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The umbrella drill in golf consists of turning an umbrella upside down approximately 15 feet away and trying to pitch shots into it, then moving it incrementally another 15 feet away until getting to 60 feet. going to land the ball and how much it's going to release. This drill helps you to control your landing area better and teaches you what length swing you need to pitch the ball a cer tain distance. One-handed-chipping drill: Drop a few balls in the rough and hit some chip shots as normal, with one notable exception. As soon as you reach impact, allow your trail hand to come off the club. This will teach you to lead with the handle through impact, so you can make a descending strike on the ball. Most poor chip- pers over-accelerate the right hand through impact, so the clubhead pass- es the handle prematurely. As long as the handle is leaning forward at impact, you should make solid contact and have a consistently repeat- able trajectory. Bunker-splash drill: Draw two parallel lines in the sand about 10 inches apart. Imagine there's a ball midway between the lines and take several practice swings, splashing the sand out onto the green. Remember to set up with your shoulders level (may feel like your lead shoulder is lower than your trail shoulder) and your body weight is on your forward leg. See if you can get each divot to start in the same place every time and finish between the lines. Most amateurs who struggle from the bunker start with the divots too early, behind the line, which leads to skulled and fat shots. Once you're able to make a dollar-bill-sized divot consistently in the right spot, add a ball and repeat. Keep having fun with the game. I look forward to seeing you on the tee. Give these ideas a try and visit us at the Pebble Beach Golf Academy for more direction on your game improvement. Golf is a game we play for a lifetime and we encourage you to be a lifelong learner. Please contact us at 831/622-8650 to learn more. C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 2 0 87 Photo: Sherman Chu