I was going to call this golf tip, Novice Chipper vs Pro Chipper, but your level of success depends on your state of mind. There really are 2 ways to approach a chip shot and both will get the job done.
First you need to understand that a Chip Shot is completed with any club except a Sand Wedge. Your goal is to lift the ball over the fringe or short rough to let the ball run up to the hole. In general your ball is rolling on the ground over 75% of the distance. [A pitch shot is a totally different shot. It is completed with your Sand Wedge or 60 degree wedge to fly over a bunker or deep rough. A pitch shot needs a full swing and release through the ball to create a reverse spin to stop the ball when it lands.]
Nervous Chip Shot:
If you hit fat chip shots (digging your club into the ground before the ball) or thin chip shots (blading the ball across the green), you are a nervous chipper. If the fairway leading to the green is short cut, you should consider chipping, even when the green is up to 30 yards away.
Great image of a nervous chipper. Anger does not help the situation. Thanks for the contribution: www.golfacademy.org
To avoid the yips in chipping, take any wrist action out of your swing. Choose the loft of your club depending on the distance that you want your ball to stay in the air (to avoid a bad bounce on the fairway leading to the green). Setup as if you are putting. Center the ball between your feet, grip down on your club (to the bottom of the grip) and swing by rocking your shoulders. Take a practice swing to get a feel for the distance you want to hit your ball.
I repeat: DO NOT BEND YOUR WRISTS. DO NOT SWAY BACK IN YOUR BACKSWING. SWING DIRECTLY UP YOUR TARGET LINE -like putting.
You will be a lot more successful with this technique IF you practice with as selection of clubs to understand the distance that each club will give you in the air and roll on the ground. Test your swing with the same backswing as your follow through for different distances. Practice with GOLFSTR+ to keep your leading wrist flat throughout the swing. I’m suggesting that you work on your proficiency with at least 4 clubs: a 5 iron (or low hybrid), 7 iron, 9 iron and pitching wedge.
Confident Chip Shot
If you are not hitting fat of thin chip shots, then you most likely have a relaxed swing where your body rotates through the shot as your hands swing through the impact with the ball.
Hank Haney recommends the following for the confident golfer: set the ball back in your stance; setup with your hands and shaft leaning forward of the ball; limit your wrist lag in the backswing and limit your follow through with the back of your leading hand still pointing at your target and holding the limited lag of your trailing wrists. Use any club up to a Pitching Wedge depending on the distance that you want to fly and roll your ball.
First determine if you are a Nervous or Confident Chipper. Then practice with GOLFSTR+. Nervous Chippers should practice with a flat leading wrist when you chip. Confident Chippers should train with limited lag on your trailing wrist using your GOLFSTR+. 15 minutes of practice with your new chipping method will make a world of difference. Buy your GOLFSTR+ today: www.golfstr.com
