Watching a professional golfer nestle a chip shot right next to the pin looks effortless, but for most amateurs, that same shot often results in a skulled ball across the green or a chunked shot that goes nowhere. The good news is that you don't need a pro's tour-level talent to master this shot. This guide will break down the exact techniques, setup, and mindset you need to chip with confidence and dramatically lower your scores.
First, let’s be clear about what we’re trying to accomplish. In golf, we often hear "chip" and "pitch" used interchangeably, but they are fundamentally different shots with different goals. A pitch shot flies higher and farther through the air with minimal roll. Think of it as a mini full swing, used from 30-50 yards out.
A chip shot, on the other hand, is a low-flying shot that spends very little time in the air and a lot of time rolling on the green, like a putt. It’s your go-to shot from just off the green when you don't have to fly over any obstacles like a bunker or deep rough. The goal of a great chip is to land the ball on the green as soon as possible and let it run out towards the hole. Understanding this "low trajectory, maximum roll" philosophy is the first step toward chipping like a pro.
More than any other shot in golf, a successful chip is determined before you even start the swing. Most amateur errors - the chunks and thin shots - can be traced back to a poor setup. If you can get this part right, you've won 80% of the battle.
Think of this "chipping setup" as a slightly modified version of your putting stance. Here is the step-by-step checklist to build a consistent, professional-grade setup:
If you set up this way every single time, you are building the foundation for crisp, clean contact.
With a solid setup established, the chipping motion itself becomes incredibly simple. The biggest mistake golfers make here is trying to *help* the ball into the air by flicking their wrists. This scooping action is the mortal enemy of good chipping.
Instead, the feeling you want is a one-piece motion controlled by the larger muscles of your upper body - your shoulders and chest.
Imagine your arms and shoulders form a triangle. The goal during the chip is to maintain that triangle from start to finish. There should be almost no independent wrist hinge. The a "dead-handed" a This is not a power shot, it's a feel shot. Your clubhead should not travel much higher than your knees on the backswing for a standard chip.
The motion itself should feel like a putting stroke. Don't think about using your arms. Instead, feel like you are rocking your shoulders back and through. Rotate your chest away from the target on the backswing, and then rotate your chest toward the target on the follow-through. Your arms and the club are just along for the ride. This body-driven rotation ensures the club returns to the ball on the correct path without any last-second manipulations from your hands.
Another common amateur mistake is decelerating at impact. Nerves can cause a stuttering, stabbing motion that leads to chunks. A pro always accelerates the clubhead *through* the ball to a balanced finish. The length of your backswing should control the distance, but the rhythm should be constant. Make a smooth backswing and then a gentle but positive acceleration through impact, finishing with the clubhead low to the ground and pointing at your target.
Here’s where you can really start thinking and saving strokes like a pro. Most amateurs have one chipping club - usually a sand wedge or lob wedge. Pros, however, treat chipping like putting, using a variety of clubs to achieve different results based on the situation.
The rule is simple: get the ball rolling on the green as quickly as you can. You achieve this by changing the club you use.
A great way to practice this is to take three balls and your 9-iron, sand wedge, and pitching wedge to the chipping green. From the same spot, hit all three balls using the *exact same motion*. Just watch how differently they react. This will teach you to trust the loft of the club to do the work, so you can keep your motion simple and repeatable.
Pros rarely aim for the hole on a chip shot. Instead, they pick a specific landing spot on the green - a spot where they want the ball to make its first bounce. They'll read the break of the green from that landing spot to the hole, just as they would with a putt.
Before you take your stance, walk halfway to the hole and visualize the shot. How will the green slope? Is it uphill or downhill? Pick a spot on the green that you think is the perfect entry point. Now, your goal isn't to chip the ball to the hole, it's to fly the ball exactly to that landing spot with the right club. Let your club selection and the natural contour of the green do the rest. This removes the pressure of "holing" the shot and simplifies your task into something far more manageable.
Becoming an elite chipper comes down to mastering two things: a flawless setup and a simple, repeatable motion. By focusing on getting your weight forward, your hands ahead, and using your shoulders to rock the club, you will eliminate the destructive scooping and stabbing actions that plague most amateurs. From there, it's about making the smart play by selecting the right club for the amount of green you have to work with, not the total distance to the pin.
Sometimes, even with the right technique, figuring out the best play on the course can be a challenge. A tricky lie in the rough or an uphill chip to a fast green can create doubt. To take that guesswork out of the equation in the heat of the moment, we built Caddie AI. You can use our real-time caddie features - including taking a photo of your ball's lie - to get an immediate, personalized recommendation for both club and technique, giving you the clarity and confidence to commit to the shot.
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