Empowered Golf: The chip that cost Perry the Masters
A two-shot lead with two holes to play may seem like a sure bet, but when Kenny Perry's ball ended up over the green on the 71st hole of the Masters on Sunday, a simple chip turned into a nightmarish series of events that led to his loss in the playoff to Angel Cabrera.
The Shot — A downhill chip with the slope of the green going away from you.
The Strategy — any time the slope of the green is going away from you, the key is to land the ball as soft as possible with a higher lofted club. When the ball hits the putting surface, the angle of the slope is going to kick the ball forward. So play a higher-lofted club like a lob or sand wedge. Unfortunately, Perry went with a lower-lofted club and the ball ran too far past the hole to the front of the green, which led to a two-putt bogey.
The Technique — Chipping is nothing more than the extension of a putting stroke. It is very important to maintain the angles that you set up at address throughout the swing. The key to good chipping is to first and foremost lean the shaft toward the target creating a straight line going up the leading arm and then maintaining that angle throughout the swing.
