Most golfers chip to get out of trouble. Phil Mickelson chips to turn trouble into opportunity.

Mickelson never looks in a hurry around the greens; in fact, he slows down when other golfers decide to go with the safest option. This is the reason every golf fan knows his short game.

Phil’s edge is not built on one signature move but on a combination of smart choices, skills, and years of practice.

“Much like in the full swing, if you don’t turn your shoulders, you’re not able to get the club out in front on a good path,” Mickelson once said. “The same thing is true in chipping.”

But what does he do differently that no other golfers do?

He doesn’t see one shot. He sees options

Mickelson goes through his thought process every time he is about to hit the ball. He studies the curves, and at the end, he decides the kind of shot that is most suitable for that moment.

The decision he may come up with is bump-and-run, soft spinner, low skidder, or high flopper. Generally, this sort of liberty is a result of being on the spot, making mistakes, and most importantly, learning to trust rather than fear for many years.

His fundamentals are simple

As per Phil Mickelson, a golfer needs to keep all the weight forward. Why, you may ask. Because this helps them to keep the leading edge down and helps create solid contact. Hands position?

Well, hands need to be in front of the clubhead, as hands behind the clubhead often leads into thins and chunks shot. Use the ball position to hit different trajectories, and to drive it slowly, put it forward.

He practiced with intent, not volume

Phil didn't simply hit chips for the sake of repetition. He prepared for various scenarios.

Bad lies. Short-sighted misses. Shots that he might only use once in a tournament, but he had to be perfect. That method of training is the reason why, even now in his 50s, his short game is still very effective.

Written by

Dolly Bhamrick

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu