Chipping · Lesson
The Basic Chip Shot
Part of our chipping programs for fat or chunked, thin or bladed, distance control. Build a program with it
Keep your basic chip simple. Grip down so your hands sit near the bottom of the grip. Put them in the same spot every time. That keeps the club the same length. Narrow your stance. Play the ball a little back. Put about 60 percent of your weight forward. Make a small stroke with your arms and shoulders. Keep your wrists quiet. Hold the finish and watch it roll.
Step by step
- Grip down to the bottom of the grip.
- Narrow stance, ball slightly back.
- 60 percent weight forward.
- Small stroke, quiet wrists.
- Hold the finish.
Why it works
Gripping down shortens the club and puts you closer to the ball, which makes the low point easier to control. A narrow stance, a slightly back ball and weight forward put the bottom of the swing at or just after the ball, so the club strikes down and through instead of hitting the equator. Quiet wrists let your arms and shoulders move the club as one unit, so the leading edge does not catch the turf or the ball's middle.
Common mistakes
- You change your grip position from chip to chip, so the club length changes.Set your hands in the same spot near the bottom of the grip every time before you start.
- You lean back or shift weight onto your back foot to help the ball up, which leads to thin strikes.Keep about 60 percent of your weight on your front foot from setup to finish.
- You flick your wrists through impact to scoop the ball.Rock your arms and shoulders as one unit and keep your wrists quiet.
How you'll know it's working
- The ball starts low, lands on the green, and rolls out toward the hole.
- You feel the club brush the turf just after the ball, not hit the ball first with the leading edge.
- Your weight is still forward and your chest faces the target when you hold the finish.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Chip from a good lie on short grass to a target a few paces onto the green, and use a towel or marker to set your landing spot.
Harder: Chip from a slightly tighter lie or a longer distance, and try to land the ball on a small target such as a towel.
Common questions
Why do I keep hitting my chip shots thin?
Thin chips usually come from leaning back or flicking the wrists, which lifts the low point of the swing. Keep your weight forward and your wrists quiet so the club reaches the ball on a downward path.
Where should the ball be in my stance for a basic chip?
Play it slightly back of center in a narrow stance. This helps the club strike the ball before the turf.
