How to Improve a Chip Shot in Golf

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.

What Exactly is a Chip Shot (and When Do You Hit One)?

Before we sharpen your technique, let's get crystal clear on what a chip shot a 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.

• A pitch shot is all about airtime. You use a lofted club to fly the ball high over an obstacle (like a bunker or rough) and have it land softly with very little roll.
• A chip shot is the opposite. It’s a low-trajectory shot that gets the ball on the green as soon as possible, letting it roll out to the hole like a putt. Think of it as "minimum air, maximum roll."

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.

The Setup: Laying the Foundation for a Perfect Chip

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.

Stance and Ball Position: Narrow and Back

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.

Weight and Hand Position: Lean and Lead

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.

Grip: A Lighter, Lower Hold

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.

Picking the Right Tool: Your Family of Chipping Clubs

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.

• Pitching Wedge (PW): This is your go-to, your default chipping club. It gives you a nice, balanced ratio of carry-to-roll and is perfect for a wide variety of situations. If you're not sure what to hit, start with the PW.
• 9-iron or 8-iron: When you have a lot of green between you and the hole, grab a less-lofted club. An 8-iron or 9-iron will fly lower and roll out much more. The motion feels almost identical to putting, making it an incredibly reliable shot. Just aim to land the ball a few feet onto the green and watch it trundle toward the cup.
• Sand Wedge (SW): This club is for situations where you have very little green to work with, like a pin tucked just behind a bunker. The higher loft means the ball will pop up higher, land softer, and stop more quickly with minimal roll. Because it requires a slightly larger swing for the same distance, reserve it for when you absolutely need that extra height.

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 Motion: Like a 'Putting Stroke with Loft'

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.

Keep Your Wrists Quiet

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.

Use Your Body as the Engine

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.

Control Distance with Swing Length

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.

• For a short chip, your backswing might only go as far as your back foot.
• For a medium-length chip, perhaps to your back knee.
• For the longest chips, the club might reach your hip.

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.

Final Thoughts

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.

Building a solid technique is absolutely essential, but making the right call on the course is just as important. Knowing when to use an 8-iron versus a sand wedge, or how to handle an awkward lie in the rough behind the green, can be the difference between a tap-in and a double-bogey. This is precisely what we designed our app, Caddie AI, to help with. When you're facing a tricky shot, you can even snap a photo of the lie, and we’ll give you instant, expert advice on the best way to play it. We believe having that objective second opinion in your pocket empowers you to play smarter and with more confidence on every single shot.