The best way to play short shots from good lies is to putt them. But from 50 feet out or so out, many golfers leave the putt short because they lack the confidence to take a big enough stroke to get them to the hole. If that’s you, there’s an alterative to putting for a shot that far out—the “chiputt.” This shot provides a more powerful approach to the hole than putting, but still roles the ball like a putt. It also provides a better perspective on distance.
Below are five keys to this shot:
- Hold your putter with a chipping grip
- Assume your normal putting stance
- Position the ball a little forward
- Make your normal chipping swing
- Maintain dead hands throughout the swing
The key difference between a putt and a chiputt is that you play the ball forward rather than back. There’s no grass to get between the clubface and ball and little chance of hitting the ball fat, so there’s no need to play the ball back. In fact, with this shot, your putter never hits the ground.
A big key is taking a chipping swing while maintaining dead hands throughout the swing. This means turning your body away while keeping your hands quiet. This motion makes it easier to synchronize the rhythm between your arms, shoulders, and club, and transfer power to your shots in small controlled increments by changing swing length.
Keep in mind that the longer the shot, the more it runs uphill, or the more against the grain your ball must run, the longer you need to make your swing. And don’t try to execute this shot from your normal chipping stance. The more bent over posture limits the length of your swing and tends to leave the ball short.
The shot is ideal from well off the green and on well-manicured courses with difficult slopes surrounding the green. It’s an alternative to traditional putting from off the green where you’re concerned about leaving the putt short.
