What Is Chipping in Golf?

A great chip shot can turn a certain bogey into a tap-in par, and it’s a skill that has very little to do with raw power or athleticism. It's about feel and technique, and anyone can learn to do it well. This guide will break down what chipping is, how to set up for it, the simple motion you need, and which club to use, so you can start getting up-and-down with confidence.

So, What Exactly Is a Chip Shot?

Think of a chip shot as the opposite of a high, dramatic flop shot you might see on TV. A chip is a low-flying, controlled shot that you hit from just off the green. The goal is to get the ball onto the putting surface as quickly as possible and let it roll out towards the hole like a putt. It’s a shot designed for maximum control and consistency.

The core principle is simple: less airtime, more ground time. When you minimize the time the ball is flying, you reduce the chances of things going wrong. It’s much easier to predict how a ball will roll on a smooth green than how it will fly through unpredictable air and take a funky bounce.

Chipping vs. Pitching: What's the Difference?

This is a common point of confusion for many golfers. Here’s the simplest way to remember it:

• A chip shot is a low-trajectory shot that flies maybe a third of the way to the hole and rolls the other two-thirds. Think of tossing a ball underhand and letting it roll.
• A pitch shot is a higher-trajectory shot that flies two-thirds of the way to the hole and rolls out only one-third of the way. You’ll use a much bigger swing and more wrist action for these.

For today, we are focused entirely on the chip shot - the simple, reliable shot that will save you strokes all over the golf course.

Choosing Your Weapon: Which Club to Use for Chipping

One of the beautiful things about chipping is that you don’t have to use just one club. In fact, learning to use different clubs for different situations is the a huge step toward a masterful short game. The club you choose dictates the trajectory and the amount of roll you’ll get.

Your default chipper will likely be a Pitching Wedge (PW) or a Sand Wedge (SW), but you can use anything down to a 7-iron for longer chips where you need more roll. The rule is straightforward:

The less loft on the club, the lower the ball will fly and the more it will roll.

Here’s a practical way to think about it:

• Short Chip (Lots of Green to Work With): If you have a lot of green between you and the hole, you want maximum roll. This is a perfect time to try an 8-iron or 9-iron. The ball will pop onto the green and release, rolling a long way. This is your highest percentage shot when you have the space for it.
• Medium Chip (Normal Distance): For a standard chip, your Pitching Wedge is often the perfect choice. It gives you a nice balance of carry and roll. It will fly a little higher than an 8-iron but still roll out quite a bit once it lands.
• Short Chip (Uphill or into the Grain): When you need the ball to stop a little quicker or need more carry to get over some fringe, a Sand Wedge is a good option. The extra loft will get the ball up a bit more and reduce the amount of rollout. But be careful - the more loft you add, the more precise your strike needs to be. For most standard shots, stick with a less lofted club if you can.

A Simple System: The "Landing Spot" Method

Instead of worrying about swing size, try this. Pick a landing spot on the green, maybe 3-4 feet onto the putting surface. Your only goal is to make a swing that lands the ball on that spot. Then, let the club you chose do the rest of the work. If you hit your PW to that landing spot, note how far it rolls. Then do the same with a 9-iron and an 8-iron. You'll quickly see that the same simple chipping motion with different clubs produces dramatically different results. This turns guessing into a calculated decision.

The Fundamental Chipping Setup: Your Blueprint for Consistency

Your setup is more than half the battle in chipping. A correct, repeatable setup pre-sets a successful impact position, making the swing itself almost foolproof. Let’s build it from the ground up.

Follow these steps in order, and you’ll put yourself in a great position every time.

1. Take a Narrow Stance

Forget your normal, shoulder-width golf stance. For a chip, your feet should be much closer together - almost touching, but not quite. I like to tell my students to have no more than one clubhead’s width between their heels. A narrow stance prevents you from swaying or moving your lower body around, forcing you to use your shoulders and arms, which is exactly what we want.

2. Open Your Stance Slightly

Pull your front foot (your left foot for a right-handed golfer) back just an inch or two away from the target line. This opens your hips and chest slightly to the target. It does two things: it gives you a clear view of the target line and helps you avoid hitting the ball "fat" because it encourages you to rotate through the shot.

