Nip or Thump Drill

Because technique behaves when intention becomes clear

The Nip or Thump Drill is an intention-based recipe for proper ball-and-turf interaction. Two tees do the teaching. Turn them one way, and the club learns to thump the ground. Turn them the other way, and the club learns to nip it. No IKEA-assembly instructions for wrist and elbow angles required.

Two tees. One club. Different intentions.

Start with your wedges and work all the way to your woods.

Steps—

  1. Set up two tees with the head of both tees facing the target.

  2. Swing one at a time to strike the head of each tee. That little thump should flip the tee up and forward.

  3. Set up to a ball.

  4. Swing with the same intention of flipping an imaginary tee up and forward.

Repeat Steps 1 to 4 with the pointed end of both tees facing the target. This time, swing one at a time to nip the head of each tee. Each tee should fly forward. Then set up to a ball and swing with the same intention of nipping an imaginary tee forward.

Use the 2-1-0 Tee Progression—

  • Two tees, one ball.

  • One tee, one ball.

  • Ball only.

Use the progression for thumping or nipping the tees.

Move on to your next club.

Coach Note—

This is a reliable recipe fix for fat or thin shots.

Fat shots? Nip the tee.
Thin shots? Thump the tee.

Do the opposite.

Fat shots usually need less turf interaction. Thin shots need more.

Practice Note—

Once you know the feel, you need not use actual tees. Visualizing it will do. Your body will self-organize

Soon enough, you’ll find out if you prefer to nip or thump the ground. When you do, you can tweak the drill by favoring one or the other.

Do remember to also practice the opposite.

Some lies need a nip.
Others need a thump.

So be ready.

A Special Note for Drivers—

For driver swings, tee the ball as usual.

You’d want to nip the tee’s head. That’ll get the ball to contact the center of the driver’s face.

But what we want is not always what we get. So spray your driver face with Dr. Scholl’s foot powder. It’ll tell you.

Contact low? Swipe the tee.
Contact high? Nip the tee.

Same recipe. Different intentions.