Hitting the ball twice in the same swing

Sometimes when I chip (using very, very poor form, I think), I'll hit the ball twice - once on the downswing, then once again on the follow through - almost as though I've lifted the ball to knee height on my clubface. Is there a penalty for this? Or is it just a 'funny quirk'?

Lowpost,

There is definitely a penalty for hitting the ball twice, an easy cure for this is to play your chip shots with the ball behind your right foot.

e.g \\'

\ = feet
' = ball

Just do this until you become more confident because sometimes you need to play the ball a little more forward for different trajectory's.

It is almost impossible to scoop the ball when it is so far back in your stance. You never know it may improve your chipping.

Ian.

Duh.

Had I read a little further down, I would have seen my answer.

Ian, I'll try the new stance.

Thanks.

Hi LowPost,

It sounds to me like you are trying to stop the club after you hit the ball and not following through. If you follow through with your club, you should eliminate the dreaded double hit. Remember this: let the length of your backswing determine the distance of your shot. Make sure you are accelerating through the ball and keep your backswing short for those pitch and chip shots.

I have a great drill/technique for chipping if you are interested.

hi
i am very interested please tell me.

Lay it on me, Gord. Also, if there are any places where I can get some free video and instruction for proper chipping and pitching form, those would help, too.

Gord's chipping drill/technique:

This was taught to me by one of the many pros I used to golf and work with when I worked at a golf resort. Within a month of the pro teaching me this, with practice and about 13 rounds of golf I had dropped 8 strokes of my handicap and I have never been back over a 10:

Set up: With an open stance, line up as you would normally would to chip the ball. In your right hand (for righties) try to to ss a ball underhand at approx. the same trajectory as the club you usually use for chipping towards your target (works for 7i - LW). to ss a few balls and really concentrate on how your arm is moving back and forth. You will notice that it doesn't take long to figure out how hard you need to to ss the ball. In the exact same stance, grip your club and replicate the underhand to ssing motion. This motion accomplished two things. First is it keeps your hips quiet, second, you are not breaking your wrist. This motion also promotes a short backswing, acceleration through the ball and a longer followthrough. Try to keep the ball somewhere in the middle to 3/4 the back in your stance.

I hope this helps you as much as it has helped me!!!

__________________
Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall

For some reason the site kept **** everytime I wrote T O S S so there is a space in between the to and the ss (to ss)

So then to open the stance, I just pull the front foot back a touch?

Where should I be playing the ball?

Open the front foot to about 45 degrees and step back about 4 inches. You should be playing the ball anywhere from the middle of your stance to 3/4 back.