Learning how to score well in golf usually means you are paying attention to your short game and making improvements in that area. Bunker play, wedge play and putting are the areas of the short game that most players work on. However, chipping the ball well can take several strokes off your game. With the advent of the gap and lob wedge, chipping is somewhat of a lost art. However, when you chip well you can get the ball within a few feet of the hole on a consistent basis.
Step 1
Play the ball midway in your stance when you are chipping. If you play it to close to your front foot, the likelihood is the ball will fly off the ground and may go off course or past the hole. If you play it too far back in your stance, you may not catch it cleanly.
Step 2
Take two practice swings before you chip. The chip is an inventive shot and it's a swing you may not be all that familiar with since you are inventing it as you proceed. Two practice swings should give you the "feel" you need to hit this shot precisely.
Step 3
Swing down at the ball with your 9-iron when you are chipping. You can also use your 7- or 8-iron when chipping, but the 9-iron is the club of choice for most golfers when chipping. Take the club back anywhere from midcalf to hip level and angle your wrists so you can swing down on the ball to keep it low and running forward as it approaches the hole.
Step 4
Maintain your swing speed as you chip the ball. When facing a delicate chip, do not make the mistake of slowing down your swing or "decelerating" as you prepare to finish your downswing. This will lead to a mishit, quite possibly the dreaded shank. When facing a short shot, limit your backswing but do not slow down when swinging the club.
Step 5
Follow through after you hit your shot and make sure the club head is facing the target. Many golfers stop their swing after contact and that will usually send the ball veering off course. Make sure you bring the club the same distance forward as you brought it back for an effective chip.
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