Although chipping is a reasonably straightforward concept in theory, we often make it more difficult for ourselves by choosing the wrong club.
Regularly, a club golfer’s first instinct when they miss the green is to reach for their most lofted club (PW or SW) and attempt to play a high shot towards the pin.
Although there are many cases when the high shot is the ‘right’ shot, I often see people play this shot at the wrong time, when a straighter faced club would be a more efficient option. Let’s discuss the benefits of keeping the ball closer to the ground and getting the ball rolling earlier in the shot.
In order to select the ‘right’ club for a chip shot, it is important to analyse what the given shot requires. If you are chipping over a bunker to a tight pin and you have very little room to work with, this particular shot requires significantly more flight than roll.
Therefore, you will need to choose your most lofted wedge, commit to the high-risk shot and do your best to execute it. However, if you find yourself just short of the green and the pin is right at the back, the requirements are completely different. In this instance, you have lots of green to work with and the most straightforward shot requires significantly more roll than flight.
In practice, experiment by using a flatter faced club such as a seven iron and playing a chip and run shot where you ‘bump’ the ball onto the green and let it roll, like a putt, towards the hole.
If you work on this, you will notice that you only need a very short swing to move the ball the required distance.
Naturally, this shorter swing will be easier to control and as a result, your ball striking and touch will improve. In addition, you will also see that your chip shots will be reaching the hole at a much more controlled pace, making it more likely for some of them to go in!
There are no ‘rules’ when it comes to choosing which club to chip with around the green. If you stood there long enough, you could probably hole a chip shot (from a constant location) with any club in your bag. However, if you take into account the requirements of the shot, you can start to work out which club will produce the most consistent and predictable outcomes.
Experiment with a number of clubs in practice and you will notice that in most cases, taking slightly less loft will be the most efficient option, giving you the most room for error.
For more information on this topic or to find out more about the golf coaching services at Awali Golf Club, contact me on 39761873.
Good luck and happy golfing!
