Tips for Chipping - Listen to the Grass - NYTimes.com Craig Harmon has been the head pro at the Oak Hill Country Club near Rochester for parts of five decades. In that time, Oak Hill has hosted a United States Open and two Ryder Cup matches; it will be the site of a third P.G.A. Championship next year. I recently asked Harmon if he had a favorite short-game drill for amateur players. "On a chip shot, when taking a practice swing, listen to the noise of the grass as you swing your club through it," said Harmon, one of four brothers who went on to become noted golf teachers. For a very short shot, there should be just a little noise as the club slips through the grass. There will be a medium amount of noise for a medium length shot. For a longer shot, there will be a larger amount of noise. Then when you go to execute the shot, just think of how much noise you're trying to make. Don't think about the swing; think about the noise. You can train yourself by the noise, which gets your brain thinking about a natural, uncomplicated movement instead of something technical and mechanical.