Eliminate hits (and kicks!) by sticking chips next to the pin. Here’s how.
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One of the best things about a solid short game is how it can save amateur players from any inconsistencies earlier in the hole. So if you have difficulty off the tee or with your cuffs, having the ability to you regularly get up and down it can keep your scores down.
So how does an average to high handicapper achieve this? With the right technique and understanding how to control distances with their wedges.
Since there are different types of short game shots, today I’m focusing on a chip shot – which is a bump-and-run versionwhere the ball will roll equal to or greater than the distance it has carried in the air.
Sure, this might seem like a no-brainer, but since so many amateurs struggle with it, here are 10 things you should focus on in order to execute it more consistently, which will help you put the ball closer to the post.
Placing
1. Low syllable
Holding the club a little lower in the grip will help you make a smaller swing, which helps with touch on these shorter shots. When you do this, your club will be closer to the length of your putter, which will make it easier to accurately control distance.
2. Limit your posture
Your stance should be fairly tight when hitting a chip shot, so I recommend that your feet are about the width of the ball head. By having a narrow stance, your swing movement will be limited, which, as stated above, is what you’re looking for in these chip shots.
3. Position of the ball
On chip shots, I suggest centering the ball slightly back in your stance. Be careful how far you put it, because the more your ball position turns, the lower the trajectory and the more spin.
Another issue with the ball being too far back is that the shaft will naturally lean a bit, which can cause the club to dig too much when it hits the ground.
4. Bend proportionally
Supporting both your body AND club to the target, it will help lighten the club face and help remove the shoulder of the bullet. When bending forward, be careful not to bend the shaft further forward than the center line of your body – this helps ensure that it doesn’t dig in.
Throwing the shoulder of the lead will help you make better contact, allowing the club to hit the ground behind the golf ball.
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Stroke
5. Use a smaller stroke
If I sound like a broken record about the size of your chopping stroke, that means it’s important – so don’t forget to match your stroke.
While the size of the bump can vary, it should not be as large as hip level. Ideally, the club will stay below the hips, because anything bigger only increases the chance of a mistake.
6. Lift the club on the ground to get the ball in the air
Sure, there are times when you can hit a fine chip and get away with it, but that’s not the way you want to play a round of golf. Remember, the key isn’t to get lucky every time, it’s to nail it every time.
That’s why solid contact is important, which starts with the club on the ground.
During the practice shot, you should hear the club “snap” to the ground, which is your signal that you’re ready to go – so now you should replicate that feeling as you make your shot. A good training aid to help practice this is Divot Boardwhich I often recommend my students use near the greens.
7. How do you want to use your wrists (if you use them)?
Whether you’re going to use your wrists on chip shots is completely up to you, as I’ve seen really great chips do it both ways.
No matter what you decide, I suggest you be relaxed enough to let your joints move if they want to. Just let it come naturally as you move and see what the results are. By having less tension, you’ll increase your ability to feel the clubhead, which is really important when it comes to making good contact and controlling your distances.
Distance control
8. Choose a target
OK, so you have a feel for both your setup and your shot for solid contact, now it’s time to dial in the range control—which starts with actually selecting the target and desired distance.
For example, work on chipping 20 to 30 yards using your pitching wedge. You may find that this club prefers one of these distances more than the other – which is important information for when you’re playing during a round. The last thing you want to do is either drop it 10 yards or watch the ball roll 10 yards past your target.
Once you determine the distance of this club, spend some time practicing with it, which will help you reinforce the feeling of the size of the shot so that you can repeat it regularly.
9. Change distances and clubs
A really efficient way to control your chipping distance is to simply change your club selection. For example, try using higher clubs for shorter distances and less lofted ones for longer distances. After you’ve practiced with a wide array of club choices, sketch out your distances so you’ll be able to refer to them during your next round.
10. Identify your landing spot and react to it
When practicing chip shooting, I suggest ignoring the flag stick and recommend placing a target on the ground instead. Now focus on landing your ball near that target when it first hits the green and track how much gap there is. This helps test your understanding of how much each club spins relative to its carry distance.
Once you feel comfortable or really good at landing the ball on that target, move it to other spots on the green to see how the ball rolls when it’s on an upslope versus a downslope. All of this will help you master your distance control.
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