Every shot in golf is important but if you can’t hit your greens in regulation, you better be a good chipper. Golf Magazine feels that chipping is the quickest way to lower your scores. You don’t need strength to make this shot so anyone can become an excellent chipper. That’s the primary reason why so many aging golfers can often beat those younger long ball hitters. A skilled chipper who always have golf shoes for walking, can hit it close for a one-putt green. Young or old, we can all learn to be great chippers if we just spend more time honing our skill with a number of different lofted clubs.
A chip shot is a short-game stroke where the ball rolls more than it carries in the air. The stroke is directly related to putting, and actually looks a lot like a putting stroke when executed properly. Because the chipping stroke is short, it’s also very simple to execute.
The proper setup for chipping will lead to consistent contact and also make distance control simple. Because a chipping stroke is a weaker motion than a full golf swing, you only need to adjust your setup to allow for a shorter backswing and follow through up your target line.
Chipping Setup
• Slide your hands down to the bottom of grip (forcing you to bend more at your waist).
• Your stance should be 6 inches apart at your heels to limit the power in your swing.
• Your weight and sternum should be forward relative to the golf ball throughout the entire stroke. Drop your leading shoulder and allow the shaft of your club to lean slightly forward. This position helps you finish your swing up your target line without releasing your wrists.
• The loft of the club will do all of the lifting so you need to choose a lofted club that will allow your ball to clear the rough or the fringe and roll out to the hole.
Make your practice swing like a putting stroke and repeat the same stroke with enough speed to reach your planned landing spot.
Chipping Stroke
1/ Your stroke is like an elongated putting stroke using your shoulders for rotation. You are accelerating through your ball so your follow-though is at least as long as your backswing.
2/ The arc of the club reaches the bottom of the swing as it impacts the ball and then skims the turf in front of the ball. [Make sure that this happens in your practice swing to avoid hitting a fat or thin chip.]
3/ Keep your eyes focused on your ball until you impact the ball. Then allow your body and head to rotate up your target line. Your club face should be square to your target line at the point of impact, but the momentum of your swing must carry your club up the target line.
Let your club do the work for chips. Don’t release your wrists through the ball. Don’t add a whipping action with your shot which you need for a lob shot (with a wider open stance and open faced club). Practice with GOLFSTR+ to add a slight bend to your trailing wrist and hold it through your complete swing. Buy one today at www.GOLFSTR.com
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