Swinging and half swings
 

Anyone got any comments about swinging for half swings, such as a 50 yard shot? Swinging on these short shots seems a little cumbersome for me. Is hitting a better option or do i need to make adjustments when swinging?

This is why i suggest hitting for all chips and pitches.

The reason is that for a short shot, there is not much "force" that is "built up" in the backswing. So there is more "waiting" involved and it takes more time. If you rush it, you over accelerate and skull/fat the ball.

If you hit these shots, just pick it up and slam it back down. It's a no brainer. ;)

Or you can cock it up and SLING it down.

Thanks guys. It's just as i suspected.

jim_0068, can i pick your brain regarding over accelerating? Are you referring to the hands? What's the difference between accelerating and over accelerating as it relates to the endless belt? From what i understand about the endless belt effect the hands move at a constant speed? If i'm right, then accelerating is the problem?

Just trying to lift some fog here.

you over accelerate if you reach your max hand speed too quickly in the downswing. You need steady acceleration and you want your hands to be moving at the same "rpm."

So if you have a fast tempo like nick price you want to match the tempo and speed of the hands for the backswing and downswing or you can be slower like Ernie.

What i find is that when you "swing" those chips and pitches if you do it too quickly you don't "build up" the necessary centrifugal force to contact the ball correctly because there's that "hit impulse." People don't want to have to "wait" for CF to catch up.

Thats why i recommend hitting. Pick it up and slam it down.

Now..bucket, you can surely cock it up and sling it down but in my experience it doesn't work for very many people when i give lessons.

Swinging on the short shots requires you to get "in touch with gravity"

Much more of Ernie Else tempo, that described by Ernest Jones and his pen knife.

Swinging on any shot tends to require better Rhythm than hitting, and you have less margin for error in your Rhythm when swinging the short shots vs. hitting them.

Hitting or Swinging- Personal Preference
 

Certainly it's a player's choice to use a Hitting or Swinging Procedure for short shots- either one works. I could see how teaching a Hitting procedure for shorter shots- certainly might be easier than teaching a swinging motion. So go for it!, if it works for you- but on the web there seems to be a heavy lean towards comments regarding Hitting all short shots- given that it's my perception that there is a "bias" towards that side of the spectrum- Here's a quote from Homer from his 2nd G.O.L.F. Bulletin:

Editor's Tip
More on Putting
One of G.O.L.F.'s most disputed departures from the "Orthodox" is the use of only one Stroke Pattern from Driver to Putter by just "miniaturizing" rather than "altering". This textbook points out the steps by which distance can be varied by merely reducing or omitting certain actions- without affecting the execution of those remaining. The "reducing" and "omitting" are widely practiced but not the "without" affecting those remaining.

If you're not comfortable when Swinging with half swings, then you really haven't mastered Swinging with full swings.

My bias for hitting isn't my personal bias, it's just what i've noticed teaching. Teaching hitting for the short game (even if i'm teaching them swinging for the long game) just seems to work better for most people.