Golf Chip Shots

The biggest percentage of golf, 67%, is from 100 yards and in. That being said you can see the importance of a good short game. The average Professional on Tour practices their short game 90% of their practice time. The opposite is true for the average player, so lets discuss a shot that will help you score better and be more consistent, Chipping. This is the shot that is approximately 20 yards and in from the green. The shot that we often call the bump and run. The shot that can save us tremendous amounts of strokes if only we can get that chip closer.

One of the biggest problems in chipping that I see on the lesson tee is club selection. To make it simple I like to teach that two things change with this shot… club selection and ball position in your stance. Club selection will be based on how far the shot is and how much green you have to work with. Ball position will be based on weather you need the ball to go higher or lower. For a right handed golfer the ball position mantra that I have my students remember is “right foot for run and left foot for loft”. When there is a good amount of green between you and the hole and you need the ball to stay low and run, place the ball off of your right foot and when you need the ball to have loft to get over something or not as much run place the ball off of your left foot. I like to teach the club selection part by taking three clubs out to the practice area and showing the difference in the amount of run they will have with the same swing motion.

I think that one of the misconceptions with this shot is that many golfers use only one club in this situation and it becomes very difficult to adjust to the different distances. In turn your percentages go down and your consistency is affected. The percentage shot is to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. So the clubs I use are the pitching wedge, 9 iron and 8 iron. Break the green up into three parts and use the pitching wedge for the short part ( little amount of green and least amount of run needed), the 9 iron for the middle,(medium amount of green and run needed) and 8 iron for the back part of the green (a lot of green and run needed).

The set up is very important now that you have an idea of the shot. First choose the proper club and start behind your ball to see the alignment. Once you have the line, square the clubface to the ball first then choke down on the club for control and distance. Now take your stance and make sure the ball is in the proper position in your stance, remember right for run, left for loft. I like to see a slightly open stance here which means your left foot is pulled back a little to help the hips start out of the way. Forward press your hands so they are over your left knee and put 60 % of your weight forward on your left side. These two things help to trap the ball and keep the clubface square and delofted through the shot.  When executing this shot watch for impact and try to clip the grass. You need to feel that the back of your left hand is going to the hole and never allow the club to get ahead of the hands (no wrists). Try to maintain the set up position you started with (hands forward pressed) through out the shot.

A great way to practice at home is to find an area about 20 feet long with no breakables in the way and on carpet. Place two pillows against a wall and a plastic cup in between them. Now go to the opposite end and practice chipping balls to the hole, the pillows will prevent the walls from getting hit if you accidentally hit it to hard. This is a favorite drill of my 6 year old son who has taken our junior golf camp all summer and whose chipping has improved amazingly with this drill. Yours will too. Good luck and good practicing.

Michele Conte is a Top 50 LPGA Teaching Professional and with her husband Stephen, a PGA Member, they are the owners and Directors of Instruction at Conte’s Palm-AireGolfAcademy located at the Oaks and Cypress golf courses in Palm-Aire. She was recently chosen as “Woman of the Year” in Golf Instruction by the National Association of Professional& Executive Women for outstanding accomplishment, leadership and service. The Conte’s GolfAcademy offers private lessons, 1,2,3,4 and 5 day golf schools, clinics, junior summer golf camps and summer program specials.

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