All golfers know the short game is important. Here are some great golf chipping tips to help you improve your short game.
Let’s begin with the disclaimer that there are many types of chips you can make when you get close to the green. In other words, there is no single approved method for getting the ball closer to the hole. The effectiveness of your chipping will depend on the lie you have, the length of the grass, how far you are from the hole, and the condition of the green.
Let’s start our golf chipping tips with a standard chip. This shot is played when you are close to green but not on it. Generally, you play it with either your nine-iron or any wedge you are comfortable using. The rule of thumb is that a good chip will fly about 1/3 of the way to the cup and then roll the rest of the way. This shot should be played in the center of your stance with your hands well ahead of the ball and the club face square.
Repetition is key to better golf chipping shots
As we proceed with our golf chipping tips, we’ll take a look at the soft shot. This type of shot allows the ball to fly farther and land softly close to
(and hopefully rolling into) the cup. The most common club used for a soft chip shot is the lob wedge, but the sand wedge can also be used.
For the soft shot, you should address the ball with your club face open a bit. Play the ball forward and keep your hands behind it during the swing. It is imperative that you learn to accelerate the club head for this shot. When performed correctly, the ball will fly high for a short distance and then land softly and roll just a little.
If there is a lot of green between you and the hole, you might try the low chip shot. This shot is normally done with a mid-iron, such as the six- or seven-iron. You must play the ball toward the back of your stance to get the descending type of impact you need. Again, keep your hands ahead of the club head and the club face square to the target.
This shot creates the most roll once the ball lands on the green, and is good to use when you can aim right at the hole but are worried about going too far past it. This can occur if a sand trap or water hazard is close to the rear side of the hole.
Practice make perfect and improve your score with golf chipping skills
Above all, the best golf chipping tip you can get is to practice by regularly using all of your chip clubs, from mid-irons to wedges. Each requires its own setup and swing, and the only way to master all of these options is to get to the range and put them to work.
Start with the standard shot and move on to the soft shot, the two shots you will use the most on any given day. Once you have this mastered, move on to the low shot. This may take more time to learn than the others, but it is well worth the investment.
By putting these golf chipping tips to work for you, you can begin to master your short game and achieve a lower score, time after time. Be patient, and keep practicing.