Simple Chipping Tips for Around The Greens
Do you struggle with chipping around the greens sometimes? Are you the guy or girl that needs to hit a nice little 10 yard bump and run but end up hitting it thin all the way across the green? Look no further, these chipping tips will get you right back on track to lower your shot count around the green.
How can I improve my chipping around the green?
Most time I see amateurs chipping with a sand wedge or 60 degree wedge around the greens. In most cases you really don’t need that much loft to move the ball a shorter distance. Unless, we need to stop the ball or don’t have any green to work with.
I like to see players using more pitching wedges around the greens and being able to imagine the ball rolling towards the hole. This allows the player to make more of a putting stroke with wedge around the green. Again, less room for error equals lower scores. There’s nothing more deflating when a player is chipping off the green and blades or thins the ball all the way over the green and adds 2-3 strokes to his or her score for no reason. Simple chipping tips like this should help a player lower their strokes around the green.
What club is best for chipping around the green?
This really all depends on what type of shot your attempting to hit and how firm/fast the greens are. If the greens are firm and fast you’re going to need some loft on the golf ball so a higher degree wedge would be most suitable. That way the golf ball lands soft on the green and doesn’t take off when it lands.
If you’re playing slower greens with maybe longer grass on the green because the course doesn’t cut it every day then you can be a bit more aggressive. You can hit pitching wedges around the green and try and roll the golf ball in the hole like a put. To do this you want to pretend you are putting with your pitching wedge, move the ball in middle or even slightly back in the stance, find the proper landing spot and only focus on that spot. That spot on the green is where you want the golf ball to land with the right amount of speed to ultimately roll just past the hole.
How do you chip in rough near Green?
Chipping from the rough around the green can be challenging, as the longer grass can grab the clubhead and cause the ball to come out with less spin and distance. However, there are some techniques you can use to chip effectively from the rough:
Assess the lie: Before hitting your chip shot, assess the lie of the ball. Is it sitting in thick or thin rough? Is the grass lying down or standing up? Adjust your technique and club selection accordingly.
Use a more lofted club: Generally, you’ll want to use a more lofted club than you would for a chip shot from the fairway. A pitching wedge, sand wedge, or even a lob wedge can be effective for chipping from the rough.
Open the clubface: To help the clubhead glide through the longer grass, open the clubface slightly at address. This will increase the effective loft of the club and help the ball get up in the air.
Keep your weight forward: To make solid contact with the ball, keep your weight on your front foot throughout the chip shot. This will help you hit down on the ball and avoid getting caught in the rough.
Make a descending blow: Focus on hitting down on the ball with a descending blow. This will help you get the ball up in the air and reduce the amount of grass between the clubface and the ball.
Practice your technique: Chipping from the rough requires a slightly different technique than chipping from the fairway, so it’s important to practice this skill. Spend time on the practice green hitting different types of chip shots from different lies in the rough. With practice, you’ll develop a feel for the technique and be able to execute it on the course.
Learn more about wedge degrees and the benefits of each different type of wedge in your golf bag.
Whenever you’re in the rough around the green you need to make sure you’re really accelerating through the ball so that the thick grass doesn’t grab the club face and cause you to chunk the shot or not deliver enough distance for the shot. Here are a few pointers to help you get out of the rough next time you’re on the course.
How do you hit a chip shot off a tight lie?
To practice hitting a chip shot off a tight lie you want to use a club with less loft.
Play the ball in the middle of your stance and rotate the club face open just a little.
When you finish the shot you want to feel like the butt end of the grip is pointing at you at the end of the swing.
Should I Chip with a Pitching Wedge Around the Green?
If your are only 5-10 feet off the green and have some green to work with..then yes. I like to imagine the ball slowly approaching the cup and stopping within a two foot circle around the hole. That is a successful chip shot. Most time I see amateurs chipping with a sand wedge or 60 degree wedge around the greens. In most cases you really don’t need that much loft to move the ball a shorter distance. Unless, again, we need to stop the ball or don’t have any green to work with. In this case you would want to hit a higher shot and have the ball stop quicker, especially if the greens are fast or slope is running away from you.
Should I Stand Closer To The Ball When Chipping?
Another common mistake I see in some of my students is that they stand way too far away from the ball at address for a chip shot. Standing a little bit closer to the ball gives you more control over the ball. This allows for you to have a more “toe down” approach to impact. If the toe of the club touches the ground first you can never chunk your shot. This also helps you be able to make more of a putting stroke allowing the ball to come out low and rolling towards it target.
When standing closer to the ball to we are able to hit a bump and run shot. Bump and run shots are good to move the ball on the green when you’re facing with difficult distances or slope.
Open Your Left Side to The Target
Always remember that the ball is only going in the direction of the club face not your body! Your body’s position on the shorter shots doesn’t matter as much, the only thing that matters is whether you’re getting the center on club on the ball. I prefer to have my body slightly open to the target on my pitch shots and short chip shots.
This allows space for your arms to freely move towards the target.
Opposed to have a slightly closed stance or even square stance and having to force your hand path left.
Why force it? Just open your body and the hands will travel left around the torso, just how you want it.