Chipping · Lesson
How to Play a Downhill Chip
Part of our chipping programs for fat or chunked, thin or bladed, distance control. Build a program with it
The downhill chip is one of the hardest in golf. Get it wrong and you leave it in a bunker or skull it over the green. Start with practice swings to find where the club bottoms out. Most golfers lean back and hit behind the ball. Lean down the hill instead. Brace on the inside of your lead foot. Set your body square to the slope. Widen your stance. Keep your trail shoulder low and lead shoulder high. Swing down the slope with a square face. Pick a landing spot and expect it to run.
Step by step
- Find the bottom of your swing in practice.
- Lean down the slope onto your lead foot.
- Match your shoulders to the slope.
- Swing down the hill with a square face.
- Pick a landing spot and allow for roll.
Why it works
On a downhill lie the ground falls away below the ball. If you lean back, the club bottoms out behind the ball and you hit it fat. If you lean down the slope and set your shoulders to match it, the club travels along the slope and bottoms out at the ball. The slope also takes loft off the face, so the ball comes out lower and runs more.
Common mistakes
- You lean back toward the higher ground to feel safe.Move your weight onto the inside of your lead foot and keep it there through the swing.
- You keep your shoulders level while the ground slopes away.Tilt your lead shoulder up and your trail shoulder down so your shoulders match the slope.
- You try to lift the ball into the air with a scooping hand action.Keep the face square and swing down the slope, and let the lower ball flight and roll do the work.
How you'll know it's working
- Your practice swings brush the grass at the same spot each time, just under the ball.
- The ball comes out low and starts on your chosen line.
- You make ball-first contact with no heavy thud behind the ball.}
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Use a ball on a gentle slope with a wide landing area and a lot of green to work with.
Harder: Chip from a steeper slope or a tighter lie, and pick a landing spot that leaves you a short run to the hole.
Common questions
Why do I hit downhill chips fat?
You most likely lean back, so the club bottoms out behind the ball. Lean down the slope onto your lead foot and match your shoulders to the slope.
Which club should I use for a downhill chip?
A club with more loft helps, because the slope takes loft off the face. Whichever club you pick, expect the ball to come out low and run, and choose a landing spot short of the hole.
