Jordan Spieth Short-Game Lesson: How To Play The ‘One-Hop-And-Stop’ Shot

Golf Monthly Jordan Spieth Short-Game Lesson: How To Play The ‘One-Hop-And-Stop’ Shot

Mastering the short game is crucial for lowering your golf scores, and Jordan Spieth’s ‘One-Hop-And-Stop’ shot is a technique that can elevate your performance around the greens. This shot is designed to deliver precision and control, allowing the ball to take one hop and then stop quickly on the green, reducing the risk of it rolling too far past the hole. Here’s how to execute it effectively:

Setup and Stance 1.

Club Selection: Choose a wedge, preferably a lob wedge (60 degrees) or sand wedge (56 degrees), which provides the necessary loft and spin.

2. Stance: Set up with a slightly open stance. Your feet should be closer together than a full swing, about shoulder-width apart.

3. Ball Position: Position the ball slightly back in your stance, closer to your back foot. This promotes a steeper angle of attack.

4. Weight Distribution: Lean slightly forward, with around 60% of your weight on your front foot. This helps ensure a downward strike on the ball.

Technique

1. Backswing: Take a short, controlled backswing. Focus on maintaining a steady tempo. Keep your wrists firm to avoid excessive hinge.

2. Impact: Strike the ball with a descending blow. Your hands should lead the clubhead through impact, promoting solid contact and imparting spin.

3. Follow-Through: Keep your follow-through short and controlled. The clubface should remain open, and your body should rotate towards the target.

Key Tips

Maintain a Light Grip: A light grip pressure ensures better feel and control, allowing you to finesse the shot. – Practice Different Lies: The ‘One-Hop-And-Stop’ shot can be executed from various lies, but practicing from tight lies and rough will build confidence. –

Focus on Contact: Clean, crisp contact is essential. Ensure you strike the ball first, then the turf, to maximize spin.

Drills

1. Distance Control Drill: Place targets at various distances on the practice green. Focus on landing the ball on each target with the goal of getting it to stop quickly after one hop.

2. Spin Drill: Use alignment sticks to create a gate on the green. Practice hitting the ball through the gate with the objective of generating enough spin to make it stop within a few feet.