How You Can Drive, Chip & Putt Like A Kid

Let's all start playing like kids again. That’s one of my annual takeaways from the Drive, Chip and Putt held each spring at Augusta National. At my academy, AndersMattsonGolf, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., I have worked with hundreds of junior golfers, six of whom—Nicole Criscone, Brayden Dock, Hayden Knapp, Mason and Tanner LaTorre, and Kennedy Swedick—have qualified for the DCP National Finals. Here at the Saratoga Golf & Polo Club, I share the driving, chipping and putting keys that make these juniors so good at such a young age—and how we can incorporate these skills into our own games.

Drive

Release for more power

Juniors hit the ball far by using proper sequencing. Since they’re smaller, they instinctively know how to use their natural athleticism to squeeze out every bit of power. They start their downswings with the lower body making a subtle shift toward the target as it begins to open. Then they transfer that speed into the clubhead at impact. If you don’t have a free release, as I demonstrate here, then the speed never reaches the clubhead. Notice how the clubhead is passing my hands. There’s no dragging motion, and I’m not trying to steer the ball. Try making full swings without a ball, and be sure the whoosh sound created by the club occurs at the bottom of the swing arc.

Aim big, swing free

If you copy one thing from juniors, it’s their carefree mind-set. It starts with their pre-shot routine. As we get older, we tend to have more doubt and fear, often from negative experiences. You’ve probably heard about picking a small target—aim small, miss small. That can be great advice, but when I teach kids, I let them experiment with aiming at a much larger area. Instead of picking out a specific tree in the distance, for example, I encourage them to focus on the entire fairway or a large open space. I often find when juniors pick a larger target, they make a more committed swing. There’s less of a tendency to steer the ball. This strategy isn’t for everyone, but if you feel tension on the tee, try widening your target.

Find your balance

I started teaching Tanner LaTorre when he was 7. He is an excellent driver because he uses his natural athleticism. Notice how just after impact, both of his heels are off the ground and his hips are fully rotated toward the target. He is using his lower body to generate speed, but he always finishes in balance. Tanner’s biggest strength, though, is his stoic mentality. His mindset stays the same no matter if he’s playing at home or at Augusta. Proof? Tanner and his younger brother Mason played in a qualifier for the 2022 National Finals. While Mason advanced first, Tanner remained composed and focused, eventually qualifying as well later in the day.

Chip

Groove a simple chip

The first short-game shot we teach juniors is a simple chip, which doesn’t fly too high or low. It’s a useful shot to have in the DCP and during a round. Select anything from a pitching to sand wedge. Start with a neutral shaft, not leaning toward or away from the target. Open the face slightly to expose the bounce (or bottom) of the wedge. The ball should be in the middle of your stance. Feel your hands, arms and shoulders take the club back together. Don’t hinge your wrists much. As the clubhead impacts the ball, let the sole of the club gently brush the turf. This is the most repeatable way to hit a chip.

Fully commit for height

After perfecting the simple chip, it’s time to add some loft to stop the ball more quickly, for times when you’re short-sided or need to carry a slope. Juniors excel at these fun shots because they have less fear of a poor result and tend to practice them more often. Take a sand or lob wedge and open the face slightly. Since you are hitting a higher, softer shot, it will require a longer swing. A common mistake is trying to lift the ball into the air by leaning your body away from the target. That leads to fat and thin shots. Trust that the loft of the club will generate the height. Fully commit by rotating your chest to face the target. When you finish, the clubface should point to the sky.

Play fast and relaxed

Last summer, at just 15 years old, Hayden Knapp won the New York State Women’s Amateur Championship. Knapp has worked at our academy for years and competed at Augusta in 2024, but in watching her that week, I got a new appreciation for how quickly and decisively she plays. Our academy instructor Bob Cain has done a tremendous job with Knapp’s game. Her ability to make proper decisions and commit to every shot in an expedited manner helps her scoring. Now that Augusta has instituted a shot clock for the DCP, Knapp would no doubt earn all the available bonus points. Take her decisive approach to the course to not only help your game, but the game as a whole.

Putt

Clean up your setup

Students at my academy brush their teeth daily. I’m not talking about dental hygiene, but rather this putting station with a mirror and chalk line that keeps your mechanics clean. Find a straight four-footer and snap a line of chalk on the green. Place a mirror over the line and ensure that your eyes are either directly over the ball or just inside the line. This helps you see the path properly and promotes a gently arcing stroke. If you don’t have a mirror, drop a ball from between your eyes to check where they are. Align your putterface perpendicular to the line and hit 20-30 putts. The best juniors hole short putts with plenty of speed because they trust that they will start the ball on line. You can’t be a consistent putter without a consistent setup. Start each session with this station and you’ll make more short ones.

Longer stroke on lags

Distance control is the key to performing well in the putting portion of the DCP. On the course, it’s the easiest way to eliminate three-putts. Many juniors are too aggressive from long distance because they try to hole all of their putts. We get our juniors to putt “to” the hole rather than have them try to make everything. To better control speed, we find taking a longer backstroke is often the light-bulb moment. Poor lag putters have short backstrokes and tons of acceleration through impact. That’s hard to judge, especially under pressure. Your backstroke should be slightly longer than your throughstroke, which will help the putter travel at a constant speed at impact—not accelerating or decelerating.

Hold your finish

Kennedy Swedick is one of the grittiest competitors I’ve coached. We laugh about this tongue-out expression she had at the 2017 National Finals, but it captures the intensity of her focus. Now in her second year on the women’s golf team at the University of Virginia, Swedick has succeeded at every level, including winning the 2022 New York State Women’s Amateur. She drives the ball long and straight, but it’s her ability to grind and bring full attention to each shot that separates her. Holing quite a few putts helps, too. I love how she holds her finish in this image, which shows me that she hit the putt with full commitment. Lesser putters have a recoil or worse, a drifting finish. Copy Swedick and stick the finish!