Chipping

• The chipping stroke is essentially putting with loft.

• The handle of the club should be considerably ahead of the clubhead at address. This relationship should not change throughout the entire stroke

• The ball should be positioned well back in the stance to ensure crisp contact (less chance of hitting the ground before the ball).

• The front wrist should remain firm throughout the stroke.

• The club should hit the ball with a descending blow, brushing down and through the ball. Avoid helping the ball into the air.

• The feet should be placed close together. Many expert chippers prefer an ‘open’ stance.

• There is a very gentle shift of weight, however, it is not conscious or pronounced. It is not necessary to remain absolutely still.

• The body and hands should be ‘soft’. Relaxation is key.

• The club should be swung with pendulum-like tempo.

• There should be no noticeable wrist action. Chipping is referred to as a ‘one-lever stroke’.

• The club should be pointed squarely at the target at the completion of the motion

Each chipping situation is unique. The same stroke with different clubs will produce varying flight to roll ratios. The best way to determine which club to select is by experimenting with different clubs from different lengths of grass. The shorter the grass under the ball, the more likely the ball will ‘check’ (slow down as a result of extra backspin on the ball). The longer the grass under the ball, the less likely the ball will have any backspin. Therefore, there will be more ‘release’ (continuing to roll forward).

Popular Misconceptions: Keep your head down /keep your head still. Keeping the head down limits the ability of the shoulders to turn under the chin. Keeping the head still limits the golfer’s ability to properly rotate and make the correct weight shift required for an ideal swing. When someone tells you “you lifted your head”, it is usually very inaccurate.