Leicestershire-based golfer Jason Palmer, 30, is among the 15 players that graduated from the Challenge Tour this year to claim a European Tour Card for next season. Although Jason has never lacked in confidence in his long game, up until a few years ago his wayward chipping always looked likely to hold him back and prevent him from realising his true potential.  However, all this changed after he gained entry to the Alps Tour through the qualifying school of 2009. Desperate to do something to improve his game, which seemed to fall apart every time he reached the scoring zone, Jason confided in a friend during a practice session and after showing him how he could make chip shots just fine with one hand, his friend told him that the solution was quite clear: use the single-handed chip shot in tournaments!

With nothing to lose, Jason incorporated the unorthodox one-handed shot into his regular game, to great effect. On the 2010 Alps Tour he finished in the top 10 in 11 tournaments, including a win at the UNIQA FinanceLife Open and 2nd place at both the Open Int. de Normandie and the Lyoness Open. Qualifying for the European Tour this year is the highlight of his career to date and goes to show that conventional wisdom is not always the best guide when learning how to play shots on the golf course. Jason admits that his unusual technique does cause a few second glances on tour and he sometimes feels embarrassed when employing it during Pro-Am tournaments because he worries that the amateur players will think he is not taking the competition seriously.

Many golfers have graduated from the European Challenge Tour and subsequently enjoyed great success, and we have every confidence that Jason Palmer will be able to do the same. Players of note that have followed this path include Justin Rose, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter and Martin Kaymer. For any golfers out there that are currently suffering from the yips, whether during chips shots or once on the green, Palmer’s story is sure to provide hope for the future.