Chip in Golf (Chipping Technique in Steps, When to Chip & etc)

A chip shot involves keeping the ball near the ground. Even though you don’t need the ball to fly, it is a decent stroke for getting it close to or into the hole. In that it stays low, it is like a putt. Although several clubs are used to hit chip shots, using a 9-iron, pitching wedge, or 8-iron while assuming the right posture is essential. 

The easiest way to move the ball toward your objective with no obstacles is with a chip shot. The golf club uses chipping to propel the ball onto the ground. This method reduces some of the “guesswork” in hitting the short shot.

Chipping Technique

Step 1.

To hit accurate chip shots, you must first get into position correctly. Compared to your complete swing, get in closer proximity to the ball. As you gently widen your stance, your feet should be closer together. In your posture, the golf ball ought to be farther from your back foot and further back. 

Step 2.

As you step over the ball, feel the additional weight shifting to your lead foot. To produce a forward shaft lean, position your hands just in front of the ball. The club’s leading edge may dig into the turf due to excessive forward shaft lean, leading to a poor shot. 

Step 3.

Hitting a chip shot requires only a few simple movements. The stroke is a back-and-forth pendulum pattern, the same as the putting stroke, and the height varies depending on the shot’s distance. During the stroke, your wrists shouldn’t fracture. 

Step 4.

When making a chip shot, several clubs are used. The ball will fly lower and roll farther if you use a club with less loft, but your backswing length won’t change. On longer chips, you can use a club with less loft, such as a 7 or 8 iron, and a club with more loft, such as a pitching wedge or sand wedge. The practice green is the perfect place to experiment to learn what each club generates and which one you like.

When to Chip?

The ball must travel only a short distance to the hole and can travel most of the distance on the ground when using a chip shot. When making a chip shot, you want the ball to start rolling immediately after hitting it. The green between the hole and the ball should be flat or slightly sloping, with no significant obstructions. A chip shot resembles a long iron putt in many ways.

chip in golf

What Club is Best to Chip With?

I advise practicing using every option (Six iron to lob wedge), then picking the club that makes you feel most at ease when playing. There is no correct or incorrect solution, but the advice we provide below can help you choose when to employ each. 

When to use a 7, 8, or 9-iron chip 

With these irons, chip shots will fly low and roll out far more than they fly. Use them when there are substantial greens between you and the hole and only a little piece of fringes in front of you.

When to use a PW, SW, or lob wedge when chipping 

Your wedge chip shots will roll along the ground less than they soar higher and carry on the air. Use these clubs when you have little available green or a challenge to conquer. 

If your ball is on rough grass, wedges are an excellent alternative. The greater loft will assist the ball in rising higher in the air, and the shorter shaft will let you produce a steeper swing into the rear of the ball.

What is an Easy Chipping Technique?

Bump and run, performed with a mid-lofted club, such as a 7-iron, is the simplest chipping technique. Rock your back straight as well as through to clip the ball away from the ground using a putting stroke, silent wrists, and solid elbows. 

To execute this stroke well, the ball must be hit off the rear foot with the hands forward and the weight onto the front foot. Although the bump and run isn’t the best option in every circumstance, it is the simplest move to master and immensely helpful when there is a clear route to the hole. 

You may use the same strategy to fly small obstacles like rough next to the greens or the edge of a bunker by playing with greater lofted clubs or even wedges.

What is Degree Wedge Best for Chipping?

A 52-degree wedge with a bounce of about 8–10 degrees is the best, most useful wedge for chipping. With a more open face, you can play higher-flighted chips from the front foot while playing slower runners off the rear foot with such a closed face. But if you’d rather play a straightforward bump and run, a mid/short iron will work better. 

How Can You Get a Chip Shot to Check Up or Spin? 

Keep your weight forward and strike the ball first, then the ground, with the leading edge down, to produce a chip shot to check. Golfers frequently complain about their chip shots rolling too far, but this usually indicates that you hit the stroke fat, failing to gather the ball with the clubface first and leaving the groove to spin on it. 

chip in golf

What Does The “Rule of 12” Mean in Chipping? 

The concept of the “rule of 12” states that each club will have a predictable ratio of flight to roll while chipping. For instance, when chipping, a sand wedge should roll out at a 1:1 ratio equal to the distance it travels. 

A 7-iron has a rollout ratio of 1:5, which means it extends five times further than flies. The club number plus the roll distance added together always equals 12. (yards).

When Chipping, Should You Hit Down? 

It is crucial to chip the ball downward with a slightly downward attack angle. When chipping, it is more probable that you will grab the ball initially, then ground it, using the club’s face and grooves to help add additional spin to the ball if you keep your weight front and your hands in front of the ball. 

Conclusion:

Since you may practice chipping for nothing, exploring and finding a method that suits you is simple. When you discover a solution that works, it will generally take the shape of a hinge-and-hold technique. But pay attention if you want more information on making a chip shot than just general advice. You’ll almost always be hitting it “inside the leather” and bouncing around the green.

Author

  • Brody Hamilton

    Hello, I'm Brody Hamilton. I am a passionate golfer with 7 years of experience. I play golf regularly and have plenty of knowledge to share with you. Learn more about golf by reading articles on our website.

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