by Matthew Adams

Created on: November 04, 2008   Last Updated: October 17, 2009

The golf chip perhaps is the most unheralded shot in golf. Good chips can shave strokes off a round. Some of these tips might help your chip.

To begin with, make sure you have a solid-enough setup before you chip. Hold the club about half-way down, with the standard grip, and then separate your feet by about a foot, possibly a little less. Body weight should be placed about 75% on the left foot and remain there. This will give you a reasonably sound foundation from which to make the chip shot.

When we talk about chipping the ball different distances, club selection comes into play. If you want to chip a short distance, using a sand wedge will give you a chip with a fair bit of loft but little roll - most suitable if you are very close to the green and the flag. Alternatively, the same can be said of using a pitching wedge or a nine iron. Using these clubs are best for shorter distance chips to the green and will roll less.

For longer chips, you just need to move down the clubs available. Eight, seven and six irons will all chip the ball farther, with more roll. The six will go the farthest of those mentioned, but if you are bold, you might even try lower-numbered irons! It must be said, however, that getting loft on the chip becomes more difficult with the less-lofted clubs. As such, do not consider using the lowest irons for chipping.

Likewise, if the course is particularly dry, then you might want to consider moving up a club you might usually use for the same distance to reduce roll on the green. If it is wet, move down an iron to give it more roll on the green, if necessary.

The bump and run is a type of chip shot that you do not chip onto the green but allow it to roll to it. Again, this is best used with shorter irons when you are a little farther from the green.

To chip out of the rough, or longer grass, it is recommended to use a more lofted wedge club. The sand, or pitching, wedge is appropriate or perhaps the 9 iron for a little more distance to the green. Ultimately the loft will be needed to cut through the longer grass.

Aside from club selection, the length of back swing can make a difference in the success of your chip shot, not so much the speed of the back swing, where you must accelerate into the ball regardless, but to get less distance with the same club simply reduce on the standard length of your back swing.

One final tip: Make sure you keep your wrist locked in when chipping. Avoid wrist chip shots, bending your wrists when chipping.

Take these tips out onto the golf course to chip better. They will give you greater flexibility when chipping and more appropriate ball flight and roll.

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