Chipping · Lesson
Three Keys for Steady Chipping
Part of our chipping programs for distance control. Build a program with it
Good chippers have a lot in common, even with different full swings. Keep your head very still as you take the club back. Let your chest turn the triangle of your arms and shoulders. Don't use your hands and wrists. Keep the face matching your spine angle. Don't roll the toe open. Through impact, let your eyes turn toward the target. And keep the shaft in front of your belly button on the follow-through. No flipping.
Step by step
- Keep your head steady.
- Turn your chest to move the arms.
- Keep the face matching your spine.
- Let your eyes follow the ball.
- Keep the shaft in front of you.
Why it works
A chip has little time or distance to fix errors, so the fewer moving parts the better. A still head keeps the low point of the swing in the same place, which gives repeatable contact. Turning the chest moves the arms and club as one unit, and keeping the face matched to your spine angle stops the face from opening and closing with the hands.
Common mistakes
- You move your head with the club on the backswing.Hold your head still until the ball is gone, and let your eyes turn toward the target only through impact.
- You use your hands and wrists to lift the club back.Turn your chest so the triangle of arms and shoulders moves the club, and keep your wrists quiet.
- You flip the clubhead past your hands after impact.Keep the shaft in front of your belly button on the follow-through and keep turning your chest.
How you'll know it's working
- The ball comes off the center of the face with a clean, solid sound and no thin or fat strikes.
- The ball starts on your intended line and lands in about the same area on repeated chips.
- At the finish, the shaft points near your belly button, the toe has not rolled open, and your chest faces the target.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Chip from a good lie on short grass to a large target a few paces away, using slow swings with the same club each time.
Harder: Chip from different lies and distances to a small target, using one club, and keep all three keys in every swing.
Common questions
Why do I keep chipping thin or fat?
Most often the low point of your swing moves because your head or hands move. Keep your head still, turn your chest, and keep the shaft in front of you through impact.
Should I use my wrists when chipping?
Keep them quiet. Let your chest turn move the arms and club together, which keeps the face square and the contact steady.