3. Position the Ball Back in Your Stance

This is extremely important. Place the ball in the back of your stance, just inside your back foot. Go anead and try it. You’ll notice that when the ball is back, the club shaft is already leaning forward. This position naturally encourages you to hit down on the ball, producing that crisp, clean contact we’re after. It makes "scooping" the ball almost impossible.

4. Put Your Weight Forward

Lean your body toward the target so that about 60-70% of your weight is on your lead foot. Your front leg should feel "posted up" and stable. Crucially, this weight should stay on your front foot throughout the entire chipping motion. Don’t shift your weight back and forth like you would in a full swing. Keep it forward and stable. This is the secret to hitting the ball first and the turf second.

5. Choke Down and Lean the Shaft Forward

Grip down on the golf club by an inch or two. This gives you more control and a better feel for the clubhead. With your weight forward and the ball back, your hands will naturally be ahead of the clubhead. This forward shaft lean is what removes loft and produces that low, running shot. Your goal is to return the club to this exact position at impact.

The Chipping Motion: A Simple, Pendulum Swing

If you have the setup right, the motion itself is very simple. I want you to get this image in your head: you are making a putting stroke with a lofted club.

A good chipping stroke has almost no moving parts. It’s not a miniature version of your full swing. Here’s how to do it.

1. Use a "One-Piece Takeaway"

The entire motion should be controlled by the rocking of your shoulders. Think of your arms and the club as a single unit or a triangle. When you start the backswing, rock your shoulders away from the target, letting this triangle move back together. There should be absolutely no independent wrist action or hinge. Your wrists should stay passive and firm.

2. Keep the Swing Compact

For most chip shots, the clubhead shouldn’t go back much further than your back knee. The length of your backswing will control the distance of the shot. A shorter backswing for a short chip, and a slightly longer one (but still compact!) for a longer chip.

3. Let Your Body Turn Through

From the top of your short backswing, simply turn your chest towards the target. Because your weight is already forward, this move will naturally bring the club down on a slight descending angle, ensuring you make ball-first contact. Allow the butt end of the grip to point at your belly button throughout the swing - this will keep the club and body connected.

4. Accelerate Through the Ball

A common mistake is slowing down into the ball for fear of hitting it too hard. This leads to fat or thin shots. Always feel as though you are accelerating the clubhead through the ball to a short, controlled finish. The clubhead should finish low and pointing at the target. Your arms remain relatively straight and connected to your body's turn.

Common Chipping Traps (And How to Fix Them)

1. The "Scoop" or the "Lift"

This is when a golfer tries to "help" the ball into the air, causing the wrists to break down and flick at the ball. The result is often a thin shot that skulls across the green or a fat shot that digs in behind the ball.
The Fix: Trust the setup! By keeping your weight forward and the ball back, you’ve already created the angle needed to hit down on the ball. The loft of the club will do the work. Focus on keeping your hands ahead of the clubhead all the way through impact.

2. The "Decel"

Slowing the club down through impact is a killer. It shows a lack of commitment and almost always results in poor contact.
The Fix: Feel like your follow-through is the same length as your backswing. As soon as you start back, be committed to swinging through to a balanced finish, no matter what.

3. The "Chunk"

This is when the club hits the ground significantly behind the ball. It's almost always caused by a poor setup.
The Fix: Check your ball position and weight distribution. Make sure the ball is back in your stance and at least 60% of your weight is firm on your lead foot. Don't let that weight shift backward during the swing.

Final Thoughts

Chipping doesn’t require herculean strength or perfect timing, it’s about understanding a few simple principles and using a repeatable setup. Start by solidifying that setup - weight forward, ball back, hands ahead - and practice making a simple, putting-like stroke with minimal wrist action. In time, you'll start seeing those frustrating bogeys turn into easy pars.

As you get comfortable with the technique, you can really begin to elevate your game. If you're standing over a tricky chip and are unsure whether an 8-iron or 9-iron is the right play, or if the lie in the rough looks strange and you need a solid strategy, Caddie AI can analyze the situation for you in seconds. I can help remove the guesswork by giving you a clear club recommendation and a simple plan, letting you step up to an address the ball with total confidence.