Jordan Spieth Short-Game Lesson: How To Play The 'One-Hop-And-Stop' Shot
Jordan Spieth is one of the greatest short game players ever, with his repertoire around the greens revered by many. Here, he shares an expert short-game lesson
Jordan Spieth is a short-game wizard, renowned for his creativity and flair around the greens in a career that is littered with accolades.
Pitching and chipping is an area that amateur golfers often struggle with, leading to big scores and frustration on the golf course. Finding different ways to save par is crucial for golfers wanting to lower their handicap, so a short-game lesson from a serial PGA Tour winner is just what the doctor ordered.
In this article, Jordan Spieth shares his expert tips on how to play one of his trademark chip shots... the 'one-hop-and-stop'.
Former World No.1 Jordan Spieth is one of the greatest golfers of the modern era, accruing three Major Championship wins to date alongside 10 PGA Tour victories. Spieth is one leg away from completing the coveted career grand slam, and has played on nine Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams for Team USA.
Jordan Spieth: How To Play The 'One-Hop-And-Stop' Chip Shot
Some recreational players are intimidated by ‘tricky’ half shots from 40 to 60 yards. But after practising this tip, these short shots will be as automatic as throwing darts, and you’ll be knocking a lot of them to tap-in range.
On these half wedges, I like to hit shots that hit the green, take a small hop, and then immediately stop. These are closer to miniature full swings than long chips.
Apply more speed than finesse to create enough spin on the golf ball to hop and stop, but not so much spin that your ball grabs and pulls backwards and further away from the pin. Use the following technique and practise with different wedges to see how much carry you get with each club.
Step 1: Set your weight slightly forward (about 60% of it on the front foot), then open the clubface slightly and narrow your stance by a few inches.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Step 2: Make a chest-high backswing while hinging your wrists to the maximum. This extra hinge offers added fizz at impact from your shortened top position. Let your shoulders turn as they normally would, but keep your hips still and your weight over your front foot to produce more of a descending blow.
Step 3: Although you shortened your backswing, this is not a slow-swing shot. Make an aggressive downswing while releasing all the hinge in your wrists. Feel as if your right arm and the shaft form a straight line at impact.
Step 4: Hold your left wrist angle through impact so that the logo on the back of your glove faces the target in an abbreviated finish. This move creates cut spin to stop the ball after its first bounce, as well as a lower-than-normal trajectory, which heightens accuracy.
Want To Read More Expert Tips?
The Golf Monthly archive is a gold mine of brilliant reads, documenting a journey through the history of golf dating back to our first issue in 1911. Take advantage of over 100 years of invaluable tips from the best tour professionals and coaches in world golf, by subscribing to the online Golf Monthly Archive.
Barry Plummer joined Golf Monthly as a staff writer in January 2024, and now oversees the instruction section across both print and digital. Working closely with the Golf Monthly Top 50 Coaches, he endeavours to provide hints and tips about all aspects of the game - helping amateur golfers to shoot lower scores. A member at Sand Moor Golf Club in Leeds, he also looks forward to getting out on the course at least once a week.
Barry is currently playing:
Driver: Benross Delta XT Driver
Hybrid: TaylorMade Stealth 4 Hybrid
Irons: Benross Delta XT 5-PW
Wedges: TaylorMade RAC 60, Callaway Jaws MD5 54
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour
-
Luke Donald Defends Team Cup After Great Britain & Ireland Wins One-Sided Contest
The European Ryder Cup captain has stressed the value of the match despite a one-sided affair at Abu Dhabi Golf Club
By Mike Hall Published
-
PGA Tour Sends Message To Players Regarding Genesis Invitational As LA Fires Continue
The PGA Tour sent an memo out on Thursday in relation to the Genesis Invitational - which is set to be hosted by Riviera Country Club next month
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
I'm Confident These 5 Tips Will Transform Your Golf Game In Time For The 2025 Season... Because They Come Straight From The French Open Champion!
Golf tips from a two-time DP World tour winner don't come around everyday, but Dan Bradbury's expert advice will help you to shoot better scores in 2025...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Short Putts... Dead-Weight Or Firm? Our Experts Debate This Common Conundrum
Standing over a short putt with the match on the line is enough to make even the best putter feel a little uneasy. But, is it best to hit dead-weight or firm?
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Bunker Play... The Lowry Way! 3 Simple Tips To Sharpen Up Your Short Game From The Sand
Shane Lowry is a short game wizard, consistently producing magical shots around the green, so we asked Top 50 Coach Tom Motley To Analyse His Majestic Technique
By Barry Plummer Published
-
12 Practical Winter Golf Hacks To Help You Shoot Lower Scores In 2025
Getting ready for the 2025 golf season this winter couldn't be easier thanks to these expert winter golf hacks from Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Adam Harnett...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
'I Grew Up Missing Every Green On The Planet... So It Became A Necessity To Become Good At Chipping' – 5 Expert Short Game Tips From The 2018 Masters Champion
Patrick Reed is renowned for being one of the best short game players of his era, with his silky touch around the green helping him to win a first Green Jacket
By Garrett Johnston Published
-
6 Superstar Golf Swings To Study: Learn To Bomb It Like Bryson, Rip it Like Rory And Save Par Like Scheffler
Most amateur golfers would benefit from studying the golf swing of a top player in the game, so to make it simpler we asked our expert to help you get started
By Michael Weston Published
-
What To Work On This Winter: Golf Fitness Or Technical Tuning?
We ask two of our esteemed experts, Jeremy Ellwood and Fergus Bisset, how they will be investing their time over the winter in their pursuit of golf improvement
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Jack Nicklaus Golf Tips: 5 Timeless Lessons From The Golden Bear
As one of the greatest players in golf's history, Jack Nicklaus possesses a wealth of experience and wisdom. Here, we share five of his invaluable golf lessons
By Barry Plummer Published