coach. Learn more from McLachlin at shortgamechef.com.

TaylorMade Milled Grind 5 Tiger Woods Custom Wedge

Updated to match Tiger’s recent wedge preferences. A new leading edge blend with increased effective bounce in the heel. FORGED FEEL Incredible feel is a must for having a great wedge game. MG5 has been forged from soft carbon steel and designed with geometry to provide excellent feel with great feedback. MAXIMUM SPIN MG5 uses all-new, more aggressive grooves designed to maximize spin. Saw-milled grooves produce tighter tolerances allowing engineers to design steeper walls and sharper radii intended to maximize spin in both dry and damp conditions. PERFORMANCE IN ALL CONDITIONS RAW face with Spin Tread technology channels away moisture to help retain spin. The same way that tire treads help your car stay connected to the road, laser-etched channels redirect water at impact and creates more friction between the club face and golf ball to maintain spin in wet conditions.

$219.99 from Fairway Jockey

View Product

The post How to judge your lie in the rough, according to a short-game expert appeared first on Golf.

The post How do you hit a long bunker shot? Short-game expert breaks it down appeared first on Golf.

The post How do you hit a long bunker shot? Short-game expert breaks it down appeared first on Golf.

At the 2024 U.S. Open, Bryson DeChambeau showcased what many consider golf’s toughest shot: a 55-yard bunker shot. But here’s what I tell my players: The long bunker shot isn’t as difficult as it seems.

I get asked about this shot all the time. The key? Club selection. Just because you’re in the bunker doesn’t mean you need to use your highest-lofted wedge. Instead, I’m pulling an 8-iron while using the same bunker technique I would around the green.

Setup is everything. If the pin is tucked short, I shift my weight forward. But for longer bunker shots like this, I like to feel more pressure toward my back foot. The goal is to make a full, committed swing with a slightly open face, entering the sand two inches behind the ball — just like a greenside bunker shot.

A big key here is margin of error. If I make a mistake, I want it to be on the chunkier side rather than catching it too clean. A slight chunk ensures control and prevents the ball from flying too far.

Mastering this shot comes down to knowing your carry distances. Next time you’re practicing, grab four different wedges or short irons and test the results. Get comfortable with different trajectories and soon you won’t fear the long bunker shot anymore.

Learn more from McLachlin at shortgamechef.com.

The post How do you hit a long bunker shot? Short-game expert breaks it down appeared first on Golf.

The post The real reason you blade chip shots from tight lies appeared first on Golf.

The post The real reason you blade chip shots from tight lies appeared first on Golf.

Q: Dear Chef, I tend to blade chips from tight lies. What’s my problem? —Dan L., Levittown, N.Y.

Tight lies can be intimidating for recreational players when you’re using a high-loft club, so my first solution would be to try playing more of a bounce and release. 

But if you’re determined to use a wedge — or the shot requires some carry distance — try not to use your wrist too much and keep your body rotating all the way through impact. 

Using less wrist and more body rotation will shallow out the clubface for more solid contact.

The post The real reason you blade chip shots from tight lies appeared first on Golf.

The post How this ‘viral’ shot can boost your bunker game appeared first on Golf.

The post How this ‘viral’ shot can boost your bunker game appeared first on Golf.

Earlier this year, Keith Mitchell stunned golf fans when he nearly holed a gutsy greenside bunker shot during the 2025 Texas Children’s Houston Open. The risky shot in question? A Thai spinner — a shot made famous by Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who’s from Thailand.

For many golfers, it was the first time they had seen this shot executed from the sand. But, according to Parker McLachlin, a GOLF Teacher to Watch, it might be the key to improving your greenside bunker game.

In a recent Instagram post, McLachlin—also known as Short Game Chef—revealed that hitting Mitchell’s unique shot from the bunker is a great way to train a shallow arc depth and low point control—one of the most important keys in the sand.

Why the Thai spinner can boost your bunker game

The reason it works is because it teaches you to enter the sand at the right time. If you watch Mitchell in the clip above, you’ll see that his club enters the sand directly under the ball, not behind it — a common mistake amateurs make from the bunker.

