Chipping

[WhiteLightning]

What do you focus on when chipping? Do you picture the shot happening and pick a spot to aim? And how much spin you need or check you want? Do you read it like at putt? Do you look at the grain that can be a big part in the ball moving away from where you want it to? Do you try and stay still and have relaxed hands and not shifting your weight which can cause you to skull chips or chunk them? Do you factor in wind? Do you use a hybrid, or any iron, or do you just use like a SW or LW? Do you do flop shots or bump and runs? Because I use all of that depending on the shot I'm faced with, sometimes I use my 64 degree if there is not a lot of green. 8 iron if it is flat between me and the pin. But SW or LW if there is not a big distance. These are some things that I put to use when dealing with one of the most important aspects of the game because if you can hit those 300 yard drives but can't chip the distance won't matter, say you play the blues every round, so now you go play from the reds and you may be right by the green but since you struggle at chipping your score may hardly change. That's why when your on the range your probably trying to hit the driver or gain distance (that's not bad but does it help)? If you can chip well and get up and down a lot then you can focus on the irons and driver. Your bad rounds you have most likely occur from not chipping it close enough to save par or if you get it to 50 yards on a par 5 and you have bad judgement on distance, wind ,elevation, or the lie of the ball. When I'm at High School practice I spend hours chipping and putting everyone else is on the driving range hitting more drives and such. But I'm working on taking 6+ shots of my rounds just by getting up and down (even for a bogey). Yeah they still break 80 but lose shots from not getting up and down enough.

That's my view on chipping.

[geauxforbroke]

What do you focus on when chipping? Do you picture the shot happening and pick a spot to aim? And how much spin you need or check you want? Do you read it like at putt? Do you look at the grain that can be a big part in the ball moving away from where you want it to? Do you try and stay still and have relaxed hands and not shifting your weight which can cause you to skull chips or chunk them? Do you factor in wind? Do you use a hybrid, or any iron, or do you just use like a SW or LW? Do you do flop shots or bump and runs?

All of the above, depending on the situation. I take the Occam's razor approach to chipping/pitching: all things held equal, the simplest shot is the best option.

[WhiteLightning]

All of the above, depending on the situation. I take the Occam's razor approach to chipping/pitching: all things held equal, the simplest shot is the best option.

Yes the simplest is that best you don't need to over think on the course, being golf is a mental game.

[rehmwa]

Yes the simplest is that best you don't need to over think on the course, being golf is a mental game.

first, do you inhale or exhale on the downswing?

halfway through the swing, it's a good idea to try to feel if your glove is slipping, or on the wrong hand, and try glance at the target and then quickly back at the club face to see if they moved or not....

then, any time during the swing I try sense if my shoes are loose or not

((actually, I think about a lot of stuff while practicing, weight forward, head still, firm grip, ball position, etc etc etc - but then I practice a bunch and, after a while, I stop thinking about these things - I can't wait to take what I've learned from the practice facility this winter and use it on the course - it's been a significant game improvement for sure))

[WhiteLightning]

first, do you inhale or exhale on the downswing?

halfway through the swing, it's a good idea to try to feel if your glove is slipping, or on the wrong hand, and try glance at the target and then quickly back at the club face to see if they moved or not....

then, any time during the swing I try sense if my shoes are loose or not

((actually, I think about a lot of stuff while practicing, weight forward, head still, firm grip, ball position, etc etc etc - but then I practice a bunch and, after a while, I stop thinking about these things - I can't wait to take what I've learned from the practice facility this winter and use it on the course - it's been a significant game improvement for sure))

Yes being up north here the weather isn't always good. But I practice on a golf simulator... also my dad being a golf pro helps me

[mvmac]

What do you focus on when chipping? Do you picture the shot happening and pick a spot to aim?

[Harmonious]

What do you focus on when chipping? Do you picture the shot happening and pick a spot to aim? And how much spin you need or check you want? Do you read it like at putt? Do you look at the grain that can be a big part in the ball moving away from where you want it to? Do you try and stay still and have relaxed hands and not shifting your weight which can cause you to skull chips or chunk them? Do you factor in wind? Do you use a hybrid, or any iron, or do you just use like a SW or LW? Do you do flop shots or bump and runs? Because I use all of that depending on the shot I'm faced with, sometimes I use my 64 degree if there is not a lot of green. 8 iron if it is flat between me and the pin. But SW or LW if there is not a big distance. These are some things that I put to use when dealing with one of the most important aspects of the game because if you can hit those 300 yard drives but can't chip the distance won't matter, say you play the blues every round, so now you go play from the reds and you may be right by the green but since you struggle at chipping your score may hardly change. That's why when your on the range your probably trying to hit the driver or gain distance (that's not bad but does it help)? If you can chip well and get up and down a lot then you can focus on the irons and driver. Your bad rounds you have most likely occur from not chipping it close enough to save par or if you get it to 50 yards on a par 5 and you have bad judgement on distance, wind ,elevation, or the lie of the ball. When I'm at High School practice I spend hours chipping and putting everyone else is on the driving range hitting more drives and such. But I'm working on taking 6+ shots of my rounds just by getting up and down (even for a bogey). Yeah they still break 80 but lose shots from not getting up and down enough.

That's my view on chipping.

Paragraphs can be your friend, if you want to be clearly understood.

[WhiteLightning]

Paragraphs can be your friend, if you want to be clearly understood.

