chipping woes

[hfhjr]

I've always been weak in chipping and pitching, My golf buddies say I try to lift it/ flip it. My best contact is generally low on the club face. I know "play it back in the stance, firm left wrist", but you see conflicting advice about hitting with just body rotation vs. more of an shoulder/arm swing with quiet lower body and wrist break or hinge vs. quiet hands. Thanks for any help.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Try hitting a greenside chip like you do your approach putts, but with a 5- or 6-iron. In addition, keep the club low to the ground on your follow-through to avoid getting the ball in the air with backspin. This might make your wrists break backwards, which is OK. Feeling a pull in your upper right arm is a good sign, too.

A pitch does have body rotation. Just keep your wrists firm through the ball -- the club will get the ball in the air with decent backspin.

You might want to have a lesson to walk you through these two shots to see what works, what doesn't, and why.

[Jaywun]

This has got to be my favorite topic. Last year Nick Faldo said during a PGA event." There is only 1 secret, chip billions and billions of balls!" With so many great champions with great short games. And so many different approaches around the greens, I believe great chipping is alot like great putting. A very personal feel based on confidence. I believe a golfers best chips are like any other shot. With no thoughts of mechanics during the shot. Just feel and trust.

[Chicago Lefty]

Phil Mickelson's Secrets of the Short Game really helped me a lot around the greens.

[Zeph]

I have two rules when it comes to chipping and pitching.

Chip: Hit the ball first or at the same time as the ground.
Pitch: Hit the ground first with the bounce, not leading edge. This means the shaft can't lean too much forward.

Half the shot is knowing what the heck you are supposed to do, then work on making it happen every time.

[kpaulhus]

When I chip for check, I hit the ball first with my 56* and make sure to take a very very small divot. Usually I get the one hop and stop. When I need it to roll out, I hit a 52* that is usually all ball so Im not hitting down as much. This usually results in a little roll out, but we have all hit those chips that checked instantly and left us with the 15ft putt for par.

[jamo]

I like to use a lot of body movement. It seems to keep everything on plane much better, and almost totally eliminates fat shots.

[Leftygolfer]

I have different ways of playing shots around the green. A running low chip is probably the easiest. My way is firm wrist, square club face (I almost always use my 58 for every shot around the green), ball back in stance, just a rock of the shoulders, maybe a slight pivot but not something I think about, and make sure you are hitting the grass after the ball in your practice swings. As I want to add spin or height, I start opening the club face, moving the ball up to the center of the stance, more of a hinge in the wrist.

But the one thing you have to do is practice these shots. I think I am pretty decent around the greens and can give myself good looks at par almost every missed green but it isn't by accident. You have to work at it and try to make your practice feel like playing.

[Easy]

Phil Mickelson's Secrets of the Short Game really helped me a lot around the greens.

Second that.

Hinge and hold mate, hinge and hold.....

[Jell0b0y]

Phil Mickelson's Secrets of the Short Game really helped me a lot around the greens.

Same here. I have gotten much, much better since getting his DVD set

[B-Con]

Second that.

I recently tried switching to the hinge-n-hold. It took some practicing, and I'm not 100% sure I'm doing it completely Phil's way, but it really is an intuitive way to chip. If you can remember to avoid a flat shoulder turn, the swing practically grooves itself with practice.

[jerrywilkin]

Try this! If you are chipping short shots with your wedges; try looking at the front of the ball and drive the ball into the ground. The hardest part will be believing you can actually get a good chip out of driving the ball into the ground! works for pitches also. If you are chipping a longer shot with plenty of green;try using a 8 or 7 or 6 iron & pretend that you are using your putter. do your putting routine,your putting stroke,& try not to hit the ground cause you would'nt do that with your putter. Hardest part will be the pretending part,cause you are looking down at your 7 iron. the shot is actually the easy part!