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club selection
proper setup
consistent backswing
consistent downswing
low follow-through
If you follow this method, you will learn the proper technique for all of these components. The method is intended to be easily applied and to be a tool to help you become your own best instructor.
You can use a chip shot when the golf ball is off of the green and you are unable to putt. A chip shot
will carry the ball over the fringe without a lot of height and allow the ball to roll the rest of the way
to the hole.
Since a chip shot is mostly roll, you can control the direction of it as you control the direction of a
putt, by reading the green. Once you learn proper distance control, you will begin to notice how you
have a great chance of making the chip since its going to roll towards the hole like a putt.
It doesnt matter how close to or far from the hole you are, there is only one swing that you have to
learn for a chip shot. The distance the ball travels is controlled solely by the club you select.
If you do not hit solid chip shots you will not have any consistency with your distance control. The
most common mistake in chipping is not hitting the bottom of the golf ball. Improper impact with the
golf ball can lead to four flawed shots:
Distance control in chipping is difficult enough when you are hitting solid chip shots. This method
will help you develop the proper technique to hit consistent chip shots so you can accurately gauge
your distance control.
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The distance to the cup does not have any impact on the decision to chip or pitch. As I said earlier,
a chip shot is 1/3 air and 2/3 roll. If you cant get the ball safely on the green with 1/3 air because of
some obstacle, then it is no longer a chip shot. It is a pitch shot. The distance and amount of roll for
a pitch shot is much more difficult to estimate since you have to fly the ball farther in the air. I cant
stress enough that the game of golf is easier and safer on the ground versus in the air.
Remember my mantra I have used for the past 25 years:
PUTT before you CHIP
CHIP before you PITCH
PITCH before you SAND
SAND before you LOB
If you have a chance to putt the ball, do it. If there is some grass or uneven terrain that you think a putt
wont go through smoothly, chip the golf ball. If you cannot reach the green safely with 1/3 air, then
it is time to pitch the ball. When pitching, a pitching wedge should be your first choice of club. Your
second choice should be a sand wedge. The lob wedge is a last resort.
There is a little bit of grey area in this hierarchy. There are parts of the world where there is not a lot
of grass around the green, and some golf courses are naturally very firm. The ground can be so firm
that you could not hit a proper chip shot if you tried. That is when you put aside this method and putt
the ball. Otherwise, keep the golf ball as low to the ground as possible.
Now that you know the definition of a chip shot, we can start learning how to chip. We are going to
break it down into ten chapters that will help you improve different components of your chipping
technique.
There may be other moving parts in the swing, but if you are able to understand and implement the
ten chapters of this method, you will find immediate improvement.
Lets talk in more detail about ball position at address. To execute a proper and consistent chip shot,
the golf ball should be in the center of your stance at address. It does not matter what the lie isbare,
thick rough, or uneventhe ball position stays the same, in the middle of your stance.
As you walk up to the golf ball and ground the clubhead, now is the time to make sure the golf ball
is centered in your stance. When you look at the golf ball from above, it should be an equal distance
from both of your feet.
Ball is Centered
Once the ball is centered, the next step in setting up a chip shot is to move the handle of the golf club
across from your belt buckle or the center of your body. This puts the handle slightly ahead of the
clubhead.
There are two reasons why moving the handle of the golf club across from your belt buckle is beneficial.
1. When the handle is forward of the ball at address, the clubhead swings up in the backswing.
Since the clubhead angle is so steep in the downswing, the clubface, not the leading edge, will make
contact with the ball first. Consistent contact between the clubface and the ball is the key to consistent
chipping.
Part six of the method deals with proper weight distribution when addressing the ball. This means that
after you have centered the golf ball in your stance, grounded the clubhead behind the golf ball, and
moved the handle across from your belt buckle, you will shift 70% of your weight over to your left
leg.
The reason for this particular distribution is to keep you from trying to hit up on the golf ball. Keeping
your weight on your left side will force you to bring the clubhead towards the golf ball in a chopping
motion in the downswing.
If you keep your weight distribution the same during the entire swing, you can avoid some of the most
common mistakes golfers make when chipping:
Using this setup consistently will enable the golf club to swing more vertically and impact the ball
more squarely.
