Choke Down – Long Game Golf Lesson

For some shots you choke down on the club, e. g. different chip shots. This is not only necessary for the proper technique, but you gain more control, too.

Because your hands are closer to the clubface, it gets easier to control it.

Some players like Anthony Kim choke down on all their clubs when doing their full swing.

He does so because he learned to play with clubs that where too big for him in his childhood.

But he did stick with it throughout his whole career although he could use custom made clubs that would not need him to choke down on the club.

It is just natural for him to grip his clubs this way.

Try what effect choking down has on your swing and game.

Work your way through your golf bag and choke down on every club.

You will probably notice that your shots become worse with some clubs, while with other clubs you seem to become more accurate.

At least it was this way for me. Of course you do not want to mess up your own setup and swing.

When you are choking down it is very easy to overswing. If you want to go a more scientific route, put some impact tape on the face of your club.

Then hit a couple of shots and check out your impact pattern. Then choke down a bit and check your impact pattern again.

If you compare the different patterns side by side you will get some visual feedback how choking down on the club actually influences the accuracy of the contact you make with the ball. Just experiment a bit with this.

Maybe you learn something about your swing, e. g. the proper distance to the ball or how you can manipulate the loft with choking down on the club and moving your hands around.

Maybe you will even choke down on clubs you find difficult to play like the driver.

Trying simple things like this gives you a new experience and lets you see your own swing in a new light.

• Try if choking down on your clubs improves your accuracy.