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You might think you’re good at the short game? You know chipping, bunker play, and putting. But you wouldn’t want to turn your back on one of golf’s all-time greats, Gary Player’s advice. Right? Recently on X, he has shared the exact secret that transformed his chipping game and helped him win nine major championships.

“A secret to good chipping is accelerating through impact,” Player wrote. “Because chipping and wedge play can be about feel and hitting delicate shots, we have the tendency to decelerate, which often leads to hitting it thin or fat.”

The clip shows Player executing his smooth chip shot. His hands move confidently through the ball instead of hesitating. The warning is clear: when golfers face a delicate shot that requires a light touch, they often pull back on impact. This leads to thin shots that roll off the green or fat shots that barely move the ball. This automatic slowing down happens so naturally that most players do not notice it, making it a major hidden flaw in the short game.

Gary Player’s advice is invaluable in golf, as it is coming from the man who has won 165 tournaments worldwide. The list includes three Masters, three Open Championships, two PGA Championships, and one U.S. Open. He completed the career Grand Slam at just 29. He has always had a clear and firm way of thinking about how to study golf. In a 1995 interview with Golf Digest, Player didn’t hold back his thoughts.

He said, “I would say 70 per cent of golf swing information is rubbish. I’ve spoken to the top players, and they all say they can’t believe a lot of the methods that are being taught. For me, the best way to teach yourself is by trial and error. Ben Hogan once said, “If you hit a million balls, you’ll find out.” And that’s what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to go and beat balls. You’ve got to practice like an animal. Learn what suits you and use it to play in a tournament.”

The player didn’t just tell people to practice; he made it a method.

Golf Digest published a chipping chart that shows how far the ball travels and how much it flies for each club from 4-iron to 8-iron. For shots between 5 and 25 yards, it’s important to understand how much of the ball’s distance is in the air and how much is rolling along the ground.

To practice, pace off 20 yards from the hole on a flat green. Take shots from different distances, and carefully note where the ball lands. Record how many paces the ball travels in the air and how many on the ground. Then, to find the flight percentage for each club, divide the air distance by the total distance.

Even at 90, he’s not only optimistic about the game but also regularly shares advice on how to improve.

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At 90 and still swinging, Gary Player’s unfading golf wisdom

Gary Player is 90 years old and still active in golf. He shares his 70 years of experience online, offering tips for golfers, especially for those who didn’t see him play in his prime. He advises that golf isn’t always played on perfect grass and that bad bounces are part of the game. Great players accept this. He reminds golfers about tough lies that are surrounded by dirt, pebbles, and sticks, where trying to play perfectly can hurt your scorecard.

Instead of aiming for perfection, he suggests focusing on saving par. “Remember, it’s not the shot you wanted; it’s the shot you’ve got. Stay calm and play smart, and you’ll turn bad breaks into good recoveries. That’s what separates champions from the rest,” Player said. This mindset helped him win three Green Jackets at Augusta, even in difficult conditions.

Gary Player’s view on aging reflects his attitude. He joked about trying to shoot his age of 90, quoting Lee Trevino’s funny comment: “What’s so good about that? You’re 90. Quit boasting.” Beneath the humor, he demonstrates discipline and a refusal to accept limits, trusting his skills proven in every game. “I still work hard, I still shoot par, and I travel the world. I have plenty of energy. It’s a great gift.”

You can see his energy in his daily life. “I try to eat less, especially at dinner. I exercise in the gym, and I’ve done that since I was 9. And I laugh a lot.”

These habits guided his Hall of Fame career. At 90, he still follows these rules, and his strong work ethic stems from practicing hard as a young pro.