Eliminate putts (and strokes!) by sticking your chips near the pin. Here is the way.
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One of the great things about having a solid short game is how it can save novice players from any previous tension in the hole. So if you're struggling to drive off the tee or with your irons, having the ability to stay up-and-down can keep your score down.
So how does a moderate to high handicap do that? With proper technique and understanding how to control distances with their wedges.
Since there are different types of short game shots, I'm focusing on the chip shot today — which is a version of the bump-and-run, where the ball will roll equal to or greater than the distance it carries in the air.
Sure, this may seem like an easy shot, but since so many beginners struggle with it, here are 10 things you should focus on in order to use it consistently, which will help leave your ball closer to the pin.
Setting up
1. Hold down
Holding the club slowly in the grip will help you create a small swing motion, which helps with hitting these short 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. Reduce your posture
Your stance should be very narrow when hitting the chip shot, so I recommend that your feet be about one clubhead-width apart. By having a reduced stance, your swing movement will be limited, as mentioned above, which is what you want for these chip shots.
3. Football field
For chip shots, I suggest you keep your ball focused on getting a little bit back into your stance. Be careful how far back you put it, though, because when your ball position goes back, the trajectory slows down and the amount of roll increases.
Another thing with a ball that is too far is that the shaft will lean naturally, which can cause the club to grip more when it hits the ground.
4. Lean evenly
Depending on your body both again the club towards the target, it will help lower the clubface a bit and help drop the lead shoulder. If you're leaning forward, remember that you're not leaning the shaft further forward than the center line of your body – which helps ensure you don't dig.
Lowering the lead shoulder will help you make better contact, allowing the club to hit the back of the golf ball.
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A stroke
5. Use a small stroke
If I sound like a broken record about your stroke size, that means it's important – so remember to match your putting stroke.
Although the size of the stroke may vary, it should not be as large as the hip level. Ideally, the club will sit below the hip, because anything bigger only increases the chance of a mishit.
6. Put the club down to lift the ball into the air
Sure, there are times when you might hit a small chip and get away with it, but that's not the way you want to play golf. Remember, the key is not to be lucky all the time, it's to stick around the pin all the time.
That's why strong communication is important, it all starts with putting the club down.
During practice, you should hear the club “hit” the ground, which is your signal that you're ready to go — so now you should repeat that feeling as you take your shot. A great training aid to help practice this is the Divot Board, which I often recommend my students use around the greens.
7. How do you want to use your wrists (if any)?
Whether you use your wrists for chipping is entirely up to you, as I've seen some very good chippers do it both ways.
No matter what you decide, I suggest you be comfortable enough to let your wrists move when they want to. Just let it happen as you swing and see what the results are. By having less stress, you will increase the ability to feel the clubhead, which is really important when it comes to good contact and control of your distances.
Distance control
8. Choose a target
OK, so you've got a feel for both your setup and stroke for solid contact, now it's time to dial in your range control – it all starts with actually selecting the target and distance you want.
For example, use chip shots 20 to 30 yards using your pitching wedge. You may find that the club prefers one of these ranges over the other – which is important information for when you're out playing mid-round. The last thing you want to do is leave it 10 yards short or watch the ball roll 10 yards past the target.
Once you have defined the distance of this club, spend some time practicing with it, which will help you to strengthen the feeling of the size of the side for frequent repetitions.
9. Change grades and clubs
The most effective way to control your chipping distance is to simply change your club choice. For example, try using clubs with long distances and those that are not very high in long distances. After practicing with a wide array of club options, chart your distances so you can refer to them for your next round.
10. Identify your destination and respond to it
When I practice shooting chips, I suggest you ignore the flagstick and instead I recommend placing the target on the ground. Now focus on getting your ball close to that target when it first hits the green and track how far it goes. This helps check your understanding of how much each club swings versus the distance it carries.
Once you're comfortable or good at putting your ball on that target, take it to other greens to see how the ball rolls upslope versus downslope. All of this will help you manage your distance.
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