Weekend players often come up short when chipping the ball.That’s because they tend to decelerate through the shot. Or they swing too fast from the start—which makes their swing too long—and chip the ball past the hole. The idea is to accelerate to the ball and then stop your swing almost immediately after impact. Below is a drill that teaches you this stroke.
Stick a shaft or a dowel in the green at a 45-degree angle about 6 to 8 inches beyond your front toe, with the grip pointing away from you. Make sure it’s not in the way of your shot. Now set up for a normal chip shot and chip the ball. Focus on accelerating to the ball and giving it a nice pop without swinging past the shaft or dowel.
Work on grooving this stroke. You’ll find that it works for most distances you’ll face when chipping around the green. Once you’ve grooved the shot, focus on making solid contact with the ball. That’ll really improve your chipping.
