In this video lesson, I am going to take you through the basics of chipping. A chip shot is a shot that spends more time on the ground than it does up in the air. A pitch shot is the opposite, spending more time in the air than on the ground. The chip shot is best used around the green when you don’t need to get up and over anything.

Club selection is really important with your chip shot. You don’t want to use a high lofted club like a 58 or 60-degree wedge or sand wedge because you are more likely to mishit those clubs around the green. The best club for a chip shot is a pitching wedge, 9-iron or 8-iron.

THE BEST CHIP SHOT SETUP

Getting set up correctly is essential to hitting good chip shots and putting yourself in the best possible position to make your par-saving putt. The four keys for setting up are

1. Put the ball back in your stance – the ball should be lined up with your back foot.

2. Put your weight forward – your weight should stay on your foot that is closer to the target throughout this entire shot.

3. Put your hands forwards – your hands should be close to your front thigh.

4. Keep the clubhead low to the ground – don’t use much wrist in the chip shot.

The best thing about this shot is that you can simply switch clubs, use the same setup and swing and get the ball to go varying distances. Spend some time experimenting on your own and figure out which club works best for you.

And lastly, remember: Putt when you can, Chip when you can’t putt, and Pitch when you must 🙂

Nathalie