Chipping · Drill
Keep Your Weight Forward on Tight Lies
Part of our chipping programs for fat or chunked, thin or bladed. Build a program with it
Many golfers set up dead square with even weight. That leads to scooping and fat or thin chips. Make one change. Turn your lead foot out a little. Now it's easier to get your weight forward and keep it there. A small towel can help as a setup prop. Chip while staying on your front side through the strike. Don't let your weight fall back. Don't flick your hands. Practice on a downhill lie, where it's hardest.
The drill
- Turn your lead foot out slightly.
- Put more weight on your lead foot.
- Use a small towel as a setup prop.
- Stay forward through impact.
- No flick.
Why it works
Setting more weight on your lead foot puts the low point of the swing in front of the ball. The club then strikes the ball first and the turf after it. Turning the lead foot out a little lets your hips and weight move toward the target without sliding, so your weight stays forward through the strike. When your weight falls back, the club bottoms out early or rises at impact. That is what causes fat and thin chips.
Common mistakes
- You shift your weight forward at setup, then lean back during the swing.Keep your chest and belt buckle slightly ahead of the ball and hold that position until the ball is gone.
- You flick your wrists at impact to lift the ball.Keep the handle ahead of the clubhead through the strike and let the loft of the club lift the ball.
- You turn your lead foot out too far and your knee and hips slide past the ball.Turn the foot out only a little, enough to let your hips turn, and keep your lead knee stable.
How you'll know it's working
- The ball starts low and on your intended line, then runs out without a hop or a pop-up.
- You feel contact on the ball first, with a shallow mark on the turf after it, not before it.
- At the finish, most of your weight is still on your lead foot and your chest faces the target or slightly left of it.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practice from a flat, short-grass lie with a short backswing, so you can focus only on holding your weight forward.
Harder: Hit the same chips from a downhill lie, or to a small target, while keeping your weight on your lead foot through the finish.
Common questions
Where should my weight be when chipping?
Put most of your weight on your lead foot at setup and keep it there through the strike. This helps the club contact the ball first and then the turf.
Why do I keep chipping thin or fat?
Usually your weight moves back during the swing, or you flick your hands to lift the ball. Both move the low point of the swing behind the ball or make it vary from shot to shot.
