Mitchell Spearman on Jason Day's Chipping Motion (Video)

This coaching clip from GC's Golfing World show is only a couple of months old, so it's up-to-date on how Jason Day's short game works. Here, coach Mitchell Spearman teaches host Anna Whiteley the technique.



Personally, Jason's technique feels a bit stiff to me when I try it. (I'm more comfortable with a little bit of wrist cock.) But it's not that much different from what I teach, and I admit that for some players it's a bit easier to control your distance this way. The trade-off is that you may have a little trouble using the technique on longer shots, because this method limits the wrist cocking that creates easy distance.

Spearman points out three key setup points to remember when using Jason's method:

• Instead of telling you to set up with your weight slightly on your lead foot, he suggests getting the buttons on the placket of your shirt just ahead of the ball. That's because you want the shaft mostly vertical and, if you set your weight noticeably on your lead side, you'll tend to lean the shaft. Your weight is only slightly on your lead foot.
• You don't want your hands ahead of the ball because, again, you don't want the shaft to lean forward. You want the shaft fairly vertical so you can create a more shallow, sweeping motion as you hit the ball. I usually recommend setting up with your hands over the ball and, if you have the ball in the center of your stance, that should still give you a mostly vertical shaft setup.
• The stroke is mostly about using your shoulders, so your lead arm and the shaft stay in a fairly straight line throughout the stroke. Note that I said "fairly straight." Don't get rigid about it; you're just limiting your wrist cock during the stroke.

There are other tips in the video, of course, but these are the primary setup keys for getting good results with the technique. The section of the video where Anna actually tries the technique -- it starts about halfway through -- should really help you get a good visual of how it works.

Jason will certainly be using this technique a lot next week at Shinnecock, so understanding how his short game works will help you learn more from what you see. He has one of the best short games on tour, after all!