The goal in chipping is to have the ball in the air for the least amount of time and rolling on the green for most of the time. So lets see about golf chipping tips.
The following tips are essential to memorize: Golf Chipping Tips
- Your hands need to lead the clubface. The best way to do that is to position the ball behind your posture or stance. So don’t underestimate good posture!
- Allow your weight to weigh on the front side of your body.
- Remember that the only difference between a swing and a chip is that you only use a percentage of your swing. The swing itself is still the same other than having the weight distributed differently or your posture slightly different.
- The ball will bounce and roll when it makes contact with the green. Many golfers forget this, and their ball rolls far past the hole.
- There are expert chipping clubs like the lob wedge, sand wedge, and pitching wedge that you may find helpful.
Basic Chipping
If you want height on the ball to hit over an obstacle, such as a bunker, you will swing steeply, i.e., pick the club up a lot faster and hinge your wrists sooner than you would for your normal swing.
If you want a lower trajectory, then have a shallower arc to your swing, i.e., keep the clubhead running along the ground longer than you would for your standard shot.
The ball is in front of center stance, further towards front foot, which would be your left (right foot if left-handed).
Maintain a slightly open stance when chipping, chest scarcely available, feet little free, swing through on the same line.
Golf Chipping Flop Shot
A flop shot is needed when you don’t have a direct line to the green. Here’s a step by step on how to make a flop shot:
- Open up the clubface.
- Aim left.
- Swing a lot harder than you would for a regular short shot.
- The shot should go high in the air and land with a more incredible speed leaving a deeper green pitch.
- An excellent way to test whether your wrists are breaking when you swing is to grip the club well down the shaft. When you feel the handle strike you, it means your wrists are hurting. If you have the proper wrist action, the handle won’t touch you. Another way of explaining it is to want your weight to be on the right leg (approx 75%) and feel that you’re leaning to one side (right). I need to open up stance and open up club head. Make an aggressive swing through the ball to a high finish.
Common Golf Chipping Errors
There are two widespread errors golfers make in chipping that you should keep in mind.
- The fat chipper that hoes nowhere.
- The thin chip that shoots across the green.
The reason these errors occur is because of hitting up. The reason for hitting up is because golfers are determined to get the club under the ball. They hit the ground first, or to miss the ground, they hit the top of the ball. It causes the ball to go further than intended.
The way to correct this is through the acceleration of the ball. Many golfers fear that accelerating the ball will cause it to travel too far! The goal is to expedite but gain control over the distance that the ball will travel.
Another helpful tip is to shorten your backswing! Be aware of how far you swing. Do your best to hit the ball low. A low-hit ball will roll, and a rolling ball is easy to predict.
Extra drill – put a bucket 10m away from you (or something you can hit into). It will teach you distance control for short shots.
Aggressive Stroke
Instead of having a long backswing, shorten your swing and accelerate through the swing. You need to have light/soft hands and not be tense.
Scoping Error
You are not allowing the club to do the work. A standard error in most beginners is using your wrists to get the ball in the air. Let the loft of your club do the job.
Golf Chipping Drills
For tips on how to improve your golf chipping game, have a look at our Golf Chipping Drills section. We’ve narrowed the selection of golf chipping drills down to 5 main drills that you should concentrate on Clubless Golf Swing, One-Handed Golf Drill, Pencil Chipping Golf Drill, Golf Chipping Triangle, and Golf Target Practise.
The following golf chipping drills will improve a golfer’s skill by practicing and focusing on specific weaknesses:
Clubless Golf Swing
This drill can be very supportive since it pushes passive hands. Not including a golf club, assume your chipping posture. Put your palms together and aim your fingertips away from your goal. Swing your arms back and forth as if you were chipping while retaining the angle formed by your wrists.
One-Handed Golf Drill
Assume your chipping posture with a club in hand. Put your bottom hand behind your back. Try to swing the golf club in a straight line as much as you can with one hand. Start off doing this drill without a ball. Later on, you can practice with a ball. This drill assists in getting a flat wrist in the target line.
Pencil Chipping Golf Drill
This drill can be handy for golfers who have a propensity for flipping their chips. It also helps those who often end up with a thin chip shot. For this drill, all you require is a pencil and a wristband. Put the pencil in your wrist band so that it covers the back of the wrist from the lower forearm to the end of your hand. Then attempt to practice hitting chip shots. If you flip after contact, the pencil will pinch into the back of your hand.
Golf Chipping Triangle
For a solid chip shot, consistency is the key. When you are going for a chip shot, strive to make a triangle with your arms and shoulders. Attempt to sustain this triangle throughout your swing. With accurate practicing of this golf chipping drill, you will most certainly forget about sculling, chunking, and shanking your chip shots.
Target Golf Practice
Set up a target in your lawn and aim to land the ball near it. Practice your chipping shot to progress in the distance and control your movement. This drill is something that you can practice in your backyard. Endeavor to practice this drill with all the golf clubs in your bag.
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