What Took Me 6 Months with PGA Tour Coaches…You’ll Learn in 9 Minutes
Alex Elliott explains a crucial 2-inch setup adjustment to eliminate fat and thin chip shots. By standing further from the ball and maintaining a straighter trail arm, golfers can prevent the 'lawn mower' retraction that causes the club to bury too deep into the turf. This video provides specific drills, including the elbow-squeeze and the ball-forward acid test, to ensure a consistent arc and crisp contact around the greens.
Standing 2 inches further away from the ball at address creates room for a straighter trail arm.
Bending the trail arm too much in the backswing leads to 'throwing' the club at impact, which causes fat shots.
Grip down on the club and maintain a straighter (but not locked) trail arm at setup to pre-set the maximum range of motion.
Focus on keeping the elbows squeezed together to stabilize the depth of the arc through the strike.
The 'Acid Test' involves moving the ball forward in the stance to verify that your arc depth is shallow enough to brush the ground without digging.