Learning the Chip Shot

One vitally overlooked part of the game of golf is the chip shot. Very few people spend any time learning how to play the chip shot and even fewer actually practice it. Strangely enough for the vast majority of golfers it is one of the most often played shots after putting. You see the average club golfer is unlikely to hit even 50% of greens in regulation and must therefore rely on his short (chipping) game to get the ball on to the green and close to the hole.

The chip shot is very different to the full golf swing and the following tips will help you gain confidence in playing it. These instructions are for a right handed player.

The Set-up. Place the ball just back of center of your feet with your feet only twelve inches apart. Set the club down behind the ball and square to the intended target line. Not the target line is not necessarily the target and will depend on whether there is any break to be allowed for. (In this position it is a good idea to swing the club, using your shoulders arms and hands as a unit, to get a feel for the distance you want the ball to travel. Do this a few times so that you are comfortable with what you will be doing on the actual stroke).

Now move your left foot back about 4 inches - thus opening your stance. Crouch slightly so that your knees are bent in an easy comfortable position.

Now push your left wrist towards the target until your left arm and the shaft of the club form a straight line.

Shift your weight so that 80% of it is on the left side. You are now correctly set up.

The Takeaway. Start your takeaway with your shoulders making sure that your hands and arms only move as a result of the shoulder shift. The angle between your right arm and shaft must remain the same as it was at address throughout the swing. The same applies to the angle of the left arm and shaft.

The takeaway should follow along your toe line. Note that this is not the same as the target line. Having moved your left foot back in the setup your toe line cuts across the ball and will feel as if you are aiming left of target line.

This is correct.

There should be no leg movement at all. Make sure you do not move the knees at all during the swing and your weight should remain on your left foot.

The Downswing and Follow Through. Distance is controlled by the length of the backswing and this should never be more than the nine o'clock position. Once you have reached the required height of the backswing simply bring the club back along your toe line, again using your shoulders to initiate it and keeping the arms locked in position.

Once you have connected with the ball be sure to keep the arms and shoulders linked. Do not break the wrists or bend the arms. With a chip shot try to keep the club as low as possible through the ball and on the follow through.

Practice this shot from various distances around the green with a number of different clubs to get a feel for flight and roll control. Remember the idea behind chipping is shortest possible time in the air and longest possible time rolling on the green. So use whatever club it takes to get you on to the putting surface as soon as possible.

Spend a bit of time learning the chip shot and you will find that this is a most enjoyable part of the game and a great challenge, not the part that you have always feared.

I hope that these simple instructions will help you with your golf game and remember there is no point in learning the chip shot if you do not spend time practicing it until you become confident enough with it to use it on the course.