Golf Instruction Tips for Chipping
Requiring the utmost authority in golf is a shot that is also one of the shortest in golf. Golf instruction chipping without authority can be thin, fat or even shanked shots. You name what can go wrong and it will. Hit your chip shots with authority, your chances of tapping in the next one will greatly improve.
What leads to reduced authority? a lack of strength, indecision, fear, all these things can contribute to poor chipping. Think about your golfclub like a horse.(i know but stay with me here) confidence plays a big part, it has a knack of ‘knowing’ what’s going on and plays up. When you show it who’s boss, who’s in charge, the results are far more satisfactory.
To ensure authority, the best way is by repetition. Bring authority back to your short game, take on these two strength drills now.
Drill 1; Hold the club horizontally in front of your body and cock the wrists. It’s a simple exercise but, like Drill 2, repeat for 10 repetitions, build up gradually and get some strength and flexibility into those wrists.
Drill 2; Hold your arms outstretched with a weight (a couple of golf clubs or 440gm cans are fine if you don’t have hand weights) and lift up and down with your wrists.
How strong is your Wrist
To hit a golfshot with any authority it’s hard to do so if the golfclub feels heavy in your hand. The chip is a firm wristed action, so the wrist must secure the golfclub to make sure you’re in control of your swing. It does’nt hurt any golfer to spend some time on these drills, especially beginners who may have weak wrists which can be a problem.
Always be decisive
You will find any number of articles covering club selection and what type of chip shot for particular situations. What’s your decision, try to erase any doubt whatsoever, convince yourself that it’s the correct choice.
Practice repeating the same golf shot over and over again on the practice green.
Here’s a good drill to use at home in your spare time, practice chipping golfballs into a basket set up in your backyard. If you can regularly hit the target, you’re decisive and have strong wrists, then you’re well on the way to hitting plenty of chip shots close.
Learn the proper chipping set-up; weight on lead side, ball slightly back of centre in your stance, eyes and hands closer to the target than the ball is at address.
Use your dominant hand during the backswing, hinge the golfclub slightly.
Then, in the follow through, hold this position post impact. That is, don’t let your clubhead pass under the lead hand before impact. The ideal position at impact is the back of that hand should be nearer to the target than the ball is. Releasing the golfclub some after impact.
Tensing up is no good. Scooping a chip shot into the air, getting to wristy is an amateures number 1 difficulty.
Golf Instruction Chipping Tip- Bet on the percentages
When you increase the loft on a greenside chip, it might look fancy but beware, there is a higher risk of error. Extra loft decreases the margin for error at impact and decreases the size of the landing zone on the green.
The pros have perfected the second-bounce check-up, it is one of the hardest shots to play in golf, so at this stage leave it to them.
I encourage any amateur golfer to go for maximum roll and minimum air time, remembering to land the ball on the green.. This means using less-lofted clubs and relying on a simple formula when faced with a chip around the green. Of course, primary to this for any golf shot is some on course management. As is a brush up on the finer points of golf instruction for a balanced posture
Golf Instruction Chipping – The Method
When you are about to chip, focus on your landing spot as the target, not the flag. Depending on the loft of the club you’re using and the condition of the green, this will vary. Use the following ratios, start with a five iron and increase the loft depending on the amount of the green available.
- 5 IRON
20 percent flight, 80 percent bounce and roll. ?
- 8 IRON
33 percent flight, 67 percent bounce and roll
- WEDGE
50 percent bounce and 50 percent roll.
First practice chipping with an 8 iron then once you’ve mastered that learn to use your wedges.
Here is a great golf instruction chipping tip I learned a while ago, try this. Use a golfball, take a normal stance for a chip shot, and throw the ball ‘under arm’(softball throw) at the target to get a feel for how hard to swing your club.
Imagine how much strength is needed to fly the golfball onto the green and roll it up to the flag, by throwing the ball about two thirds of the way back to the hole. This is a great technique to get a feel for the shot.
I hope these few golf instruction tips will help you to improve your short game and reduce the number of shots in your round the next time you go out on the course.














