Chipping · Lesson
How to Chip Off the Green Itself
Part of our chipping programs. Build a program with it
Sometimes you have to chip from the putting surface. It's less scary than it looks. Green grass is only a little tighter than fairway grass. Take a lofted club. Ball just ahead of center. Rotate the face open by turning your hands back. Then open your stance until the face points at the target again. Keep your hands neutral, no lean. Take the club back slightly outside your hands. Swing along your feet and let the sole skim the turf.
Step by step
- Lofted club, ball just ahead of center.
- Open the face, then your stance.
- Hands neutral, no shaft lean.
- Take it back a little outside.
- Let the sole brush the ground.
Why it works
An open face adds loft and bounce, so the sole slides across tight turf instead of digging or catching the ball's equator. Opening your stance after opening the face points the face back at the target and sets a swing path along your feet, which sends the ball on a slightly left-to-right path to the target line for a right-hander. Keeping the hands neutral keeps the loft and bounce on the club, so the ball pops up softly and rolls out.
Common mistakes
- Leaning the shaft forward and hands ahead of the ball, which takes away the bounce and makes the leading edge dig or blade the ball.Set the shaft straight up and down at address and keep your hands level with the ball through impact.
- Opening your stance but not the face first, so the face ends up closed or square to your feet and not at the target.Open the face by turning your hands back, then open your stance until the face points at the target.
- Trying to scoop or lift the ball into the air with your wrists.Let the loft do the work and swing along your feet so the sole brushes the grass.
How you'll know it's working
- The sole leaves a light brush mark on the turf and does not dig in.
- The ball comes out on a low, soft flight and rolls out toward the hole.
- You hit the center of the face and hear a clean click, not a thin skid or a thud.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Use a lob or sand wedge with a short swing, and chip from a few feet off the fringe with a lot of green to work with.
Harder: Chip to a hole location with less green to work with, such as a close pin, or vary the distance with the same setup.
Common questions
Can you chip from the green instead of putting?
Yes. It can be the better play when the grass between you and the ball is tight or uneven and a putt would not roll true. Use a lofted club and the open setup so the sole glides over the turf.
Which club should I use to chip off the green?
Use a lofted wedge, such as a sand wedge or lob wedge. The extra loft and bounce help the club skim the surface and get the ball into the air with little effort.
