How to Chip in Golf: The Beginner’s Guide to Saving Strokes Around the

Written By: colton draper

Some golfers like to get to the course early so they can head to the driving range to get “warmed up” for the round they are about to play. They feel that if they practice before they play, they are likely to score better than if they just showed up at the first tee and started playing. They might grab their driver right away and try to see how far they can hit it. If you are a more experienced golfer, they might start with their 9 iron and work their way through their bag until they get to the driver. They will often then head to the putting green and practice grooving their putting stroke and try to get a feel for the greens.

What you don’t see nearly as often is golfers off to the side of the practice green working on their chipping. Not practicing this vital shot seems like a poor choice given how important it is to scoring well. Why don’t recreational golfers practice chipping more? Do they find it boring? Do they think it isn’t really that important? Are they afraid they might hit someone on the practice green because they have no idea what they are doing? Anyone who has chipped in for a birdie or an eagle will tell you that it is far from boring.

You only have to play a few rounds of golf to see its importance. The main reason you don’t see it practiced more around practice greens is because many golfers don’t have enough confidence to execute the shot. This article will aim to make sure that you aren’t one of those people who is afraid to chip when there are others around and hopefully you will get to the point where you see a chip as a chance to score.

What is Chipping in Golf?

So, what is a chip shot? A chip shot is a short-game stroke played from just off the green. A golfer who is chipping is trying to achieve minimal air time and maximum roll. It is a shot that comes up frequently over the course of a round when you are just short of the green or your approach shot hits the green and rolls off. Golfers who don’t chip well go back and forth over the green and throw away strokes. A chip shot is not the same as another common short game shot, the pitch shot. A pitch shot is played more through the air than a chip shot and does not have as much roll. A pitch shot can be played for a longer distance than a chip shot, up to 30 yards. Whereas chip shots can be hit with a 9 iron or even a low lofted club to get the ball rolling quickly, a pitch shot is typically hit with a higher loft club like a 54, 56, 58, or 60 degree lofted wedge.

Basic Chipping Technique- Step by Step

A chip is a short shot where the goal is to get it rolling as quickly as possible, sounds simple enough. If you have played much golf at all, you know that even the shots that look easy become very difficult if you don’t know what you are doing. What follows is a step-by-step guide to help you chip like Rory McIlroy.

Set-up

The first step to hitting a good chip shot is making sure you are set up correctly. The set up forms the basis for everything that follows. You need to take a narrow stance with your feet close together. You should have 70% of your weight on your lead foot (i.e., your left foot if you are a right-handed golfer). You want to put the ball back in your stance.

The Grip

How your hands are attached to the club is also something that can’t be overlooked. Your grip should be a little lighter and weaker than it would be for a full swing. You should focus on control and limiting your wrist hinge and promoting a “Y-shape” with your arms. It is also helpful to choke down on the club so that your lead thumb is on top of the drip and your hands stay soft so you can make clean contact.

The Swing

Earlier it was suggested that the ball should be played back in your stance. Before you take your swing you should put your hands forward. This combined with the location of the ball in your stance will help hit a low shot that gets out of the rough around the green but then quickly gets rolling on the green, which is the goal of a chip shot. Remember, you want to get that ball rolling as quickly as possible. Your swing should be similar to a putting stroke meaning you want to rely on body rotation rather than wrist action. Try hard to avoid flipping your wrists at impact. The handle should feel that it is in front of the clubhead all the way through.

The Follow Through

To finish off your chip shot, you need to have a short, compact swing that relies on body rotation rather than wrist action. You want to keep your hands low and trailing your sternum. This will help you make a crisp, downward strike.

What Club Should You Chip With?

An experienced golfer has lots of options when executing a chip shot. Comfort with a particular club certainly can play a factor in which club to choose. Let’s look at the different options that each golfer typically has:

Pitching Wedge (44-48 degrees)

This is the option that is best for beginning golfers. Most golf sets are likely to have this club and they offer consistency and will give you more roll than some of the other clubs that follow. The lower loft of the club compared to other wedges means you are less likely to hit it thin which will fly it over the green or “chunking” it and leaving it short. A pitching wedge has more mass than other wedges and makes it easier to pop the ball out cleanly when it is sitting in the rough.

