Chipping · Lesson
Three Keys for Consistent Chips
Part of our chipping programs for fat or chunked, thin or bladed, distance control. Build a program with it
Consistent chipping is mostly about removing moving parts. Put your weight on your lead foot and leave it there. Set your hands a little ahead of the ball. Keep your legs quiet. Let your upper body and arms move together as one piece. Then pick a landing spot. Practice hitting it again and again.
Step by step
- Weight on your lead foot.
- Hands slightly ahead.
- Quiet legs.
- Arms and chest move together.
- Practice a landing spot.
Why it works
Thin chips happen when the low point of the swing drifts behind the ball. Weight set on your lead foot and kept there puts the low point just ahead of the ball, so the club meets the ball first and then the turf. Hands slightly ahead keep the shaft leaning toward the target. Quiet legs and a chest and arms unit mean fewer parts that can change from one chip to the next.
Common mistakes
- You shift your weight back onto your trail foot during the backswing.Set about 60 to 70 percent of your weight on your lead foot at address and feel it stay there through the whole chip.
- You flick the wrists at impact to lift the ball.Keep your hands ahead of the ball and let the chest and arms turn together so the loft of the club does the lifting.
- You swing your legs and hips to make power.Keep your legs still and control distance with the length of your arm and chest swing instead.
How you'll know it's working
- The ball is struck first, then a small brush of grass is taken just after it.
- The ball starts on your chosen line and lands within a few feet of your landing spot most of the time.
- Your weight and belt buckle still face the ball at the finish, and your hands finish about level with your chest.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Use a short chip to a large target such as a towel placed a few feet away, and take your time at address to set weight and hands.
Harder: Chip to a small landing spot, such as a coin or a tee-height marker, from different lies and distances while keeping the same setup.
Common questions
Why do I keep thinning my chip shots?
Most often your weight is back or your wrists flick at impact, so the club bottoms out behind the ball or rises into it. Set your weight on your lead foot, keep your hands slightly ahead, and keep them there through impact.
Where should the weight be for a chip shot?
Put most of it on your lead foot at address and keep it there during the swing. This helps you strike the ball first and then the turf.
