How did you learn how to "chip"

[zaphod]

I see a lot of discussion about a simple shot that many golfers ' including myself, have struggled with. So I thought this might be a good topic to help take the "pain" away from those golfers still struggling.

For me I was trying to chip with a swing like a mini-full swing. Taking the club back way too far and following through way too much, decelerating through the hitting zone to control distance. All this did was create plethora of skulls and fat shots.

The realization that the club loft does the work and the wrists remain passive through the hitting zone for the run of the mill chip was important. So I practiced with a dowel in my left hand that extended passed my left hip at address. If I broke my wrists at contact the dowel would hit me. Also figured out that my shoulders MUST be relaxed and free for a good chip.

Basic technique down, I practiced over the winter hitting off a carpet into a carpeted stairway. Keeping a constant perhaps 3 feet away I practiced hitting to different levels of stairs MAINTAINING backspin on the ball. The only way to put backspin on the ball is to allow the ball to advance up the club face at contact while holding the club face angle through the ball. Like allowing the ball to roll up the "WALL" of the club face.

Also practiced hitting different trajectory chips into my driving net in the garage off from a TIGHT weave foot mat. The tight lie allows for no forgiveness and hitting at a further distance allows one the get good feed back.

Now on the course if I need to practice the feeling I visualize the space between my club face and my hands remaining constant going forward. It feels like the club face is "pushing my hands" through to the target with my wrists being very passive. Concentrating on keeping the leading edge of the club face at the same distance from the ground a couple inches passed the ball helps too.

What is your story and swing keys for this devilishly simple shot?

[Eracer]

Learn to chip?
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Did you say learn to chip?
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Oh God, that's a good one....
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[ezra76]

Holy mackeral Zaphod, that's a lot of stuff. Simplify. I learned from an article about how Mickelson chips. Hinge and hold. That's it. I take a few practice strokes, feel the speed needed to hit a spot, I always pick a spot and hit it. I usually know when I've struck it whether it has a chance... and yes, I try to hole every single one.

Basically from the shoulders on down to the clubhead does absolutely nothing, stays stiff.

[rubber314chicken]

I never had any instruction of any type on it, except once I did this golf basics thing where they had you take the club up to your waist to hit a bucket 10 yards away. Now that shot would give be 5x the distance, but I remember one of the peeps running it took that much a swing and got it into the bucket.

Then a few weeks ago my coach told me to move the ball back to under my armpit and hit down on the ball. My short game has never been better.

[chemboy2]

Good question. I honestly can't remember when/where my chipping clicked. I do know that it is the strongest part of my game and the part I work on the most.

I do remember when my sand play took a turn for the better. I was at an event that had a free short game clinic with Laird Small. That dude has some serious sand skillz and, three years later, I still use the tips/instruction that I learned that day.

[Eracer]

Good question. I honestly can't remember when/where my chipping clicked. I do know that it is the strongest part of my game and the part I work on the most.

God I wish I could say that...

I do remember when my sand play took a turn for the better. I was at an event that had a free short game clinic with Laird Small. That dude has some serious sand skillz and, three years later, I still use the tips/instruction that I learned that day.

That's one of the weirdest things. My sand play is pretty good. I would almost always rather be in the sand than in even short rough around the green. And oddly, I'm pretty good at high pitches over trouble. It's the straightforward 10 yard chips that give me brainfreeze nightmares...

[FATC1TY]

I need sand help bad.

I rarely get in the bunkers, and the ones I get in are fairway, instead of greenside..

My sand is awesome luck shots, or laughable flops right back into the same bunker.

[millrivermem]

i have learned three basic chip techniques that are all as important to me as the next....i dont think u can be really successful around the greens having one basic chip style...and i know chipping because my GIR stat sucks...your first very straight forward chip is basically a putting stroke and all its a bump and run and all u do is pretend ur putting with the ball back in your stance a couple inches to insure good contact...and u just choose a higher or lower lofted club depending on how much rough or fringe grass u have to carry...the next two are a bit tougher...one is used for lower trajectory with high spin and the other for basically carrying it to the hole with a high trajectory....the low shot all you do is close down the club face and play the ball well back in your stance and hit down on it with a stiff lead arm and no wrist hinge...the other u play it basically the same in your stance except hinge your wrist and it will come off high and soft

[millrivermem]

I need sand help bad.

I rarely get in the bunkers, and the ones I get in are fairway, instead of greenside..

My sand is awesome luck shots, or laughable flops right back into the same bunker.

what helped me big time with sand is picturing a dollar bill under the ball....the ball being the person on the bill's head, so that would leave some sand behind the ball, about an inch or inch and a half and u try to take out a patch of sand about that size with an open faced sand wedge...comes out nice with lots of spin

[Eracer]

I need sand help bad.

I rarely get in the bunkers, and the ones I get in are fairway, instead of greenside..

My sand is awesome luck shots, or laughable flops right back into the same bunker.

The thing with fairway bunker shots is:

You must hit the ball first.

I take an extra club, aim a little left, choke up, and try to keep a smooth upper-body swing. Keep your spine angle constant and your head fairly still.

[rubber314chicken]

It's the straightforward 10 yard chips that give me brainfreeze nightmares...

Take a putting stroke with an 8 iron. Should do you wonders.

[Augster]

"The Art of the Short Game" by Stan Utley.

As soon as I finished reading that, my short game got instantly better. Without practice.

[MCDavis]

Take a putting stroke with an 8 iron. Should do you wonders.

This is the answer, except I use a 7 iron.

[5iron]

well i dont know if it answers but im doing a wrist locked pitch and chi shots for most of my short game shots. I think i get enough loft because i use a 60* wedge around the green, lol.

[LyleG]

I never really learned to chip. I was just always able to do it. I have a bizarre knack for feel, and have always been able to just judge things like distance and so forth. I have never really understood why so many people struggle with it. Just decide where you want the ball to go and hit it there. This isn't rocket science and far too many people try to complicate it to the point that it nearly is.