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chipping

Chipping demands almost a page of its own. It is a fact that the amateur golfer plays 75% of his or her game from 80 yards, or less, into the pin. The set up on the left is for the "chip and run" shot. This shot can be used as far out as 80 yards but is most used from short distances from the edge of the greens where there are no hazards in front of you as the principle of this shot is to lift the ball to the nearest available flat piece of green and let it roll out to the hole. This shot eliminates the unpredictable roll the ball would get through fairway, or fringe-length grass making it easier to judge the pace, and therefore distance. A good club to use for this shot is a 7 or 9 iron. Using a 7 iron you should judge for a 25% flight with 75% bounce and roll and a 9 iron should achieve 50% flight with 50% bounce and roll. Keep practicing with the club you choose as familiarity is the key to developing good touch around the greens. To play this shot:-

Shoulders should be parallell to the target line and the left foot withdrawn back to create an open stance which provides more room to swing through to the target.

Narrow stance, 3 to 4 inches wide to create a shorter swing. Grip further down the club to give greater control and this facilitates the shorter swing.

Ball position is further back in the stance, approx 1 inch back from centre.

Distribution of weight favouring left hand side (approx 70%) and hands are pushed further forward to cover left knee.

The action is similar to a putting stroke, keeping a nice rhythmic, pendulum style swing with passive wrists and your weight remaining on the left foot during the backswing. Control the shot with the arms and shoulders. Try to achieve a similar length follow through to the back swing with a smoothly accelerating stroke.