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The Smart Path To Better golf

Smart Chipping

BY GEOFF GREIG

1. Hit down to get it up and down.
Trying to scoop or lift the golf ball leads to inconsistent ball striking and poor distance control. Strive for a descending blow on all chip shots. Place the ball in middle or back of your stance to insure the club head strikes the ball before it strikes the ground.

2. Keep your weight left to hit it (correctly) right.
Setting up with your weight on your left foot and keeping it there throughout the shot makes it much easier to hit down on the ball consistently. Try hitting a few chips standing on your left foot only to feel a proper descending blow.

3. For simplicity chip like you putt.
A proper chip is merely a putt that travels in the air for part of the distance. The basics of putting and chipping are the same: pendulum motion, straight back straight through and no wrists. Let the lofted club and weight on the left foot take care of getting the ball airborne you should focus on a simple putting like motion.

4. Vary the backswing length to vary the distance.
Strive for consistent acceleration on the downswing and let the length of the backswing control the distance of the shot. Because the backswing happens at a slower pace it easier to make changes there as opposed to the downswing.

5. Pause for perfection.
Because the chipping motion is an abbreviated one we have a tendency to rush the pace of the swing. A brief pause between the backswing and the downswing will help keep the tempo smooth and insure acceleration through the ball.

6. Pick a precise landing spot.
Distance control is the key to good chipping. Learn the ratio of flight to roll of your favorite chipping clubs so you can pick an accurate landing spot for each chip. Precise focus leads to better results.

Every time you get a bucket of balls use a few of them for chipping practice, your scores will thank you.

See you next time..