3 Chipping Strategies That Will Save You Shots Around The Green

Sometimes it’s the quick tips that stick and make a difference in your game.

Chipping does not need to be complicated but it does need a plan. Most golfers get into trouble around the green because they reach for the wrong club, try to hit a shot they don’t really have or add too much extra motion to something that should be simple.

If your chipping needs a refresher, here are three strategies to try.

Putt until you can’t

Putting is the safest thing you can do in golf. Even if you are not a great putter, it is usually safer than chipping or pitching.

That may not feel true when you are standing just off the green with a wedge in your hand but think about the worst misses. With a putter, your bad shot probably finishes 10 or 15 feet away. With a wedge, the bad shot can be a chunk, a blade or another chip from nearly the same spot.

Before you automatically grab a wedge, ask yourself one question: Can I putt this?

If the answer is yes, putt it. If the grass is too long or there is too much fringe to get through, then you can start thinking about another option. But the putter should get the first look.

This is especially true for mid and high handicappers. Sometimes the goal is to simply make sure the next shot is a putt.

Add loft with the club, not the swing

When you need the ball to carry a little more grass, you do not always need to change the entire motion.

This is where golfers make chipping harder than it has to be. They take a lob wedge, add wrist action and speed and try to help the ball into the air. That’s when the strike gets messy.

A better strategy is to keep the motion simple and let the club do more of the work.

Start with a putting-style motion. Then change the club based on how much carry and roll you need. A pitching wedge, gap wedge, sand wedge and lob wedge can all produce different results without you needing four different swings.

The less you change the motion, the easier it is to control the strike. The club has loft. You don’t have to manufacture more with your hands. Try this on the chipping green using four or five different clubs, making the same motion and seeing what results you get.

Stop fighting the club’s natural fall

This is the one that most golfers don’t think about but it can be a problem even for better players.

The club has to fall back towards the ground because of gravity. That sounds obvious but a lot of poor chipping and pitching comes from fighting that natural motion.

Golfers get nervous, push the hands forward, shove the knees toward the target or try to drag the handle through impact. They force something instead of letting the club naturally fall. The club gets stuck behind them and the only option left is to flip, stab or save the shot with the hands.

Instead, let the club fall.

This does not mean you throw the club at the ball or get lazy with your body. It means you stop trying to force the strike. Make a controlled motion back, keep your body turning and let the club’s momentum help it return to the ball.

Around the green, manipulation is usually where the trouble starts. The more you try to lift it, guide it or save it, the harder the shot becomes.

Keep the strategy simple. Putt when you can. Add loft with the club when you need it. And when you do have to make a chipping or pitching motion, let the club fall instead of fighting it.