How To Become A Better Chipper: Top 5 Suggestions From Seasoned Golfers

Chipping the ball takes practice. The shot is a short version of a pitch shot. Since the shot is similar some golfers like to do what they usually do during a pitch shot. Yet, there are some variations that can make a difference in your outcome. Practice can help you develop skills but making changes to your technique can make a difference. Overall, you may need to make changes to your positioning and swing. Here are some suggestions to consider when tweaking your play method while chipping.

• Chip with a narrow stance. A narrow stance will help you gain better control of the swing. In many cases a narrow stance will encourage your swing ability to be sharper since you are closer to the ball. Your feet are spread apart as usual but they are closer toward the ball. Pay attention to how you start your swing and how you come down to make contact with the ball.
• Keep your backswing short. A shorter backswing will encourage more power into your shot. This helps you make contact with the ball faster, but you create more energy behind the ball to help it travel further. You can get a better idea of ball trajectory when using shorter strokes. A shorter backswing may also mean your upper body won’t rotate as much into the swing.
• Place ball in middle of your stance. When the ball is in the middle of your stance you get solid contact. This means the ball is positioned right on the plane of your club head. A mistake golfers often make includes placing the ball further away from their stance. For some players this leads to slicing.
• Choke up on your club. You may have other parts of your shot down pat and it could be the way you grip your club. You can complete practice shots by switching your grip. But many golfers may not let their club release upon finishing their swing. Choking up on your club can help you obtain more control of how you swing down on the ball.
• Adjust weight shift. Your weight shift should occur on your lead foot. This means most of your weight should shift to your lead foot upon making contact with the ball and going into your upswing.