How to Short Chip in Golf

A bad chip can turn a simple par into a frustrating double bogey in a blink. Instead of feeling that wave of anxiety over those little shots around the green, this guide will give you a straightforward, repeatable method to chip it close with confidence. We’ll walk through the proper setup, the simple swinging motion, and the secrets to controlling your distances so you can finally start saving strokes and enjoying your short game.

What Exactly Is a Short Chip Shot?

Let's clear this up first. A short chip shot is a low-flying shot that spends minimal time in the air and maximal time rolling on the ground like a putt. Think "less air, more roll." It’s your go-to shot when you’re just off the green, there’s no big obstacle between you and the hole, and you have a decent amount of green to work with.

It's different from a pitch shot, which flies higher in the air, lands more softly, and has less roll. You use a pitch when you have to carry a bunker or rough and stop the ball quickly. The chip is a lower-risk shot designed for simplicity and consistency.

The Two Nightmares: Why Most Chips Go Wrong

Most amateur golfers struggle with two major chipping faults: the "chunk" and the "thin."

• The "Chunk" (or a "fat" shot): This is when your club digs into the ground behind the ball, grabbing a large divot and sending the ball just a few feet forward.
• The "Thin" (or a "skull"): This happens when the leading edge of the club hits the equator of the ball, sending a screaming line drive across the green, often leading to an even tougher chip back.

Almost all of these misses come from one single incorrect idea: the belief that you have to help or lift the ball into the air. I see it all the time with new students. They try to scoop the ball with their wrists, tilting their body back to get "under" it. Your golf clubs are designed with loft precisely for this reason - to get the ball airborne. Your only job is to return the clubhead to the ball with a consistent, downward brushing motion. Trust the club. It will do the work for you.

The Undeniable Foundation: Your Chipping Setup

If you take one thing from this article, let it be this: a great chip starts before you even move the club. A proper setup puts you in a position where a good result is almost inevitable. It’s the single most important part of chipping. Let’s build it from the ground up.

1. Club Selection: Thinking Like a Strategist

Don't automatically grab your sand wedge. The goal of the chip is to get the ball rolling on the green as soon as possible. Different clubs will produce different amounts of carry and roll. Here’s a simple guideline:

• Pitching Wedge/Gap Wedge: Produces a higher flight with less roll. Use these when you need to carry the ball a little further onto the green or have less green to work with.
• 9-iron or 8-iron: Flies lower, gets on the ground quicker, and rolls out more. These are fantastic options for longer chips where you have a lot of smooth green between your ball and the hole.
• 7-iron: For the longest chips, sometimes even from the fairway cut. It has very little flight and rolls like a putt once it hits the green.

Pro Tip: Pick a landing spot on the green that you want your ball to fly to. For longer chips with more green to work with, choose a club that lets you land the ball just a few feet onto the putting surface, then let it roll out the rest of the way.

2. The Stance: Athletic and Stacked

Your full swing stance is built for power and rotation. Your chipping stance is built for precision and stability.

• Feet Together: Start with your feet much closer than your normal stance - maybe just a clubhead width apart. This simplifies the movement and discourages your lower body from swaying.
• Weight Forward: You need about 60-70% of your weight leaning onto your front foot (your left foot for a right-handed golfer). Critically, this weight should stay on your front foot throughout the entire swing. Do not shift your weight back and forth.
• Open Your Stance Slightly: Pull your front foot back just a couple of inches so your feet are aimed slightly left of your target. This clears your hips and allows your arms to swing through freely toward your target without a big, forced body rotation.

3. Ball and Hand Position: The Key to a Crisp Strike

This is where we eliminate the chunk and the skull for good.

• Ball Position: Place the ball in the middle or slightly back of center in your narrow stance. Placing it back encourages you to strike the ball with a slightly descending blow, ensuring you hit the ball first, then the grass.
• Hands Forward: With the ball positioned back, press your hands slightly forward towards the target. You should see the shaft of the club leaning toward the target. Your hands should be ahead of the clubhead. This position, often called "forward press" or "shaft lean," is one of the most important elements of a consistent chip.

Get into this setup. Now feel it. Your weight is forward, your hands are forward, and the ball is back. From here, it becomes incredibly difficult to try and "scoop" the ball. Your body and hands are already preset for success.

The Chipping Motion: A Simple, Pendulum Swing

Now that the setup is locked in, the motion itself becomes wonderfully simple. Think of your chipping stroke more like your putting stroke than your full swing. Forget about power, focus on rhythm and flow.

The "Triangle" and the Putting Stroke Mentality

Look down at your arms and shoulders. They form a natural triangle. The goal during the chip is to maintain this triangle. The entire swinging motion should be driven by the gentle rocking of your shoulders, just like a putting stroke. There should be almost no independent action from your wrists or hands. They stay quiet and passive.

As you swing back, the "triangle" moves together as one piece. As you swing through, it moves through together as one piece. You're simply turning your chest away from the target, and then turning it back toward the target. This provides a stable, repeatable, and low-maintenance stroke.

The feeling you’re looking for is a brushing motion. You aren’t trying to dig a crater, you’re simply clipping the grass after you strike the ball. The forward lean in your setup naturally helps you accomplish this.

Mastering Distance Control a Simple Guide

So, how do you hit the ball 10 paces versus 20 paces?

The secret isn’t to swing harder or faster. The tempo and rhythm of your chipping motion should remain consistent for all shots. Distance is controlled entirely by one thing: the length of your backswing.

A short chip only requires a very short backswing - maybe one where your hands only move as far back as your trail leg. A longer chip requires a longer backswing, perhaps to where the club shaft is parallel to the ground. Find a system that works for you. Some players think of it like a clock face: a 7 o'clock swing for a short one, an 8 o'clock swing for a medium one, and a 9 o'clock swing for a long one. The key is that the effort and tempo remain smooth and constant.

Practice this by hitting chips to different targets without changing your pace. Only vary how far you take the club back. You'll be amazed how quickly you develop a feel for distance.

Two Drills to Build Your Technique

Reading is good, but doing is what builds confidence. Here are two fantastic drills to groove this motion.

1. The Towel Drill. Roll up a small hand towel and place it under the armpit of your trail arm (your right arm for a righty). Your goal is to hit chip shots without letting the towel drop. This forces your arm to stay connected to your body, promoting the "one-piece" rocking motion powered by your chest and shoulders. If you swing with just your arms or get 'flippy' with your wrists, the towel will fall out immediately.

2. The Left-Hand-Only Drill. Take your chipping setup, but then remove your trail hand from the club. Practice hitting short chips with only your lead hand (your left hand for a righty). Because you have less strength, you'll be forced to use your body to move the club. More importantly, it is almost impossible to "flick" your wrist and scoop the ball when swinging with just your lead hand. It beautifully demonstrates what it feels like for the clubhead and your arms/hand to move to the finish together, without the clubhead overtaking your hands.

Final Thoughts

Mastering the short chip boils down to a solid, repeatable system. Start with a non-negotiable setup: your weight forward, your hands ahead of the ball, and your feet close together. From there, it's just a simple pendulum swing powered by your body's rotation, not your hands or wrists.

On the course, simple systems win the day, but tricky lies in the rough or feeling stuck between club choices can invite doubt. That’s where we designed our app, Caddie AI. It acts as an on-demand course expert in your pocket. If you're ever looking at a chip shot from a bad lie and don’t know the right play, you can snap a photo, and the app will give you a smart recommendation on the best way to handle it, so you can commit to the shot with confidence.