“Watch how little sand he takes,” McLachlin says. “It’s basically a pitch shot out of the bunker.”

As nerve-wracking as it may be to hit a pitch shot from this lie, practicing it can also help you understand if you’re utilizing the bounce of your club correctly and help you avoid digging the leading edge.

To copy what Mitchell is doing above, set up to the shot with a slightly narrow stance. Play the ball in the middle of your stance. Notice how his wrists are relatively straight as he lets his body and arms turn back and through to power the motion.

“It’s like a putting stroke,” Mitchell says.

If you’re doing it right, the ball should come out low yet controlled with a lot of roll. With enough practice you can hit greenside bunker shots with more confidence, knowing you have your low point dialed in.

ShortGameChef.com, created by PGA Tour winner Parker McLachlin, provides golfers with a comprehensive resource to improve their short game. Through personalized tips, drills, and expert insights, Parker helps players of all levels gain more confidence and a deeper understanding of their short game to lower their scores. You can browse membership options here.

Get 30% Off Short Game Chef Now

Ready to take your short game to the next level? Join me, Parker McLachlin, and gain access to 300+ exclusive videos packed with tips, drills, and strategies to help you play your best golf. Start improving your game today and make every shot count.

Buy Now from shortgamechef.com

The post How this ‘viral’ shot can boost your bunker game appeared first on Golf.

The post Stop making this takeaway mistake to easily improve your short game appeared first on Golf.

The post Stop making this takeaway mistake to easily improve your short game appeared first on Golf.

It’d be great of we could hit every green in regulation, but unfortunately that’s simply not possible. Heck, even the best players in the world don’t hit every green. In 2025, the average GIR percentage on the PGA Tour was just under 66 percent, meaning even the best of the best found themselves scrambling about a third of the time.

When you think about it like that, it’s obvious why short game is so important. Golf is not a game of perfect, so learning how to recover from your mistakes is crucial.

Missing a green in regulation is one of the most common mistakes a golfer can make, but it can easily be rectified if you’ve got a solid short game. If you can get up-and-down at a decent clip, missing greens won’t hurt your scorecard quite so much.

In the video below, GOLF Teacher to Watch Parker McLachlin, aka the Short Game Chef, explains an easy way to improve your short game by fixing mistakes in your takeaway.

Fix this takeaway mistake

When I had a quick lesson with McLachlin at last winter’s GOLF Top 100 Teacher Summit, one concept he explained continues to stick with me. With short-game shots, there are two distinct families of techniques. One is the pitching and chipping motion, which is similar to a putting stroke, and the other is the flop and bunker motion, which involves more wrist action.

For many shots we face around the greens, the pitching and chipping motion is all you need to get the ball close. And to properly execute the shots, all you need to do is focus on rocking your shoulder back and forth, much like a putting stroke.

This can be difficult for many recreational players to get the hang of. Having quiet wrists is not something they are used to when hitting shots around the greens.

That’s why the video above from McLachlin can be so helpful. In order to achieve those “quiet wrists,” all you need to do is focus on your takeaway.

“I want to feel low on this takeaway and wide,” he says. “I don’t want to feel vertical and narrow.”

By taking the club back low and wide, you’re forcing yourself to keep your wrists quiet and shallowing your angle of attack. And in doing so, you are guarding against digging the leading edge into the ground and chunking the shot.

“However I take this thing away, that’s pretty much how I’m going to deliver it into the ball,” McLachlin says.

By mastering this low and wide takeaway, you’ll quickly improve your short game, get up-and-down more and shoot lower scores.

The post Stop making this takeaway mistake to easily improve your short game appeared first on Golf.

The post How to hit a fried egg bunker shot in 5 easy steps appeared first on Golf.

The post How to hit a fried egg bunker shot in 5 easy steps appeared first on Golf.

Fried eggs are a great way to start your day — especially when paired with toast — but it’s a different story on the golf course. These tricky bunker shots have a way of taking the wind out of your sails before you even attempt to hit them, and with the wrong approach, they can ruin the hole and stifle any momentum you had built up throughout your round.

