For most golfers, improving your chipping skills is one of the most straightforward ways to lower your score and boost your confidence. First, you have to understand what a chip shot is it’s a quick shot where the ball flies into the air and then rolls the same distance (or slightly longer). It has a flatter ball flight, and hits a shorter distance than a chip, making it a lower maintenance and more forgiving option.
The most important thing to remember when making a chip shot is to establish strong contact with the ball. You may not have enough momentum to make it all the way there because the club moves slowly. When the ball is caught thin, another issue develops since it tends to skip instead. Because it’s about making contact, here’s how you can obtain the ideal chip.
Rather than trying to elevate the ball, focus on brushing the grass under it and letting the golf club’s loft do the rest. Swinging the golf club through level or slightly down produces a large window for making contact between the club face and the golf balls, which may appear counterintuitive.
1. Maintain a Decent Posture
When you bend forward from your hips and let your arms hang directly under your shoulders, you have good golf form. Bowing forward in this way creates space that effectively establishes a line for your arms and the hem of the club.
Many golfers develop a squat for some reason, which results in inconsistent contact. However, solid spin posture is the first step; after that, you can change your stance to fit the shot.
2. Make Adjustments to Your Stance and Setup
Because they both require a smaller hitting action, the putting and chipping action is similar. However, your posture will remain largely the same.
Make some small adjustments to your stance and setup to achieve the desired effect with your chipper club:
- The Reduced grip on the handle (AKA, choking on the club)
- Reduce your stance to about a clubhead distance between your feet.
- Put your ball back where it came from.
- Lean your shaft and upper body slightly toward the goal.
These, along with proper stance, will position you to ensure that the bottom of your shot happens behind the golf ball, resulting in a cleaner contact.
3. Recognize the Ball-Turf Interaction
Some chip shots should get air – at least for a short time. Remember the golden rule when doing this hit the ball so it goes up. This will help you make a proper shot, and it will also explain why keeping your upper body leaning toward the target is critical to making a drop shot.
4. Be Aware of Your Chipping Technique
A good chip shot, like a good putter shot, requires a certain degree of integrity and quietness in your arms throughout the movement. Consider the shape of the triangle formed by your arms and shoulders your goal is to keep this triangle unbroken as you move.
The length of the shot varies depending on the player and the distance from the shot, but in most cases the club should be kept below the hips, and the back and through bars are usually equal. I don’t like seeing big chip strokes because they reduce your contact quality.
5. Develop Your Intuition – How to Make Chip Shot A Breeze
However, I’ve seen some golfers chip very well with big wrist action, and others with reverse motion. Like most things in golf, it’s all a matter of personal preference. Depending on what works, you should find out what works best for you.
Nervousness is one thing golfers don’t like. It impairs the golfer’s ability to feel the head and prevents it from falling naturally into the golf ball. When you hold the club, your wrists should be soft and relaxed, allowing the club to sink gently into the ground during impact.
6. Adjust the Position of Your Ball
Your stance will be narrow for most shorter chipping, and your ball will be slightly back. You don’t have a lot of options. But keep in mind that changing the height of your strokes is as simple as changing the position of your ball.
A more centered ball location eliminates forward shaft tilt during setup and allows the ball to launch a little higher. A ball that is positioned further back will have the reverse effect, launching it lower and with greater spin. Adjust based on your shot and personal tastes using this basic guideline.
7. Check the Accuracy of Your Distance Control
You must learn to regulate your distance after you have good, firm fundamentals. You have many options when it comes to calibrating distances. My recommended strategy is to master a basic shot size that you’re perfectly comfortable with, and then switch clubs. The distance changes due to flight changes to rolling rations.
8. Use an Alignment Rod to Practice
A good approach to test your chipping setup is to practice with an alignment rod slightly outside your golf ball. If this happens, your stroke may be too far from in-to-out, increasing your chances of hitting the club’s heel and suffering the dreaded “Shank.”
9. Choose a Target that is 1/3rd of the Way Distant
When chipping, it can be beneficial to know the fly-to-roll ratio. For example, did your ball fly 1/3 of the way before rolling the remaining 2/3? Or is it some other way around?
Put the tee or golf club 1/3 between the golf ball and the hole to know this. Try putting your ball on the tee and see how far it rolls. If the new club lands on the tee but does not reach the hole, try the new club.
10. Make Chipping a Part of Your Warm-Up Routine
When you’re ready to bring your best game to the golf course, it’s a good idea to hit a few chips and pitch.
Even if it’s just a few shots on the practice range to warm up, it will help you gain confidence on the course and give you a good touch.
Becoming a good chipper is one of the quickest ways to lower your score. To be a good chipper, you don’t have to be tall, strong, or have the best golf swing.