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Golf Short Game Instruction: Proper Chipping








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The chipping motion is similar to the putting stroke. Keep weight left, wrists firm and in front of clubhead. The goal is to get the ball on the green as soon as possible, rolling toward the hole. With the ball back in your stance take a short backswing with no wrist movement. Make a descending blow and brush the ball from the turf. Maintain flex in your knees at all times. The follow through should always be longer than the backswing. The stroke is dominated by the left arm. The right hand/forearm does not cross or roll over the left.

Purpose
  • To understand the mechanics of the chip shot.
    Chipping requires a slow tempo and a crisp swing. Stand close to the ball for a more direct swing path. Keep your weight left, body leaning slightly left, with hands ahead of the ball. Chipping is mostly an arm movement. You are trying to brush or sweep the grass, hitting through the ball. Your left arm will dominate the shot. Your arms and wrists work as one unit. Keep your lower body action to a minimum. Grip down slightly for the short chips will give you more feel (control) because your hands are closer to the ball.

  • To understand the limited role of the lower body in executing chip shots.
    Lower body movement is extremely limited in the chip shot. However, there is movement. Chipping is all upper body, right up to the point of impact, then the right knee leans in, bending and moving forward down the target line. Do not force this movement. It is natural and barely noticeable. Your hands are still ahead of the ball at impact and the left arm leads the way.

  • Do's and Don'ts

    Always chip to a target (landing spot). It is your intermediate target where the ball flight ends and the roll begins. It helps to know the flight vs. roll ratio of each club in determining how far each chip shot will run. For example, a typical sand wedge of 56 degrees will run 1x - 2x as far as the flight of the ball after landing depending on your stroke. Experiment to find your flight to roll ratio. goof players also know that faster greens ( > 10 or so on stimpmeter ) will enable a chip shot with a lofted club top release more than say on slower greens where the ball will more readily check up ( stop quicker ) after landing on the green. This is why it is important to hit a few putts and chips before playing to get a feel for the speed.




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