Basic Chipping Principle In Golf

The basic chip is one of golf’s most simple shots. The swing is short, back and through, yet, despite its simplicity, many golfers mess up this shot. There are three main reasons for this:

- The player tries to add extra loft to the club face by scooping the ball into the air. Most likely the ball will be thinned

- The player stubs the club head into the ground behind the ball. Top players lead the club face with their hands. This guarantees a crisp strike and ensures that the ball stays low to the ground

- Lack of acceleration through impact. Many golfers make a good backswing, then completely quit on the shot. With a fairly short swing, players must keep the club head accelerating smoothly through the ball. Loss of speed leads to loss of control.

Technique

1. To ensure your shipping set up is geared towards control and accuracy, shuffle your feet fairly close together and, keeping the ball just behind center in a slightly open stance; ease your weight on to the front foot so that you lean towards the target. By following this routine you will set your hands ahead of the club face and the ball.

2. Keeping your weight on the left side, swing the club away with your arms and shoulders. It is perfectly acceptable for the wrists to break a little in response to the weight of the club, but you should not try to break them intentionally. The backswing should be compact.

3. Assuming that you have kept your weight on the left side throughout the swing, your hands should automatically return to their address position and lead the clubface through impact. You should feel as though you are hitting down on the ball with a descending blow. This action is the key to imparting a little backspin on the ball.

4. Stay down through the shot and wait until you have struck the ball before looking up to see where it has gone. Make sure your hands remain ahead of the club face well into the follow through.