Optimal Knee Flex for Chipping: Achieving Smooth Control and Distance Precision
As Lane "The Lever," I emphasize feel and rhythm in every aspect of the golf swing, including the short game. When chipping, knee bend is crucial for maintaining stability while allowing a smooth, pendulum-like arm motion. Excessive bend disrupts your tempo, leading to fat or thin shots, while insufficient flex makes the motion rigid and inconsistent. The goal is soft knees—a subtle athletic flex that promotes mobility and effortless release, much like the sweeping arm action in a full lever swing.
Recommended Knee Bend Amount
- Slight Flex Only (About 20-30 Degrees): Bend your knees softly, as if preparing for a gentle athletic stance. Your knees should feel relaxed and responsive, not locked or deeply flexed like in a driver setup. This mirrors the neutral stance width with soft knees used for full swings, ensuring mobility for an arm-dominated motion.
- Weight Distribution: Shift 60-70% of your weight to your front foot (target side), with knees tilted slightly toward the target. This forward lean stabilizes your lower body, preventing knee knockers—excessive knee movement that throws off balance and timing.
- Spine Angle: Maintain a consistent spine angle with soft knees through impact, allowing your arms to extend freely toward the ball positioned slightly forward of center.
Setup and Execution Steps for Perfect Knee Flex
- Address the Ball: Stand with feet narrower than shoulder-width, knees softly flexed for balance. Visualize a relaxed pendulum swing, where your lower body stays quiet and responds naturally to your arms.
- Feel the Flex: Let gravity settle into your knees—soft but stable. Avoid aggressive hip thrust; instead, let your lower body respond to your arm swing for rhythmic flow.
- Downswing Motion: Drop your arms naturally with gravity, maintaining soft knees. Brush the grass through impact, ensuring a full arm release without knee collapse or straightening.
- Practice Drill - Feet Together Chips: Hit chip shots with feet together to groove an arm-dominated feel. This forces soft knee stability, eliminating lower body sway and honing timing for shots like the chip and run, where the ball runs low along the ground.
Common Mistakes and Fixes
- Too Much Bend (Chunking): Deep knee flex causes chunks—hitting turf behind the ball. Fix: Lighten knee flex and focus on sweeping through with extended arms.
- Too Little Bend (Skulling): Straight knees lead to thin shots. Fix: Soften knees and practice feeling the club's low point brush the grass.
- Knee Movement: Watch for knee knockers disrupting rhythm. Drill: Mirror checks to ensure knees stay softly flexed and stable.
In summary, for chipping mastery, adopt soft knees with 20-30 degrees of flex—enough for athletic poise, but subtle to prioritize arm swing rhythm and precise release. This feel-based approach unlocks consistent contact, better getting up and down, and the artistry of low-running chips. Master this, and your short game becomes a rhythmic extension of the lever swing's effortless power.