Ever skull a chip from a severe downhill slope? Usually, you’re hitting this chip from a couple of feet off the green to pin about eight feet away. Skulling this shot can send you right off the green. One reason for skulling this shot is ball position and weight shift. If you play the ball in the middle and shift your weight forward, chances are you’ll skull it.
Below are five keys to chipping from a downhill slope:
1. Move the ball back
2. Shift your weight forward
3. Move your right foot back
4. Keep your body quiet
5. Swing the club down the slope
The slope reduces a club’s loft significantly, so use a lob wedge (56 degrees) for this shot. This wedge provides just the right amount of loft you need to chip this shot success-fully.
Set up for a standard chip shot. But move the ball back a couple of inches. The down-slope pushes the lowest point of your swing arc back a bit. Moving the ball back makes up for the change.
Shift your weight forward and tilt your shoulders, so they’re parallel to the slope. Now shift your right foot back a few inches. This move is critical. Keeping the right foot for-ward makes it hard to hit down on the ball, which you must do to pop it up.
Keep the body quiet when you swing. Focus on swinging with your arms only. As with almost all downhill shots, keep the clubface low and follow the ball down the hill with it. If you hit this shot correctly, the ball pops up, hits the green softly, and runs to the hole.
Don’t get burned by a severe downhill chip. Practice this shot when you can. Practice builds confidence. Then use the shot on the course. It’ll help you save pars and birdies.