Luckily, with a few fundamentals, you can learn to escape plugged lies in a single swing. Use the five keys below from Parker McLachlin, a GOLF Teacher to Watch, to navigate these greenside bunker shots with ease — and even give yourself a chance at making an up-and-down for par.

Open the clubface

In part one of McLachlin’s three-part series on plugged lies in the bunker, he explains that most amateurs set themselves up for frustration from the start because they address the ball with a closed clubface. The reason this gets you into trouble is that the lie is already promoting a lower ball flight. 

“This ball wants to come out low and fast because it’s sitting an inch below the surface,” he says. 

Instead, you want to open the clubface to counteract the lie. Opening the face, McLachlin says, is going to allow us to create more height and softness through the shot.

Stand closer to the ball

In a typical bunker shot, McLachlin says that he likes to set his feet further away from the ball because this encourages him to make a more rounded, shallow swing plane. However, for a plugged bunker shot, you need a more vertical swing plane to get below the ball. To encourage a steeper angle of attack, McLachlin says to stand closer to the ball.

“I want to get extremely close to this. Almost uncomfortably close,” he says. 

Compared to his standard greenside bunker setup, McLachlin says he prefers to move four to five inches closer to the ball.

“I want to be able to provide an angle of attack that’s very steep into this ball so that I can dive underneath this ball which is sitting beneath the surface of the sand,” he says.

Narrow your stance

Amateurs often take a wider stance in the bunker to create a stable base for their swing, but McLachlin says that for plugged lies from the bunker, you’ll actually want a narrower stance. 

“This ball is one inch below the surface of the sand, so I have to build a steep angle of attack to be able to get underneath and almost create my own sand underneath the ball,” he says. 

Setting your feet closer together is a great way to encourage a steeper angle of attack without changing your mechanics.

Remember: hinge and hands

In part 3 of McLachlin’s plugged bunker shot course, he explains that taking a narrow stance not only encourages a steeper angle of attack but also less body movement throughout the swing, which is precisely what you need to execute this shot successfully. 

“This is going to be a very hingey and handsy swing,” he says. “Not much torso rotation at all.” 

In the clip, McLachlin demonstrates what your backswing should look like. Notice that when he takes the club back, he hinges his wrists quickly and stops just above hip height. This shortened backswing prevents him from making any unnecessary body movement and creates a more narrow backswing, which encourages a steeper angle of attack into the ball. 

Minimal follow through

The last key you need to know to hit a fried egg lie is to abbreviate your finish.

“I don’t want to ever see, out of a plugged lie, this motion here,” McLachlin says as he demonstrates a standard release and finish from the sand.

Instead, he says to use the more vertical angle of attack you’ve created to your advantage and allow the club to stop naturally just after impact — almost like a chunk and run.

“Use the steepness, and the open clubface to help get this ball up and out,” he says, “You don’t have to muscle it out of here.”

Which brings up another critical key McLachlin touches briefly on: don’t try to overpower the sand. 

McLachlin says to check that your club shaft returns to a neutral position at impact. Maintaining a neutral club shaft through impact ensures that all of the setup adjustments you just made are working with you, not against you.

If you’re doing it right, the result should be a low, running shot that releases almost like a bump-and-run. And, with a little practice, you can master this tricky shot.

ShortGameChef.com, created by PGA Tour winner Parker McLachlin, provides golfers with a comprehensive resource to improve their short game. Through personalized tips, drills, and expert insights, Parker helps players of all levels gain more confidence and a deeper understanding of their short game to lower their scores. You can browse membership options here.

Get 30% Off Short Game Chef Now

Ready to take your short game to the next level? Join me, Parker McLachlin, and gain access to 300+ exclusive videos packed with tips, drills, and strategies to help you play your best golf. Start improving your game today and make every shot count.

Buy Now from shortgamechef.com

The post How to hit a fried egg bunker shot in 5 easy steps appeared first on Golf.