Gap Wedge

A gap wedge can produce a mid-trajectory shot that will be less affected by the wind that a lob wedge will be easier to stop on the green than a pitching wedge. A gap wedge also allows for a smoother swing much like a putting stroke than a sand wedge, which requires a much more aggressive stroke to get the ball up. Being able to take a smoother stroke reduces the chances of hitting it thin or chunking it.

Sand Wedge

The wider sole and higher bounce angle of a sand wedge can prevent the leading edge of the club from digging too deeply into the turf. The heavy mass of a sand wedge allows it to power through thick grass without getting twisted. If you don’t have a lot of green to work with, a sand wedge allows you to stop the ball more quickly than you would with other wedges. When the ball is resting against the fringe or rough, you can use the leading edge of the sand wedge to hit the middle of the ball (think the equator of the ball). This will help the ball skip through the rough and roll like a putt.

3 Practice Drills to Improve Your Chipping

Hopefully you are now convinced that practicing chipping is worth your time. Most skills can be improved with good practice. Dropping a bucket of balls on the edge of the green certainly can improve your chipping, but there are more fun, productive ways to improve this vital shot. Here are 3 drills you can do the next time you practice your chipping:

Chipping zone challenge: This drill takes around 15 minutes and you end up hitting 20 shots. Pick a flat lie 10 yards from your target. Drop 10 balls and play every ball with the same club and technique. Score it as follows: 4 points for every shot you hole out, 2 points for every shot within 1 putter length (3 feet) and 1 point for every shot within 6 feet (two putter lengths)
Morris short-game challenge: This drill takes 30 minutes and you will hit 30 shots. You will hit 10 8-yard chips from a fairway lie, 10 20 yard chips, and then 10 45 yard chips. Use the same club and routine for each of your shots. The scoring rules are the same as the previous drill. 4 points for hole outs, 2 points for 1 club length out (3 feet) and 1 point for 2 club lengths out (6 feet).
No One Way Chipping: This drill takes around 35 minutes and uses up to 50 balls. Pick a flat 15-yard chip shot. Mark a 6 foot circle around the hole (which is approximately 2 putter lengths). Start the drill by lining up with your highest lofted club first (like your lob wedge or sand wedge). Chip until one ball finishes inside the 6 foot circle. When you do that, switch to the next less-lofted club( for example Sand wedge, then pitching wedge, then 9 iron) Continue until you have completed that task with every club down to the 8 iron or have hit 50 balls, whichever comes first, Your score is how many total balls you hit to finish the ladder or clubs. Note which club took the most attempts and which one felt the most comfortable.

Not every drill is for everyone, a general recommendation would be to find something you can see and emulate on the range for continued practice around the greens. Here is one of our favorite videos that help golfers of all handicaps.

When to Use a Chipper Instead of a Wedge

Although not legal on the PGA Tour, some recreational golfers like to use a chipper. What is a chipper? A chipper is a niche golf club and looks like a cross between a putter and a 7-9 iron. It is great for beginning golfers because you can use a putting stroke and it is designed in a way to help prevent chunking a chip or hitting it thin and flying it over the green. It is a club that promotes a consistent, low-running ball flight. Chippers are helpful for beginning golfers when they are 10-20 yards off the green and they want to minimize the risk of a mishit. They are also good for a “bump-and-run” shot when you have a lot of green to work with when you want the ball to roll instead of stop. It is also useful for poor lies because the wide sole of the club helps to prevent digging. Sounds perfect! Why would you mess with a wedge when you could have all that? There are shots where a wedge does work better than a chipper. Wedges are more useful than chippers when you need to fly the ball over a bunker, hazard, or long grass. Wedges are also better than chippers when you are aiming at a pin that is tucked tightly and you need to stop the ball quickly.

Conclusion

Long drives and long putts can win you door prizes at golf outings and are great shots to impress your friends. Being a good chipper around the green helps you cash in those long drives and will save you from having to make a 50 foot putt to save par. Chipping isn’t sexy, but it is an essential skill if you want to consistently shoot low scores. A good chipping game can help you salvage a bad drive and make you a more confident putter. The hope is that, after reading this, you have the motivation and the means to go out and chip your way to low scores and keep those snowmen off your scorecard.

How to Chip in Golf: The Beginner’s Guide to Saving Strokes Around the Green

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