Chipping

1. Set Up
o Take a narrow stance – no more than hip width.
o Your feet and hips should be open (pointing left of the
target for right-handed golfers).
o Your shoulders should be square – aiming at the target.
o Take your Normal grip but lower down the shaft.
o Stand closer to the ball than for a full swing.
o Body weight should be 70% on the left side.
o Keep your hands ‘quiet’ and very passive
i.e. little rotation and wrist hinge.
o Backswing and follow through should match each
other in length.
o Small lift of the rear heel in the finish.

2. Common Fault
o One of the biggest causes of fluffed chip shots is the urge to
lift the ball upwards with a flicking motion caused by the wrists.

o A great drill to avoid this would be to slide the shaft of your

club up into your hands so you are holding it just a few inches
from the club head. The shaft will then be touching and
running past your left hip pocket (hip nearest your target).

o Making your normal chipping action, you should feel how the
club leaves your side in the backswing, and then stays away
from your side during the follow through action. If you feel the
club hit you in your side during the follow through, it’s a sure
sign that you are trying to scoop the ball into the air.

Club shaft stays away from left Club shaft hits left side of body –
side of body. caused by ‘scooping’ the hands

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3. Distance Control

o Hitting the ball different distances is controlled

by varying the length of the backswing and
follow through. Don’t swing faster or harder to
chip the ball further. Keep your swing tempo
the same.

o Hitting the ball different heights and therefore

different amounts of spin or roll is controlled by
the club selection. Keep your swing the same.

4. Difficult Lies
o Chipping From Bare Lies: In order to gain the best strike on the ball, maintain your
normal chipping set up (weight on the left / front side) but move the ball further back
in your stance. It should sit just on the instep of your rear foot. This allows for a
steeper swing and a cleaner contact. The ball flight will be lower so allow for this in
your shot selection.

o Chipping from Heavy lies: Start by

assessing the quality of the lie. If the ball
sits down in the rough, play the ball back
in your stance. Use a lofted club and
strike down cutting through the grass.
Allow for less spin on the ball when you
pick a landing area.

o If the ball is sitting up in the long grass, an

open club face may result in you swinging
completely under the ball. Avoid this by
keeping the club face square and
restricting the amount of hand action that
you use at impact.

5. Sloping Lies
Chipping From Up Slopes: Similar to playing full shots from an upslope, align your
shoulder parallel to the slope by tilting your spine, and widen your stance for extra
balance. Now maintain your normal chipping action and finish in a balanced position on
your left side. From an upslope, the angle of the slope is added to the angle on the club
face, resulting in a shot that flies higher than normal. This may produce a ball that lands
too short and stops before the hole. Try to adjust your club selection to take account of
the effects of the slope.

Chipping from Down Slopes: Again apply a shoulder tilt that makes the spine
perpendicular to the slope and a wider stance. Use a more lofted club that will
compensate for down slope. Allow for a shot that will release across the green on
landing.

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6. Flop Shots

o Probably the riskiest shot in golf, the

margin between success and failure
can be very small. Using the correct
technique can increase your chance
of a good result, but I would
encourage you to only use this shot
when you feel you have mastered
and practiced this skill.

o Start by taking your most lofted club

and then turn the grip in your hands
to add more loft onto the club face.
Then take your normal grip.

o The club face will now aim right of target. Compensate for this by aiming your feet,
knees, hips and shoulder to the left of the target.

o Play the ball from between the middle and front of your stance, depending on the
quality of the lie. The better the lie, the further forward the ball can be.

o Now go ahead and make quite a full swing, using plenty of hand action in your
backswing. Try to cut the club under the ball and finish in a balanced position on
your left side. A very tough skill to master and use under pressure but used
correctly can save you vital shots around the green.

7. Chipping / Putting With A Hybrid Club

o If you find yourself just a few feet from the putting
surface, I would often encourage you to putt the ball,
but if you feel the grass on the fringe is too long and
would produce an inconsistence result, consider the
option of using a hybrid club or long iron.

o Applying a putting style stroke to a hybrid club should

produce a ball that skips over the fringe but lands quite
quickly on the green and then rolls across the surface like a putt. Grip down on your
hybrid club for extra control.

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