Staring down a 70-foot putt that has to climb one tier and then roll down another, you might wonder if there's a better option than using your flatstick. The question - Can I just chip this? - often comes up in these tricky situations. This article will give you the definitive answer, explain the official rule, and walk you through exactly when this shot is a smart play and how to pull it off without damaging the green or your scorecard.
Yes, you absolutely can chip on the putting green. There is no rule in golf that prevents you from using any club in your bag from anywhere on the course, including the green. It feels like it should be illegal, which is why so many golfers are hesitant, but it's 100% within the rules.
The confusion often stems from etiquette and the general principle of protecting the putting surface. While you can chip, the main concern is should you chip? The Rules of Golf don’t prohibit it, but greenskeepers everywhere hold their breath when a golfer stands over a ball on the green with a wedge in hand.
According to the USGA and R&A, under Rule 13.1c, there are no special restrictions on the type of stroke you are allowed to make on the putting green. You can putt, chip, or even blast a shot out of a sandy patch where the grass has worn away. The only actions you cannot take are those that deliberately test or scrape the surface of the green.
Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's always the best choice. This shot is a specialized tool for specific circumstances. It's a high-risk, high-reward shot that can save you strokes if you know when to use it. Here are a few situations where popping a small chip shot might be better than lagging a putt.
This is the most common and logical time to consider a chip. Imagine you're on a multi-tiered green, and your ball is on the lower level while the pin is on the upper level, guarded by a steep slope. Trying to putt up that severe incline is incredibly difficult. It requires perfect speed just to get the ball to the top, and if you miss, it could roll right back to your feet - or even farther away.
Similarly, putting down a steep tier can feel like sending your ball on a waterslide with no brakes. A delicate chip shot that lands softly on the correct tier can be a much simpler way to control the distance and get the ball to settle near the hole. Think of it as an aerial approach to bypass the intimidating terrain.
Sometimes the most direct path to the hole isn't the best one. Your putting line could be blocked by something that would make a putting stroke almost impossible. This might include:
In these cases, putting through the B-grade surface is a gamble. Flying the ball over the trouble with a soft chip shot removes the randomness of a bad bounce and gives you more control over the outcome.
Picture this: you’re on the back edge of a massive green, but the pin is on the front. Between you and the hole is a huge swath of fringe or even a bunker that cuts into the putting surface. While technically your ball is 'on the green,' you have to putt across a different type of grass to get to the hole. Judging the speed change from the green to the fringe and back to the green is an exceptionally advanced feel-shot. It might be far easier to fly the ball over the interruption and have it land on the putting surface near the cup.
For every great reason to chip on the green, there are several more reasons not to. This is a shot to be used sparingly, not as a replacement for developing a great lag putting stroke. Here are the clear "no-go" scenarios.
The number one reason not to chip is to protect the playing surface for everyone. A perfect chip off the green takes no divot. An imperfect one, however, can gouge a chunk out of the pristine surface, leaving an ugly scar that can take weeks to heal. If you don't feel 100% confident that you can pick the ball cleanly, do your course and fellow golfers a favor and use the putter. Respect for the course always comes first.
Most of the time, putting is the highest-percentage shot. Even from a long distance or over gentle slopes, the ball rolling on the ground is less susceptible to mis-hits than a ball flying through the air. Chipping introduces more variables: blading the shot across the green, catching it heavy and moving it a few feet, or misjudging the landing spot entirely. If you have a clear putting line, even if it's long, you should almost always stick with the putter. It's the more conservative and reliable play.
If the greens are soft from recent rain or overwatering, the risk of taking a divot increases exponentially. The leading edge of your wedge is more likely to dig into the soft turf, resulting in a fat shot and a damaged green. On wet surfaces, a putter will perform much more predictably. Save the chip shot for firm and fast conditions where the club is more likely to glide over the turf than dig into it.
If you’ve assessed the situation and decided the chip is the right play, you need to execute it correctly to get the benefit without causing any damage. It’s all about a crisp, precise strike.
You want to use your highest lofted wedge, typically a sand wedge (54-56 degrees) or a lob wedge (58-60 degrees). The goal is to create maximum loft with minimum effort, allowing the ball to fly a short distance and land with very little roll. You're not looking for run-out, you're looking for a soft landing.
Your setup should encourage a "ball-first" strike. This means positioning yourself to hit down on the ball without digging.
Forget about a big, flowing chipping motion. This is a very compact, wrist-driven action. It should feel less like a swing and more like a pop.
The backswing should be short and initiated primarily with a hinge of the wrists. Think about picking the club up abruptly. From here, the downswing is just a simple acceleration through the ball, using that downward pressure to "nip" the ball off the tight lie. The club should just graze the grass, an ideal shot won't leave any mark at all. There should be very little, if any, follow-through. Accelerate to the ball, and then stop. This keeps the swing compact and prevents the club from digging into the ground after impact.
Before ever trying this on the course, go to the practice area. Place a coin or a tee flat on the practice green or even the tee box. Your goal is to swing and pop the coin or tee into the air without taking a divot. This drill will teach you the precise, downward strike needed to hit this shot cleanly.
It's worth repeating: this shot comes with baggage. The number one risk is causing damage. Skulling it across the surface with the leading edge may annoy your playing partners, but taking a beaver-pelt sized divot will infuriate the greenkeeping staff. It’s a mark of disrespect for the course and should be avoided at all costs.
The other major risk is performance. It’s a delicate, high-skill shot. It’s much easier to mess up than a standard lag putt. A miss-hit could result in either hitting a weak chip that doesn't reach its target or, even worse, skulling across the green into a bunker, leaving you worse off than before. Be honest with yourself about your short-game abilities before you pull the wedge.
Chipping on the green is perfectly legal, but it’s a tool that should be used selectively for extreme situations where putting isn’t a viable option. When done correctly, it’s a brilliant-looking shot that can save you strokes, but it requires a confident, precise execution to pull off without causing damage.
Playing smarter golf is often about knowing all the options available to you, even the unconventional ones. That's why we created Caddie AI. When you’re facing a tricky situation - like a long, multi-tiered putt - and feel stuck, you can get instant, strategic advice. Just describe the shot or even snap a photo of your ball's lie, and it will help you think through the pros and cons of chipping versus putting, giving you a smart recommendation so you can commit to your decision with confidence knowing you’re making the right play for that exact moment.
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