The chip shot is one of the easiest to learn in the game. Yet, many recreational players have trouble hitting the short chip shot, even after several golf instruction sessions. In fact, they re so bad, they substitute their putter for wedge, which isn t always wise, as I explain in my golf lessons.


Using a putter when you need a pitching wedge or a sand wedge is, needless to say, a poor decision. It can add strokes to your overall score or cost you a hole in match play. It s a problem you must overcome to lower your golf handicap. If you can t hit a short chip shot well, don t despair. There s help.



The

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...get OUT what you put IN. So get out there and practice! In know. I know. You say you don't have the time, but if you can't find time to practice your game will always suffer and that's the bottom ...
inability to hit a short chip shot is as much mental as physical. To overcome these obstacles, you need to simplify both your mental approach and your physical technique. The next time you have a short chip shot, try using an 8 iron instead of a wedge. It s an approach I sometimes use myself. That s because it works.


Here are 6 keys to chipping as if you were putting that I recommend in my golf lessons:


Replace your wedge with an 8 iron
Take a normal putting stance
Place hands and weight forward
Hold the club vertically
Hit the ball off the toe-end of the clubface

Principles of Accurate Chipping
...backswing, the longer the shot. Be mindful of your backswing when chipping. Also, take the club back smoothly and slowly, allowing your wrists to hinge naturally. When committing to the downswing, make sure your hands stay ahead of the clubhead ...
Rock your shoulders to control roll of ball


First, set-up as if your were going to make a long putt. Use your normal putting grip and play the ball back in your stance, off the inside of the heel of your back foot. The 8 iron is ideal for this type of shot because it s short enough to deloft without the club s shaft hitting you during the shot.


Also, keep your hands and weight forward, favoring your front side, as you would if you were hitting a chip shot. Hold the club vertically, so that the club s heel is raised off the ground, enabling you to stand closer to the ball. And spread your elbows


Moving

The Proper Golf Grip
...suits you best is really up to the individual. Different people are comfortable with different grips. The best advice is to experiment with all three grips and see which one suits your game the best. Grip Pressure One of the ...
the ball back in your stance and shifting your weight forward positions the ball off the toe-end of the clubhead when you hit it. Using the toe-end will deaden the ball when you make contact. It will also help control the ball s roll.


Hit the ball with a gentle rocking of the shoulders, as you would if you were putting. This technique raises the club several inches off the ground in the backswing and forces you to hit down on the ball slightly, chipping it into the air. Concentrate on maintaining the width of the gap between your elbows as you swing thorough. It also ensures a pure arms-and-shoulders motion.


Using the 8-iron approach takes your wrists out of

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play. Recreational golfers who have trouble making short chip shots often have overly active wrists. With my approach, you ll eliminate your wrists yet still strike the ball solidly just keep your head still and focus on making a short, firm follow-through,


You can also use my approach for longer chip shots. Just lengthen your stroke to play the longer shot, as you would if you were hitting a long putt. For extra long chip shots, try using a 5 or 6 iron to get the required roll.


Chip under Target Drill
The key to accurate chipping is keeping the ball low so it runs like a putt when it hits the ground. Here s a drill I use in my

How To Use Long Putters
...at the top of the putter s grip and place the grip against your sternum. You can grip the club with the other hand as you normally would. Or, you can try another grip. Some players hold the shaft like ...
golf lessons designed to teach players to keep the ball low.


Lay a club or bag horizontally across two baskets placed about three feet apart. Then, step back a few feet and try chipping under the obstacle toward the hole, using either a wedge or an 8 iron.


To chip under the obstacle, you must deloft the club, which you can do by keeping your hands ahead of the clubhead when you swing. Having a visual obstacle to hit the ball under forces you to develop your ability to keep the ball low. Keep practicing this shot until it becomes second nature


Hitting the short chip shot well whether you use a wedge or an 8 iron is a

Perfecting Your Chip Shot
...left 7. Allow the clubhead to come through the ball If it's a long chip from the rough, remember to factor in more roll when it lands on the green. If the grass is really thick, you can play the ...
start toward improving your short game, and chopping strokes of your golf handicap. And aren t those the real goals?


Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros. He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.