by Jim Brady

Created on: August 05, 2009   Last Updated: August 10, 2009

During the 2005 Masters, Tiger Woods found himself in the light rough bordering Augusta National's 16th green, his ball nestled against the heavy rough, a spot from which many golfers begin their journey to a bogey or worse. He addressed the situation by adding to his legend and holing the next shot, unlike practically everyone else on the planet, but he did it the same way any intelligent Sunday golfer would. He chipped.

The chip is an essential shot in the golfer's short game, designed to handle that nettlesome distance that's too short to drive and too long to putt. Often, the difficulty of the shot is compounded by the hazards nearby or the pitch of the green, so technique is important.

If your chip shot needs to clear sand or water, you'll need a little lift and you'll need the ball to stay aloft as short a time as possible, and roll smoothly as soon as it hits the ground. Select a club that will give you the loft you need, a 7-iron or higher, and aim for your target on the green. Flex your knees. Play your ball back, that is, stand with it positioned nearer your back foot. Shift your weight to the opposite of your playing side (to the left, if you're right-handed) and strike the ball with a downward blow.

Remember that the longer the backswing, the further the ball will travel, and if you need loft, the ball should be addressed with an open clubface, getting under the ball. For shorter distances that don't require height, use a low-loft club, a 4-iron to a 7-iron, and grip the club at the steel shaft. Use a putting stroke and attack the ball, cocking your wrist during the backswing, but not flipping your wrist in the follow-through.

A lot of golfers agonize over the length of the backswing, but there are some simple guidelines to follow. In addition to gauging your distance to the cup well, and thus having a feel for the swiftness of stroke you'll need, you can imagine you're going to roll the ball underhand toward the pin. The distance of backswing your arm would have during that action is approximately what you'll need when you use your club.

So whether you call it a bump and run or a flop, make sure you step on the course ready to demonstrate your chipping skills, because they will be called upon sometime during your next round.

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