How to Make Short Chips in Golf

Flubbing a simple chip shot around the green is one of the most frustrating experiences in golf. You've hit a great drive, a solid approach, and now you’re just a few yards from the putting surface, staring down a straightforward shot that should lead to an easy par. But then, a clumsy chunk or a terrifying skulled shot sends the ball screaming across the green. This article is here to end that cycle. We will break down a simple, repeatable technique for hitting crisp, predictable chip shots that will save you strokes and boost your confidence.

What Exactly is a Chip Shot?

Before we learn the technique, we need to be clear about what we're trying to accomplish. In the short game, golfers often confuse two fundamental shots: the chip and the pitch. Understanding the difference is the first step toward choosing the right shot and executing it properly.

A chip shot is a low-flying, low-spin shot that gets on the green quickly and rolls out towards the hole like a putt. Think of it as approximately 25% airtime and 75% ground time. You use it when you have a good lie and plenty of green to work with between your ball and the pin.

A pitch shot, by contrast, is a high-flying shot with more spin that lands softly and stops quickly. It’s what you need when you have to carry an obstacle like a bunker or when you don't have much green to work with. It involves more specialized technique with more wrist action, something we'll cover another time.

For now, our focus is entirely on the chip - the foundational shot that will serve you well in 80% of situations around the green.

Choose Your Weapon: Why You Should Chip with Different Clubs

One of the biggest breakthroughs for any golfer is realizing that you don't have to chip with only your wedge. In fact, thinking of your pitching wedge, 9-iron, 8-iron, and even your 7-iron as chipping clubs will completely change your short game. The principle is simple: use different clubs to produce the same short-flight, long-roll shot, but with varying amounts of roll.

Imagine you're trying to toss a ball underhand to a specific spot. You wouldn't throw it all the way to the hole, you’d toss it a short distance and let it roll out. Chipping follows the same logic. Your goal with every chip, regardless of the club, is to land the ball on a specific spot just a few feet onto the green. The club you choose will determine how far it rolls after it lands.

A Simple System for Club Selection

Here’s a practical way to think about it. For every chip shot, go through this mental checklist:

• Pick your landing spot: Find a spot on the green, maybe 3-5 feet on, where you want the ball to land. The surface there will be consistent and predictable.
• Assess the roll: Look at the distance from your landing spot to the hole. Is it a long roll, a medium roll, or a short roll?
• Select your club:
  • For a long roll (e.g., the pin is at the back of the green), a 7-iron or 8-iron is a fantastic choice. The lower loft will get the ball rolling quickly.
  • For a medium roll, your 9-iron is perfect. It offers a nice balance of flight and roll.
  • For a short roll (e.g., the pin is cut close), your pitching wedge is the go-to. The extra loft will fly the ball slightly higher and land it softer with less rollout.

By using the same basic chipping motion (which we’re about to cover) and simply changing the club, you make the shot incredibly simple. You take the guesswork out of how hard to swing. Just land it on your spot, and let the loft of the club do the work.

The Simple, Repeatable Chipping Setup

Consistency in chipping comes from a consistent setup. The goal is to create a setup that promotes a "down-and-through" strike on the ball, eliminating the fat and thin shots that kill your scores. Stand a little closer to the ball than you would for a full shot and adopt this position. We aren't hitting the ball very far, so we don't need a wide athletic base.

Step 1: The Grip

Grip down on the club, placing your hands an inch or two lower on the grip than you would for a full shot. This effectively shortens the club, giving you much more control and feel. Your grip pressure should be light, maybe a 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 to 10. Think "firm, but not tense."

Step 2: The Stance

Your stance should be narrow, with your feet only about six inches apart. A narrow stance prevents you from swaying your body, which is a common fault in the short game. Your feet, hips, and shoulders should be slightly "open" to the target line, meaning they are aimed a little to the left of your target (for a right-handed golfer). This preset opening of the body makes it easier to rotate through the shot without stopping.

Step 3: Ball Position

Place the ball back in your stance, in line with your trail foot’s instep or big toe. Playing the ball back is essential because it guarantees you'll strike the ball with a slightly descending angle, compressing it cleanly off the turf. This is the single biggest key to avoiding those dreaded "chili-dips" or thin shots.

Step 4: Weight and Hands

Set about 60-70% of your weight on your front (lead) foot. This weight Basto should remain here throughout the entire motion. Your hands should be pressed slightly forward, so the shaft of the club is leaning toward the target. Your hands should be ahead of the clubhead. This forward lean de-lofts the clubface, promoting that low, running trajectory we’re looking for.

The Chipping Motion: A Putting Stroke with Loft

This is where it all comes together. The most common mistake amateur golfers make is trying to "help" the ball into the air by scooping at it with their wrists. The club has loft built in, it will get the ball airborne. Your job is to deliver that loft consistently.

The best way to think about the chipping motion is that it’s simply a putting stroke with a bigger club. It's a simple, one-lever pendulum motion powered by your chest and shoulders, not your hands and wrists.

Performing the Stroke

• Keep the Triangle: Form a small triangle with your arms and shoulders at setup. Your goal is to maintain this triangle throughout the stroke. Simply rock your shoulders back and forth, like a pendulum.
• No Wrists Allowed: The wrists should remain passive and quiet. Do not deliberately hinge them on the backswing or try to flick them at the ball on the downswing. The motion should feel very simple and connected. Your arms and the club move together as one unit.
• Rotate Through: Allow your chest to rotate slightly towards the target as you swing through. Your weight stays forward on your lead foot. Finish with the clubhead low to the ground and pointing at your target line. It’s a short, compact motion - the clubhead shouldn’t go much past your back knee on the way back or your front knee on the way through.

This "shoulders rocking" motion is fundamentally more stable and repeatable than a wristy one. It simplifies the movement, reduces the variables, and makes consistent contact infinitely easier.

Two Can't-Miss Drills To Build Confidence

Knowing the technique is one thing, but ingraining the feel is what will make it work on the course. Here are two simple drills you can do to master this chipping method.

1. The Landing Zone Drill

Place a towel or a headcover about 3-5 feet onto the green. Take your 7-iron, 9-iron, and pitching wedge. Using the technique described above, practice hitting shots so they land on the towel. Don’t worry about where the ball finishes, just focus on your landing spot. This drill brilliantly teaches you feel and trajectory control. You’ll quickly learn how each club rolls out differently after landing in the same spot, building an intuitive understanding of club selection.

2. The Right-Hand-Only Drill

For right-handed golfers, take your normal setup, then remove your left hand and grip the club with only your right hand. Make small chipping motions. The purpose of this drill is to prevent your dominant trail hand from getting too active and "scooping." To hit a solid shot with just one hand, you are forced to use your body's rotation (rocking your shoulders) to move the club. It programs the feeling of the club and body moving together as a single unit.

Final Thoughts

Developing a reliable short chip isn't about secret moves or complex techniques. It’s about building a simple, repeatable system: choose the right club for the roll, adopt a consistent setup that promotes a clean strike, and use a simple putting-style motion powered by your shoulders.

Of course, building this new skill on the range is one thing, but trusting it on the course when you're faced with a tricky lie or an intimidating pin position is a different challenge altogether. To help bridge that gap, we created Caddie AI. It's like having an expert coach in your pocket, ready to give you on-demand advice. If you're stuck between a 9-iron and a PW for a chip, you can ask for a recommendation. If you find your ball in a patch of rough next to the green, you can even snap a photo of the lie, and it will analyze the situation and suggest the smartest way to play the shot, removing doubt and allowing you to commit to your swing with confidence.