Anyone who has seen me play golf will testify that my short game is erratic at best, so after watching the Open (and with very little to lose), I thought I'd try Matt Fitzpatrick's cross-handed chipping technique.
Fitzpatrick led the field for Strokes Gained: Around The Green over the first two rounds at the Open Championship this week, with his unique short game style catapulting him into contention for the Claret Jug at Royal Portrush.
For those people watching the coverage, who may also want to try cross-handed chipping for the first time, I decided to reach out to one of our Golf Monthly Top 50 Coaches to get their expert advice.
In the article and video below, I share my experience of cross-handed chipping and PGA Fellow Professional Ben Emerson provides an expert step-by-step guide so that you can try it for yourself...
I Tried Matt Fitzpatrick's Cross Handed Chipping Technique
Going cross-handed can be a great drill to improve your chipping, but if it works you could also adopt it on the course - just like 2022 US Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick.
As you can see in the video below, I took this interesting technique out onto the course for 18-holes to see if it could help to improve my short game.
Within the first few holes, I gave myself more chances than I would ideally like to chip around the green.
On the first and second hole I had the opportunity to get up and down for par, but in all honesty the new technique had me feeling a little nervous over the ball.
I hit a slightly thin chip shot on the first, leaving a par putt of around 15 feet, while my attempt on the second hole had a much better connection but came up a little short.
The first time I really saw the benefit of this technique was my third shot into the 5th, which is the par-4 you can see at the end of the video above, leaving myself another 15-foot par putt that I would uncharacteristically make.
Despite eventually getting the hang of it, and seeing some more positive results, I definitely felt that I need more practice on the short game area.
After the round I was keen to understand more about the fundamentals required to be successful with this short game approach, so I asked Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach to give me a quick lesson on how to chip cross-handed...
How To Chip Cross-Handed
Ben Emerson is a Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach with a modern approach to the game. His methods have seen him become one of the most revered coaches in the country, and even has a few celebrity clients on his books. In his coaching career of more than 20 years, Ben has helped golfers of all ages and abilities to improve their performances and enjoy the game.
Whenever you make a change in golf, you are creating a pattern that develops a new neural pathway in the brain, replacing one that might have been holding you back on the course.
Amateur golfers could benefit from trying the cross-handed technique for a number of reasons, including to fix the chipping yips, and it requires just a few subtle changes to the traditional method you will have seen when learning how to chip in golf.
In a similar fashion to the left hand low putting grip, the cross-handed chipping technique helps to square the shoulders and remove some of the wrist action that might be causing problems in your short game.
Matt Fitzpatrick has mastered the cross-handed chipping technique, helping him to be the sharpest player around the greens at the Open Championship
By going left hand below right when chipping, you can avoid being too 'flippy' with the wrists - which is what makes this a great drill to use on the short game area.
To try it for yourself, place the left-hand below right on the grip of the club (for right handed golfers) - slightly further down the shaft than you would for a normal iron shot.
You can interlock or overlap as you would in your normal golf grip, or you can have the hands sitting one below the other like you would in the left hand low putting grip - this is purely a matter of personal preference.
The perfect ball position is the same as a normal chip shot, just forward of centre, with your weight distribution favouring your lead side throughout the swing.
In terms of forward shaft lean, you are looking for around 10 degrees. Don't go too mad with pushing the hands forward, as this can cause you to dig into the ground and negate the benefits of the bounce on your wedges.
Keep the stroke tempo nice and smooth, channelling your inner Fitzy!
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