Shaving strokes off your handicap doesn't happen with booming drives, it happens around the greens. Turning three shots into two consistently is the fastest way to lower your scores, and it all starts with a reliable chip shot. This guide breaks down the essential chipping technique - from the setup to the swing - into simple, repeatable steps. We'll give you a clear framework to build confidence in your short game and finally stop dreading those little shots just off the putting surface.
Before we sharpen your technique, let's get crystal clear on what a chip shot is. In golf, we have two main choices for short shots around the green: the chip and the pitch. They are not the same thing.
You should opt for a chip whenever you have a clean lie and there are no major obstacles between you and the putting surface. If you have plenty of green to work with, your default thought should always be: "How can I get this ball rolling on the ground?" Chipping is a much higher percentage shot than pitching because its smaller, simpler motion leaves less room for error.
More than 80% of chipping success is decided before you even swing. A proper, consistent setup practically guarantees solid contact. It might feel a bit strange at first, especially compared to your full swing stance, but trust the process. This specific setup is designed to simplify the movement and eliminate common mistakes before they start.
Forget the wide, athletic stance of a driver swing. For a chip shot, you want your feet much closer together, only separated by a few inches–about the width of a clubhead is a good reference. This narrow stance restricts your body from swaying and helps you turn your torso more effectively, which is where the motion comes from.
Your ball position should be in the middle of your stance, or even slightly back towards your trail foot (your right foot for a right-handed golfer). Playing the ball back does two important things: It promotes a downward angle of attack, ensuring you strike the ball first, and it helps de-loft the clubface slightly for that low, running trajectory we’re looking for.
This is a big one. Before you swing, lean so that about 60-70% of your weight is pre-set on your front foot (your left foot for a righty). Your body should feel a little tilted toward the target. Crucially, this weight must stay there throughout the entire shot. Do not shift your weight back during the swing.
At the same time, let your hands hang so they are slightly ahead of the golf ball, creating what’s known as a "forward press." You'll notice this causes the shaft of the club to lean toward the target. This combination–weight forward and hands ahead–is the recipe for that crisp, ball-then-turf contact that all great chippers have. It eliminates the desire to "scoop" or "lift" the ball, which leads to fat (chunked) and thin (bladed) shots.
A chip shot is a finesse shot, not a power shot. Grip down on the handle about an inch or two. This shortens the club, effectively making it easier to control - just like choking up on a baseball bat makes it easier to make contact. Your grip pressure should also be light, similar to how you’d hold a putter. A tight grip creates tension and encourages too much wrist action, which is a primary cause of poor chip shots.
Many amateur golfers overuse their most lofted wedge (like a Sand Wedge or Lob Wedge) for every shot around the green. While that club has its place, relying on it exclusively makes chipping much harder. You are forced to make a bigger swing to get the distance, which introduces more variables and more chances for something to go wrong.
Instead, think of using a "family of clubs." The idea is to use the same small, repeatable chipping motion for every shot and let the loft of the club you choose determine how far the ball carries and rolls. This is a game-changer.
By learning how each club responds with the same basic swing, you take the guesswork out of chipping. You'll simply pick your landing spot a few feet onto the green and then select the club that will roll the correct distance to the hole.
The chipping motion itself should be incredibly simple. We've taken care of the complexity in the setup. Your goal now is to execute a small, body-driven swing that feels very similar to your putting stroke.
The most damaging impulse in chipping is the desire to flick your wrists at the ball to "help it up." You must resist this. Good chipping relies on keeping the triangle formed by your arms and shoulders intact throughout the motion. Swing the club with the rocking of your shoulders and the turning of your chest, not by breaking your wrists. Imagine a string connecting your chest to your hands, as your chest turns back and through, it pulls the club with it.
While the wrists stay passive, the motion is powered by the body. From your excellent setup position (weight forward, hands ahead), simply turn your torso back and then turn it through toward the target. It’s a one-piece movement. The club, hands, arms, and shoulders all move away from the ball together, and they all move through the ball together. It’s this body rotation that brushes the ball off the turf perfectly.
Distance control comes from one thing: the length of your backswing. Maintain a smooth tempo and just vary how far back you take the club.
The key is to always gently accelerate through the ball. Make sure your follow-through is at least as long, if not slightly longer, than your backswing. Quitting on the shot or slowing down at impact almost always leads to a poor result.
Improving your chipping boils down to trusting a simple, repeatable formula. It starts with a precise setup: a narrow stance, weight forward, hands slightly ahead, and the ball back. From there, it's about making a quiet, 'putting-style' stroke, driven by your chest and shoulders, and choosing the right club to control the rollout. Practice this fundamental technique, and you'll transform a part of the game that once inspired fear into one of your greatest strengths.
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