While playing a round of golf, chipping is certainly one of the most valuable shots, especially for the higher handicap players, yet it isn’t awarded as much interest as tee or fairway shots. Most of the low handicap players are excellent at chipping round the green to save their par. The main reason chipping is so critical for your high handicap player is that there is less chance of them getting on the green in two for a par-4, so they are confronted with lots of chip shots.

Thus, it would be recommended to rehearse more your chipping so that you can try to save a few shots a round. If you are usually not a great chipper of the golf ball, you’ll likely leave your ball short or go long which will leave you with the potential of three putting for a double bogey. At best you’ll take two putts yet it’ll still leave you with a bogey. As you possibly can understand, once you improve your chip shot you should have a possible opportunity to save at least one stroke per hole.

The ability of chipping round the green is about feel and self-belief. With further practice your self-confidence will extend plus your chipping will get better. After some time, you will get a feel for chipping that will become instinct. Let’s review a few areas with the chipping game to teach you how it can be done to lower your score.

Which Golf club to Use for Chip shots?

The biggest fault that higher handicap players make is with their club selection for chip shots. You will find people who suppose that they’ve got to use a pitching or sand wedge and you will find those that think that they’ve got to use a different club based on the distance. With the beginner, the easiest way is usually to chip using a bump and run using the same club, regardless of the distance.

It is easier to master only one club and alter the length for the chip by adjusting the length of the backswing and how firm you’ll want to hit the ball. Therefore, practice using a few different clubs from the fringe of the green in addition to long bump and runs. Aided by the club that you feel more comfortable with, you should be able to guage the spin as well as the distance. The most common clubs for chipping are the 7, 8, or 9 irons. Certain players like to use even a 5 iron or a sand wedge but I’d experiment with the three clubs I discussed formerly.

The Plan and the Execution

There are a couple of parts to chipping effectively; the plan and then the execution. Even if you’ll be using just one club, you still have to plan your approach to the hole. You need to plan where you’ll land the ball and how much it’s going to roll. Additionally , you will need to consider the slopes of the green. As you’ll be running the ball up to the hole, you will have to read the green just like in putting. After that, you should picture in your mind the shot that you are about to play and then make a pair of practice swings to obtain a sense for the chip you are about to hit.

The execution is clearly when you actually chip the golf ball. Chipping is different than the swing used for driving, woods, irons, and even pitching. The chip shot is more about subtlety and with only your arms and shoulders, with scarcely any wrist break. It is all about easy and regular motion.

Firstly, you need to narrow your stance and stand a bit closer to the ball. Rest slightly more weight on your leading foot at the address position and throughout the chip. Position the golf ball back in your stance and keep your hands immediately in front of the clubhead, both at setup and when your hands and club pass through the impact zone. You will want to concentrate on a 1 piece take away using a pendulum motion and in no way slow down the club as you are about to make contact.

Bear in mind to practice first to select the club you happen to be more comfortable with and which you can control the distance with. Afterward, the talent of chipping is all about practice. Continue practicing until you’ve got the distance control dominated after which your assurance will truly grow and your score will get lower.

Mick Euan Tait has played golf for over 35 years and likes to write about the great game. He learned a lot more in recent years from a Golf Swing Guru that taught him how to improve his game with The Simple Swing.