Become a Better Chipper

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Become a Better Chipper

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You hit a nice drive down the middle of the fairway, then strike a sweet-feeling approach shot that comes up just short or long. Your plan is to wrap up the hole with a solid chip shot, but you end up walking away from the green with bogey or worse.

If you play golf, this likely has happened to you. The best players in the world hit only about 12 greens per round on the average, so in order to score or simply keep your round going, you need a good chipping game.

Despite its importance in the game of golf, the simple chip shot – the straight-forward shot that will at least give you a chance to save a stroke -- is often overlooked by the average amateur on the practice range. Even the great Jack Nicklaus has said he wished he would have spent more time around the greens as a young player.

I believe poor setup is the biggest reason why players struggle with chipping. Good chippers open their body to the target to allow room for the club to pass through the hitting zone without a lot of excessive body motion.

I consider chipping one of my strong suits, so I’d like to share with you my method.

	Set up with your chest pointed toward your intended target line. Place your hand slightly in front of the golf ball with your weight more toward your front foot. Make sure your head is in line with the golf ball. Too often, players get their head too far in front or behind the golf ball. Keep your knees close together, never allowing your trail knee to move outward during the stroke. Play the ball slightly back of the center of your stance.
	To stroke the ball, swing the club back with your elbows, not your hands. Don’t try to get your elbows as close together as possible; just allow them to hang naturally. Chipping with your hands leads to inconsistency and overall poor chipping.
	During the stroke, make sure the clubhead never passes your hands through the hitting zone while hitting downward on the back of the golf ball. This is what produces controllable spin and gets your ball closer to the target. Harvey Penick said to imagine your hands are the train and the clubhead is the caboose, and never let the caboose pass the train. Don’t try to keep your body so still; if it wants to move a little, that’s fine.

Take these tips into consideration, and maybe your chips will get closer to the hole … and perhaps a few will fall.

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