Chipping · Lesson
Adjust Your Chip as the Grass Gets Longer
Part of our chipping programs for fat or chunked, thin or bladed. Build a program with it
Different grass needs a slightly different chip. Some things stay the same. Weight forward. Soft hands. From the fringe, use a gap wedge with a gentle stroke. From the first cut, where the ball sits up a little, use a sand wedge with a bit more speed. From rough, open the face and add speed. From heavy rough, take your lob wedge. Open the face, move the ball back, and swing with more speed.
Step by step
- Keep weight forward and hands soft.
- Fringe: gap wedge, gentle stroke.
- First cut: sand wedge, a bit more speed.
- Rough: open the face, more speed.
- Heavy rough: lob wedge, ball back.
Why it works
Longer grass sits between the clubface and the ball, so it slows the head and absorbs energy at impact. More speed and more loft help the club get through the grass and still lift the ball. Keeping weight forward and hands soft gives you a steady low point and a clean strike whatever the lie.
Common mistakes
- Leaning back to help the ball up in longer grass.Keep your weight forward and let the loft of the club lift the ball.
- Using the same gentle stroke from rough as from the fringe.Add speed as the grass gets longer so the head does not stall in the grass.
- Gripping tight and stabbing at the ball from heavy rough.Keep your hands soft, set the ball back, open the face, and swing through with more speed.
How you'll know it's working
- The club moves through the grass without twisting or stopping at impact.
- The ball comes out on a similar height and lands softly from each lie.
- Your divots or grass marks are shallow and start at or just after the ball.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practise from the fringe and first cut only, and use the same club until the contact feels steady.
Harder: Drop balls in a mix of lies around the green, change clubs for each one, and try to land each ball on a chosen spot.
Common questions
Why do I chunk or blade chips from the rough?
Usually your weight is back or your hands are tight, which makes the low point of the swing unreliable. Keep your weight forward, soften your hands, and add speed so the club gets through the grass.
Which club should I use to chip from long grass?
The longer the grass, the more loft you usually need. Use a gap wedge from the fringe, a sand wedge from the first cut, and a lob wedge from heavy rough.
