We all want to improve our games. But few of us really work at it, like practicing our chipping. Learning to chip well can transform your short game. That’s because good chipping turns three shots into two. Do this often enough and you’ll lower your golf handicap. But becoming a great chipper isn’t easy. While it helps to take golf lessons and read golf tips in magazines, the real key is engraining the proper mechanics though repetition. Once you’ve engrained the right mechanics, it’s only a matter of time until you master the art of chipping.
The first step in master the art of chipping is eliminating the most common chipping mistake: scooping. We see a lot of golfers in our golf instructions sessions that try to scoop the ball in the air when chipping. Scooping leads to poor contact. It’s also unnecessary. Grab any wedge and you’ll see two things immediately. First, you’ll see the club’s loft. Second, you’ll see the club’s bounce—the metal bulge beneath the clubhead’s sole. These two features help get the ball airborne without our help. You just have to keep the clubface open.
Use The Correct Setup
The second step in mastering the art of chipping is to use the correct setup. To hit a crisp chip with a descending blow, play the ball either in the middle of your stance or slightly back of the middle. Your weight should favor your front leg and the club’s shaft should be angled just ahead of your zipper. To achieve this position, address the ball first and then lean your whole body forward. Never lean the club so far forward that the leading edge is below the bounce. The bounce helps the club slide under the ball even when the club doesn’t bottom out in the perfect spot.
Step three is to use the swing. The chip is different than a full swing. You don’t have to turn the body much on the backswing to make a good chip. A slight body turn will do. As you start the club down, use your body to maintain the proper forward shaft lean. Then, pivot on your front leg as your chest turns toward the target. Keep your arms connected to your body when chipping, which promotes consistency.
Learn To Develop Feel
The next step is to develop feel. Feel in chipping means distance control. You develop feel by keeping your hands “quiet” during the chip. Instead of using your hands, relax your grip and let your arms and body do the work. This promotes solid contact. The only independent hand movement you need to make is to bend your right wrist slightly as you start your backswing. This movement starts the club on the ideal descending angle into the ball, just like you’re taught in golf lessons.
Maintain A Stable Wrist
The last step in mastering the art of chipping is maintaining a stable right wrist. It’s a move all great chippers use. It’s also a move that golfers in golf instructions sessions often struggle with. To achieve a stable right wrist, you must first pre-set it in the ideal position. To do that, bend your right wrist back just a bit as you go into your backswing. You should be able to see the wrinkles on your wrist. Keep it in this position throughout the swing. This position lets you keep the clubhead low and ensures compression at impact, which helps you get the ball airborne.
All of us want to improve. But few of us do what we need to do to get better, like working on our chipping. Good chipping helps lower your scores by turning three strokes into two. Do this enough times and you’ll chop strokes off your golf handicap. To become a great chipper, you must first engrain the mechanics of chipping. Once you’ve done that, there’s no telling how low you’ll go.