Everyone who has ever played a round of golf is aware of the importance of the chip shot. With that in mind, golf chipping instruction is vital to improving that area of your game and subsequently reducing your score.
It is obvious that every shot you ever play in a game of golf will be different. The distance to the green, the lie of the ball, the length of the grass and the speed of the green will always vary. Therefore there is no one chip shot that is better than the next. It will depend on a variety of conditions.
Let’s be more specific about golf chipping instruction, and consider the different chip shots that you can use.
1. The Standard Chip.
The Standard Chip is generally played when you are close to green but not on it. Normally, you would play it with either a wedge or nine iron. The rule of thumb is that a good chip will fly about one third of the way to the hole, and then roll the rest of the way. The standard chip should be played in the center of your stance with your hands well ahead of the ball and the club face square.
2. The Soft Chip Shot.
This shot allows the ball to fly further and land softly close to the hole. The most common club used for a soft chip shot is the lob wedge, but the sand wedge is often used with good effect.
To play a good soft chip shot, you should address the ball with your club face open a little. Play the ball forward and keep your hands behind it during the swing. It is vital that you accelerate the club head for this shot. When performed correctly, the ball will fly high for a short distance and then land softly and roll just a little.
3. The Low Chip Shot.
If there is a lot of green between you and the hole, you should use the low chip shot. This shot is normally made with a mid-iron, such as the six- or seven-iron. The ball should be kept toward the back of your stance to get the descending type of impact required. Again, keep your hands ahead of the club head and the club face square to the target.
The low chip shot is good to use when you can aim directly at the hole and want to have more control over your distance.
The best golf chipping instruction available, is to practice by regularly using the different chip shots and a variety of clubs. Only when you have gained the confidence in which club to use in which situation, will you see your scoring improve.
Practice from the one position and play a number of balls using one technique. When you have gained some confidence in that shot, change clubs and use a different technique. After you have practiced each shot with a variety of clubs, then change positions and repeat the process.
Remember the more practice, the quicker you will master the skill of golf chipping. The result will be lower scores and more enjoyment.
