Chipping · Drill
Chip Into Gaps to Train Your Landing Spot
Part of our chipping programs for distance control. Build a program with it
The most important chipping skill is landing the ball where you planned. Train it with gaps. Lay a few clubs on the green, about a yard apart. Now you have lanes. Pick one lane and try to land your chip in it. Don't worry about where the ball stops. Switch lanes every few balls. Watch how the roll changes as you land it shorter or longer. It's free, quick and very effective.
The drill
- Lay clubs on the green a yard apart.
- Pick one gap.
- Land your chip in it.
- Change gaps every few balls.
- Notice how the roll changes.
Why it works
A chip has two parts: the carry in the air and the roll after it lands. You control the carry directly with the length of your swing, so the landing spot is the part you can aim at. When you pick a lane and land in it, you learn how far a swing of a given size sends the ball. You also see how the roll changes as the landing spot moves, which lets you plan each chip from where it should land.
Common mistakes
- You watch where the ball stops instead of where it lands.Look at the gap the ball touches first and judge each chip only on that.
- You change your swing speed suddenly to reach a far gap.Keep the same smooth rhythm and make the swing a little longer or shorter instead.
- You switch gaps after every ball, so you never learn from one.Hit three or four balls at one gap, then move to the next.
How you'll know it's working
- Most balls first touch the ground inside the gap you picked.
- The ball rolls out about the same distance each time from the same gap.
- Landing in a nearer gap gives a longer roll, and landing in a farther gap gives a shorter roll.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Make the gaps wider, or use only two gaps close to you so the target is large and the distances are short.
Harder: Pick the gap at random, hit just one ball at it, and count it only if it lands inside before you move on.
Common questions
How far should I land a chip from the green's edge?
Land it on the green, just past the edge, when you can, so the ball meets a smooth surface. The right spot depends on how much green you have and how far the ball needs to roll.
Why do I keep chipping the ball too far or too short?
Most often the landing spot was not chosen, or the swing length does not match it. Practice landing in set gaps so you learn which swing size gives which carry.
