Who is Stan Utley? He will change the way you chip & putt: the pros swear by his technique. Try it and you will, too

Golf Digest, March, 2004 by Stan Utley

IF YOU'RE LOOKING IN THE PGA TOUR GUIDE TO FIND a reason to listen to what I have to say about the short game, the money and victory lists aren't the place to start. My career record is modest--$1.1 million and one PGA Tour victory in 16 seasons. But I'm lucky to have been blessed with special short-game skills, along with great training from the time I was young in how to use those skills. I set the PGA Tour record for fewest putts in nine holes--six--at the 2002 Air Canada Championship, and I've helped dozens of tour players transform their putting and chipping. I'd like to help you, too.

You can putt and chip well all sorts of ways, especially if you have a ton of athletic ability--like some players you see on tour. But the way I learned to do it makes sense for players of all levels, and you don't have to have incredible coordination. Some people call my approach radical. But to me it's just fundamental golf--applied to the short game. Good players keep the clubface square to the curve of the swing path, on every shot. Everything I teach in the short game is meant to get you to do that more freely. Remember, chipping and putting are still golf.

Chip it closer...

Let the clubhead do the work, not your arms. That's a huge piece of the puzzle in chipping.

1. Change your setup

The main thing I teach is that a chip shot--or a putt--isn't fundamentally different from a full shot. On a chip, most average players take a pitching wedge and line up open, with the ball way back in the stance. They then make a steep, chopping swing. I teach players to set up square and more narrow, with the ball toward the front of the stance and more weight on the front foot. I also teach them a technique that will get them to feel confident playing a wide variety of shots with a lofted 56- or 60-degree wedge.

2. Path is everything

Many players try to bring the club back straight along the target line, with an all-arms move. Instead, I let the clubhead travel on its natural plane, on a curve around my body. I rotate my forearms, fold my right elbow and make a very small pivot. Having this lower-body movement is more natural and fluid.

My arms aren't swinging the club back. I'm doing that with a slight pivot of the knees and hips and forearm rotation. The forearm rotation is going to feel extreme when you first try it, but you'll be amazed at the efficiency of your effort.

'I tried it'

MARTY KINGS HANDICAP: 9.0 KITCHENER, ONTARIO

My main problem is chunking and skulling chips, so I was looking for something else to experiment with. When I tried Stan's chipping technique, the first thing I felt was that it gave me permission to go ahead and hit the ball. It felt more natural and athletic. When you hit it right, there's a sound to it--a click--and I liked having that feedback.

And make more putts...

1. Fix your grip

When I'm helping people with their putting, I want their hands to be placed on the club in a natural position, relative to the way their arms hang. You get feel from the fingertips, not the palms, so in my grip, there are places where my hand isn't even on the club. The grip shown near right won't allow you to swing your arms and the club naturally. Relative to the way most people's hands hang, the left hand is weak, and the right hand is strong. You'll be working against your anatomy. The hands need to be neutral and soft.

2. Align forearms for better aim

If you start with bad body alignment, you're going to do some things--even subconsciously--with the stroke to compensate for that alignment problem, and you won't be consistent. That's making putting way more difficult than it needs to be.

Although it is best to have your shoulders, hips and feet square, having your forearms aligned parallel to your start line is most crucial. A perfect grip, with your elbows tucked to your sides, is the best way to achieve this important position.

3. The stroke is a curve

The first thing you'll notice about these photographs is that the clubface looks like it is opening and closing. That's just the face staying square to the path of the club--the curved path all golf is played on. My putting stroke is designed to replicate a full swing, just smaller.

Ball position is very important for any shot, including a putt. Too far forward and your path will be to the left at impact--just like in a full swing. Too far back and your path will be to the right. I play the ball toward the front of my stance, under my left eye, with the ball at the apex of the curve. My stance is narrow and relaxed, because that's how I'd stand naturally, if we were talking. You wouldn't stand with your feet two feet apart.

The putter should follow that gently curving path. You'll feel like you're fanning the club open and shut, especially if you've always worked to swing the putter up and down the target line.

With this stroke, feel how much more solid your contact is, and how much less effort it takes to get your 20-footers to the hole.

And one more thing...

When you hit a chip, you want the same wrist hinge you use on a regular shot, only smaller. For short-game shots, I use the same standard overlapping grip I use on full swings.