Tips for Chipping and Putting?

Alright, long story short: I work at a golf course and I was talking to our pro (my boss) today on the range and we got on the topic of lowering handicaps and what not and he said that golf is not about hitting it the farthest or having the prettiest swing, but being the best at chipping and putting as that will be the #1 way to start scoring lower. I chip OK and my putting could definitely use some work. I have Mizuno MPT Series 60 degree wedge I use within 100 yards to try and stick it close and I have an old Master Grip putter with a SuperStroke grip. When chipping I usually keep the ball toward the front of my stance, a well as my weight but I was playing with one of our members the other week (who is about a 5 or 6 handicap) and he said that the ball should go more in the back of your stance when chipping, any truth to this? As for putting, I use the two-thumb grip and I have a bad habit of pulling the putter during my follow through so I'm working on a straight-back and straight-through stroke. I plan to go to the range tomorrow and spend a long time on the putting and chipping greens and attempt to do that every day. Anyone here know of any fundamentals and/or checkpoints I need to work on to improve? I know it can't get better overnight or with only a few sessions, but if I'm not doing the little things right it could never get any better.

Chipping is not using bounce, that could be anywere in your stance as long as your not using bounce to help. Usually this is a very simple motion, like a putting motion. I hate putting the ball back in the stance because it steepens the chipping motion, and causes duffed shots, and thin shots when you try not to duff it. Put it forward a bit, and hit with a more sweeping shallow angle, it really gives you a nice buffer on chip shots.

Hello JacksonJ13,

When chipping you could try having the ball in the middle of your stance. So right off of your right heel when your stance is open towards the hole (for right hander) Just chip exactly how you putt. The only difference is that your swing is slightly descending towards and through impact.

You can do the "hinge and hold method".

This is where you swing back a little further than you would if you were going to putt the ball. On the downswing and impact will be just like a putt except your hitting down on the ball due to your hands being a little ahead of the ball at set up. On the follow through you will NOT release the clubface. You will keep your wrist locked. It feels as if your beginning to chicken wing your shot. Practice this at the range starting with your 7 iron and all the way down to your pitching wedge. You should never use your lob wedge when chipping. Unless your phil mickelson your shots are going to be sporadic. The name of the game is the less amount of air time your ball has the better.

With Putting.

Don't worry to much about a straight back and straight through stroke. It will make you act like a robot. Just have a fluid backswing and fluid follow through with a little release of the clubface.

You will see that your distance control with improve greatly when being smooth and releasing the clubface. Just feel it, don't be too focused on mechanics in the beginning of getting your putting down.

When you set up make sure you have the correct line and all the rest is distance control. You just have to feel it.

Hope this helps

Saw this today. I think it's a pretty good synopsis of the basics.

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2013-07/adam-scott-short-game-basics

Also, if you search "chipping" or "putting" in the forum search, you'll get a ton of threads already touching on these topics.

Thank you everyone for the tips. I went to the range today and worked on everything. Never understood/knew the differences between chipping and pitching until now.