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During a round of golf you are undoubtedly going to miss the green on occasion and you will be presented with a chip shot.
The skill of being able get a ball close enough to the flag to hole the putt is one which all the best players in the game share, and is very important.
Most golfers actually limit their chances of having a good short game by relying too heavily on a single club like a sand wedge.
The truth is that you can use anything from a 7 iron through to a lofted wedge as well as the putter to play the shot. So how do you decide which club to use?
Your decision depends on how far up the green the flag is positioned:
If the flag is at the back of the green it is better to use a less lofted club like an 8 iron. You can play a small chip shot that will have a lot of roll, as opposed to trying to use a more lofted club such as a sand wedge with which you would have to produce a longer swing where there is more margin for error.
If the flag is at the front of the green you will need the ball to stop more quickly so a more lofted club will be needed. However, you do have other options. If there is a clear area in front of the green a putter could be the right choice but you can also attempt to land the ball short of the green and let it run up onto the green.
Choosing the club depends on how much roll you require. The key is to know where you want the ball to land and then how far it will run forward with each club - this knowledge only comes through experience.
To help build your experience, practice chipping the ball and landing it in an area about the size of a beach towel, then hit five shots each with four or five different clubs ranging from a 7-iron to a sand wedge, all the while landing it in the same spot with each club and taking note of the amount of roll you achieve with each club.
You can take this experience on to the course giving you diversity to approach different short game shots with the club best suited for the task.
