Bryson DeChambeau's Chipping Technique (Video)

For the curious among you, Bryson's technique is very reminiscent of Lee Trevino's. This video starts at regular speed and progressively slows the swing down.



Here are the key points to note:

• His stance is slightly open, to allow a fuller turn through the ball at impact. This helps both his accuracy and his consistency, since he can turn freely and easily. You can tell his stance is open because his lead foot points more toward the target than his trailing foot.
• The ball is well back in Bryson's stance, just inside his trailing foot. This encourages a downward strike -- very good out of rough, but it does mean he's using the leading edge more than the bounce. It's a little less forgiving if you mis-hit the ball.
• While his weight is more on his lead side, he does allow his lead knee to bend and his hips to move slightly as he makes his backswing. He's steady over the ball but his lower body is not rigid.
• There is no wrist break during the takeaway. This is something that Lee Trevino has always taught, because removing the wrist action at the ball makes the chip swing more predictable.
• A very important thing that you may not be able to see until nearly halfway through the video: Bryson's wrists DO flex at the change of direction. That's because his wrists, while firm at takeaway and impact, are not tight; they are relaxed enough to flex at the midpoint of the swing. This helps him be more consistent with his distances. Yes, it's a feel thing.

That's a lot of stuff from one short video, I know. And it's not something that will work for everyone -- it may seem too mechanical to some players. Still, it's a very simple method that's easy to repeat and doesn't put a lot of stress on your body. If you've had difficulties developing a consistent chipping motion, you could do a lot worse than trying this one!