Todd Anderson tutorial: How to chip like Scottie Scheffler

Golf

Published: 20 Sep. 2023, 13:04 Updated: 20 Sep. 2023, 19:42

Todd Anderson tutorial: How to chip like Scottie Scheffler

In this tutorial, GA Tour Performance Center Director of Instruction Todd Anderson breaks down World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler’s short game technique, which he rates to be amongst the best on the PGA Tour. Scheffler is a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the 2023 Players Championship, which is the Tour's flagship tournament.

Introduction

Scottie is one of the best short game players, if not the best, on the PGA Tour. One of the reasons why he is so great around the greens is because he lands the ball in the area he wants to land it with the correct trajectory and release.

He does this with great technique and feel and how he controls the amount of spin or roll on a shot. Sometimes he tries to spin a shot, other times he wants it to release. He's very good at controlling those key factors.

So unlike a lot of players on Tour, Scottie uses a variety of clubs depending on the situation. If he has a lot of room between where he wants to land the ball and where the hole location is, he'll use a less lofted club and if he needs to stop the ball more quickly, he'll use a more lofted club.

Photo 1. Todd Anderson instructional photos were taken at The Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. [PGA TOUR]

Assessing the correct shot

One of the things Scottie does that is different from a lot of players is he uses a variety of clubs (Photo 1) based on how far he needs to fly the ball and how far he wants it to release. He holes out a lot of chips because his ball tends to roll a lot in the last 10 feet.

As it approaches the hole, it's rolling more like a putt, as opposed to coming in with a lot of speed and a lot of check. Hence one of the things I would say is when you analyze a situation, figure out, first of all, where you want the ball to land and then what club you need to use to land it in that area and then how you want it to release towards the hole after it lands.

Photo 2. Todd Anderson instructional photos were taken at The Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. [PGA TOUR]

Pick the right club

Scottie has the vision to use a lot of different clubs. You'll see him sometimes use a straight-faced club like an eight or nine iron all the way up to a lob wedge for his chips. It all depends on the situation. In the final round at the 2023 Players Championship, Scottie holes out a shot next to a bunker to a front hole location to make birdie and take control of the PGA Tour's flagship tournament.

He didn't try to hit a high flop or anything like that. He basically took his lob wedge, gripped it down on the club (Photo 2) and made a very small, short swing (Photo 3) and simply tried to get the ball to fly onto the edge of the green and let it release towards the hole like it was a putt.

Photo 3. Todd Anderson instructional photos were taken at The Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. [PGA TOUR]

Soft hands

You would also notice he didn't try to do anything fancy with his chip. Scottie gripped down on the club for better control, and there is not a lot of wrist action (Photo 4). He kind of let the club swing up and dropped it down on the ball. And he has really ‘soft’ hands, which is a trait of any good short-game players.

Photo 4. Todd Anderson instructional photos were taken at The Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. [PGA TOUR]

When your hands are ‘soft’ and you make a strike under the ball, the ball comes off soft. However, if you're stiff and rigid, the ball comes out hot and fast. Scottie’s soft hands simply let the club falls on the ball and lets it release towards the hole.

Scottie is really good at just letting the momentum of the club fall on the ball and let it release. So allowing the momentum of the club to just fall on the ball, gets the ball coming off softly with less spin and rolling like a putt.

Give this shot a try and I’m sure it'll help your short game, and see you holing some chip shots.

Photo 5. Todd Anderson instructional photos were taken at The Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. [PGA TOUR]

Anderson is the Director of Instruction at the PGA Tour Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass, home of The Players Championship. The 2010 National PGA Teacher of the Year has seen his students amass more than 50 victories across the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, including two FedExCup titles. He is currently rated by Golf Digest as one of the top 20 golf instructors in the United States.

BY TODD ANDERSON [kjdsports@joongang.co.kr]