Chipping · Lesson
A Chip Rolls More Than It Flies
Part of our chipping programs for fat or chunked, thin or bladed, distance control. Build a program with it
A chip flies a short way, then rolls like a putt. Many golfers chip only with their highest wedge. That makes heavy and thin shots more likely. Try other clubs too, from a 9-iron down to a hybrid. Set your feet close together and slightly open. Put about 60 percent of your weight on your lead leg. Play the ball just back of center, hands a little ahead. Then rock your arms and shoulders back and through. Keep the tempo even. Leave your wrists out of it.
Step by step
- Pick a less lofted club for more roll.
- Narrow, slightly open stance.
- 60 percent weight forward.
- Ball just back, hands ahead.
- Rock your shoulders like a putt.
Why it works
A less lofted club launches the ball lower and sends it forward, so most of the distance comes from roll. This makes the shot simpler, because you only need to land the ball on the green's edge and let it run. With weight forward, the ball back and hands ahead, the club bottoms out in the same place each time. A putting-style rock of the arms and shoulders keeps the club head moving on a steady path, so contact is cleaner and thin shots become less common.
Common mistakes
- Using the highest-lofted wedge for every chip.Pick a 9-iron or a hybrid when you have green to run the ball over, and keep the wedge for when you need more air time.
- Leaning back on your trail leg to help the ball up.Keep about 60 percent of your weight on your lead leg from setup to finish.
- Flicking the wrists through impact.Rock your arms and shoulders like a putting stroke and keep your wrists quiet.
How you'll know it's working
- The ball lands on your chosen spot and then rolls out toward the hole like a putt.
- You hit the ball first and the turf second, with no thin skids across the green and no heavy thumps behind the ball.
- Your weight stays on your lead leg at the finish, and your chest faces the target.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Chip from a tight, short lie just off the green with a 9-iron, and aim at a spot only a few steps away.
Harder: Chip to a target with a slope or a longer run, and switch clubs on each ball so you must judge how much each one rolls.
Common questions
Which club should I use to chip around the green?
Use the least lofted club that still lands the ball on the green and lets it roll to the hole. For many chips that is anything from a 9-iron to a hybrid.
Why do I keep hitting thin chips?
Thin chips often come from leaning back or flicking the wrists at impact. Set your weight forward, put the ball just back of center, and rock your shoulders like a putt.
