10 Golf Chipping Tips

10 Golf Chipping Tips

Mastering chip shots is the most efficient way to gain a low score in golf. You might miss the greens occasionally, but with a good chipping technique, you can save your par. RunRex is not only concerned about delivering your golf clubs, but also ensuring that you have a good time when on the course. Therefore, to ease the frustration of having a bogey or more, here are some tips to help you improve your chipping game.

Hinge your wrist on the backswing

When hitting a chip shot, you want your club to make contact with the ball on the backswing before the club levels off so that the ball can launch upwards. Hinging your wrist during the backswing ensures that you get enough power to launch the ball as high as possible, therefore clearing the rough. Tighten your grip as you approach the ball and lock your wrists on the forward swing.

Choose your target first

Having a target on where you want to put the ball is an excellent way to prepare your mind for the shot. After picking the shot, you then work backward and address the ball, position yourself, adjust your stance and take the swing. All these factors depend on your target, and you have to do everything to ensure that you get the ball to the precise spot.

Use minimal clubs

It is most likely that you don’t have a lot of time to practice on your game unless you are a professional golfer. Therefore, if your chipping game is suffering, it is better to master using few clubs rather than try to spend the little practicing time on every club. 

You can pick the sand wedge for shots close to the green, and a 7-iron for longer shots. Soon you will find that you can comfortably chip from different areas with these clubs. 

Keep your shoulders level

A good chip shot should involve you hitting the ball at the back swing as before the club levels with the ground. Keeping your shoulders level ensures that you don’t scoop the shot or thin it. 

 You can try practicing by swinging with your lead hand while placing the other hand on your shoulder. On the swing, you should not feel any movement or tension on the shoulders.

Practice with a longer shaft

Another tip to ensure that you are not scooping the shot is to extend the shaft of the club. As you drive through the shot, the extended shaft should not make contact with your body. If the shaft hits you at impact, it shows that you are scooping the shot instead of driving through it. 

Target the green

Chip shots vary widely depending on the ball position and the terrain of the course. Chip shots that land on the fairway can be easy to hit since the surface is not too challenging. However, your shot might overshoot the green and land on the rough in a steep terrain. Whichever the case, it is not the best idea to go for glory on such shots since you risk getting the ball past the green onto another rough or a bunker. The best option is to target the green in an area that will make it easy for you to putt. 

Keep your head up

Tucking your head onto your chest restricts the motion of your upper body and your swing. When your head is resting on your chest, you can’t achieve a full rotation without taking your eye off the ball. 

Thus, you should keep your neck straightened and aligned to your spine. It allows you to comfortably move your upper body while keeping your eyes on the ball.

Maintain an open stance

When chipping, especially on the rough, you need to get a good body rotation so that you can hit the ball at the right spot and get the power to launch the ball up and clear obstacles. Therefore, you should maintain a narrow and open stance to allow your body to rotate. 

Set the ball further back

Since your aim is to impact the ball on the downward swing, you should have the ball farther back your stance near your back leg. Moving the ball farther back reduces the distance traveled by the downward swing before it impacts the ball. A significant portion of your weight should be on your lead leg since this will help you get a steeper downward swing. It also helps you to maintain consistency.

Use your bunker shot technique on long roughs

Playing on greenside roughs with long grass is tricky since you can’t risk powering through the grass or else your ball might end up in a bunker. In such a scenario, you should look to play the shot like a bunker shot. Using a bigger swing will get through the grass easily and lob the ball upwards. You should also aim to hit the ball below the surface so that you don’t slice or thin it.