The first three parts of the method are static steps. There are no moving parts in the setup. Now that
you know the fundamentals of the proper setup for a chip shot, lets move on to the actual swing.
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Now the fun begins. The last three parts related to the proper chip shot setup. Lets talk in more detail
about the backswing.
The only parts of the body that move during a chipping swing are the arms. As the swing begins, the
arms, hands, and golf club move together in one motion to the top of the backswing. Then they move
together again in the downswing and follow-through.
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Now that you understand how to swing the club for a chip shot, we can address how far back the club
needs to go. This step of the method is going to give you an exact stopping place for your chip shot
backswing. Knowing this position will allow you to learn one swing for chipping and let the club
selection control the distance.
Think of the club being at the 6:00 position at address. As the clubhead starts back, it passes through
7:00 and arrives at 8:00. This is your stopping point.
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Even with the proper setup and backswing, chip shots cannot be consistent without the clubface properly striking the golf ball. In order to do this, the leading edge of the clubhead must swing down into
the ground in the downswing.
Swing into Ground in Downswing
Following the earlier techniques for setup and backswing will put you in a position to do this. Everything leading up to this moment allows the clubhead to swing into the ground and under the golf ball.
As the golf club is swinging down into the back of the golf ball, the leading edge of the clubhead can
do one of two things:
dig in after it reaches the bottom of the swing arc
bottom out and begin to swing back up
If the club stays on the correct path in the downswing, the clubhead will continue to dig in.
If the leading edge of the clubhead digs into the ground, the center of the clubface will strike the golf
ball, giving the ball the correct loft on its way to the green. Remember: Chop, dont stop.
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Correct Follow-Through
Incorrect Follow-Through
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When the club is coming down at such a steep angle in the downswing, it is very difficult to bring the
club back up, as would be needed in a full follow-through. Instead, it is much easier to have a low
follow-through along the ground. It is very important for you to understand the mechanics behind this
mistake. You will be able to fix your own swing with this knowledge.
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Part ElevenMistakes
Causes and Lessons
Lets go over the top six chipping mistakes so you can figure out which one you make and how to fix
it on your own.
1. Topping and Thin Chip Shots
If you are topping or hitting your chip shots thin, there are two possible reasons why you are making
this mistake. You are swinging the golf club too much from inside to outside, or the clubhead is reaching the bottom of the swing arc behind the ball. By the time the leading edge of the clubhead reaches
the golf ball, the clubhead is beginning to swing up and the leading edge catches the ball in the middle
or top.
Lesson: Check weight and handle placement. If you continue to top the ball or hit it thin, place the
ball farther back in your stance.
2. Topping
Yes, there is another way to top the golf ball. If you swing the golf club too much from outside to
inside, the club will travel too vertically during the downswing. You will either hit tops or fat shots.
If the clubhead travels too steeply, the bottom of the swing arc moves from under the ball to another
inch farther forwardon top of the ball.
Lesson: Check ball position. Move your right shoulder back an inch or two so the golf club can swing
more from the inside.
3. Too Long
If you believe you are using the proper technique yet you consistently hit chip shots that run across
the green, you will need to correct your downswing. It is too steep, and the clubhead is coming down
too vertically.
Lesson: Check ball position first. If the ball is too far back in your stance, this will create a downswing that is too steep. Next, check handle position. Make sure the handle is across from your belt
buckle, not your left pant leg.
4. Too Short
If you believe you are using the proper technique yet you consistently hit chip shots that come up
short, you will need to correct your downswing. It is too shallow, and the clubhead is coming down
too level with the ground.
Lesson: Check your setup. The ball position should not be too far forward, your weight distribution
should be 70% on your left leg, and the handle should be across from your belt buckle.
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5. Pulls
If you have a tendency to pull your chip shots, the golf club is traveling too much from outside to
inside in the downswing and the clubface is aiming left at impact.
Lesson: Check ball position first. Make sure the ball is slightly back of center. Then check that your
shoulder alignment is parallel to your target line.
6. Pushes
If you have a tendency to push your chip shots, the golf club is traveling too much from inside to outside in the downswing and the clubface is aiming right at impact.
Lesson: Check ball position first. Make sure the ball is slightly forward of center. Then check that
your shoulder alignment is parallel to your target line.
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