What do you focus on when chipping? Do you picture the shot happening and pick a spot to aim? And how much spin you need or check you want? Do you read it like at putt? Do you look at the grain that can be a big part in the ball moving away from where you want it to? Do you try and stay still and have relaxed hands and not shifting your weight which can cause you to skull chips or chunk them? Do you factor in wind? Do you use a hybrid, or any iron, or do you just use like a SW or LW? Do you do flop shots or bump and runs?

Because I use all of that depending on the shot I'm faced with, sometimes I use my 64 degree if there is not a lot of green. 8 iron if it is flat between me and the pin. But SW or LW if there is not a big distance. These are some things that I put to use when dealing with one of the most important aspects of the game because if you can hit those 300 yard drives but can't chip the distance won't matter, say you play the blues every round, so now you go play from the reds and you may be right by the green but since you struggle at chipping your score may hardly change. That's why when your on the range your probably trying to hit the driver or gain distance (that's not bad but does it help)?

If you can chip well and get up and down a lot then you can focus on the irons and driver. Your bad rounds you have most likely occur from not chipping it close enough to save par or if you get it to 50 yards on a par 5 and you have bad judgement on distance, wind ,elevation, or the lie of the ball. When I'm at High School practice I spend hours chipping and putting everyone else is on the driving range hitting more drives and such. But I'm working on taking 6+ shots of my rounds just by getting up and down (even for a bogey). Yeah they still break 80 but lose shots from not getting up and down enough.

That's my view on chipping.

[David in FL]

What do you focus on when chipping? Do you picture the shot happening and pick a spot to aim? And how much spin you need or check you want? Do you read it like at putt? Do you look at the grain that can be a big part in the ball moving away from where you want it to? Do you try and stay still and have relaxed hands and not shifting your weight which can cause you to skull chips or chunk them? Do you factor in wind? Do you use a hybrid, or any iron, or do you just use like a SW or LW? Do you do flop shots or bump and runs? Because I use all of that depending on the shot I'm faced with, sometimes I use my 64 degree if there is not a lot of green. 8 iron if it is flat between me and the pin. But SW or LW if there is not a big distance. These are some things that I put to use when dealing with one of the most important aspects of the game because if you can hit those 300 yard drives but can't chip the distance won't matter, say you play the blues every round, so now you go play from the reds and you may be right by the green but since you struggle at chipping your score may hardly change. That's why when your on the range your probably trying to hit the driver or gain distance (that's not bad but does it help)? If you can chip well and get up and down a lot then you can focus on the irons and driver. Your bad rounds you have most likely occur from not chipping it close enough to save par or if you get it to 50 yards on a par 5 and you have bad judgement on distance, wind ,elevation, or the lie of the ball. When I'm at High School practice I spend hours chipping and putting everyone else is on the driving range hitting more drives and such. But I'm working on taking 6+ shots of my rounds just by getting up and down (even for a bogey). Yeah they still break 80 but lose shots from not getting up and down enough. That's my view on chipping.

I disagree. The worst rounds come from not hitting greens in the first place, and having to try to salvage those poor approach shots with your short game.....

[MS256]

During the shot:

Conscious mind is as blank as it would be if I was tossing a ball in a bucket. The only difference in the way I feel with shots around the green between throwing a ball and hitting it with a club is that the club takes the place of my hand.

Before the shot:

Look at the situation. See the shot. And pick the shot that best matches my rule:

Use only as much effective loft as necessary for the shot at hand and only depend on spin as much as necessary for the shot at hand.

[WhiteLightning]

I disagree. The worst rounds come from not hitting greens in the first place, and having to try to salvage those poor approach shots with your short game.....

Well yeah but it can depend on how you view it cause you still want to hit greens. But what can make or break a round is your chipping.

[David in FL]

Well yeah but it can depend on how you view it cause you still want to hit greens. But what can make or break a round is your chipping.

If you're having to rely on chipping to "make your round", your poor ball-striking has put you in that position. Great chipping can help mitigate the damage, but make no mistake, you'll almost never have a really good round having missed a bunch of greens.

[WhiteLightning]

If you're having to rely on chipping to "make your round", your poor ball-striking has put you in that position.

Great chipping can help mitigate the damage, but make no mistake, you'll almost never have a really good round having missed a bunch of greens.

Yeah I get what your saying but when you do have those mishits you will need to get it up and down cause no one hits every green. Therefor after a bad shot you know that you can get it up and down, helps you out in your rounds, Missing a green then poor chipping can lead a lot of people into long putts and 3 putting.

[geauxforbroke]

Yeah I get what your saying but when you do have those mishits you will need to get it up and down cause no one hits every green. Therefor after a bad shot you know that you can get it up and down, helps you out in your rounds, Missing a green then poor chipping can lead a lot of people into long putts and 3 putting.

No doubt short game is a very important part of golf, but you can't single it out as the reason that most people have a bad round.

I do agree with your original statement that many golfers don't practice short game enough.

[WhiteLightning]

No doubt short game is a very important part of golf, but you can't single it out as the reason that most people have a bad round.

I do agree with your original statement that many golfers don't practice short game enough.

Yeah I guess for me my bad round is from having bad chips leaving shots out on the course I'll miss 1 fairway but then have a "off day" with the irons which is a thing needed to be fixed, also not chipping well enough because you are always faced with chips and you want to get it up and down for par, but getting the irons close to the pin is key to having a good round. Not hitting greens is a problem. But hitting greens and missing a few but being way over par on those holes is not something to be proud of.