Chip-Putt Shot

Now the first shot I think you should learn is called a chip-putt.  And what this involves is setting up to a chip shot as though you are going to putt.  So you should use the same grip as you do when you're putting. Here is a close-up of the putting grip I use and teach my students to use to chip-putt with.

Now it's important when you setup to chip-putt that you...

§         align the club directly at where you want your ball to start

§         have some flex in your knees

§         position your hands so they are in front of the ball

§         position your eyes directly over the ball

§         have your arms relatively straight

§         align your feet, knees, hips, shoulders all parallel to the starting line of your shot

§         55 - 60% of your weight is on your left foot

Once you are in a similar position to what I've explained above then you are ready to swing. Now to swing you need to understand that very little should be moving. And I want to go through the parts that should NOT be doing anything as you swing. So here are all the parts that should NOT be doing anything as you chip-putt.

§         Feet - Nothing

§         Ankles - Nothing

§         Knees - Nothing

§         Legs - Nothing

§         Hips - Nothing

§         Head - Nothing

All that should be moving  should be your shoulders, arms and wrists during the chip-putt.                                                                  

Here is a picture sequence of swinging the club when for a chip-putt:

  Your follow-through should always be longer than your backswing.

Just swing your shoulders and arms keeping everything else still, and swing through longer than you did going back and hold your finish.

With the chip-putt action, at setup you'll notice there is a triangle relationship formed by your arms and shoulders.  So when chipping this relationship should stay intact as you're swinging.  Also, your swing must be longer on the follow-through than it was on the backswing and you must hold the finish of your swing when you watch the ball flying and finishing.

Normal Chip Shot

Now when you setup for a normal chip shot you should position the ball in the middle of your stance.  And your feet should be closer together than for a chip-putt.  Also, your feet should be turned towards the target by about 25-30 degrees.  Here is a picture of the chipping setup needed:

Now at address you should still have some knee flex just like you did for a chip-putt, but you should stand taller than you did when chip-putting. But you don't need to have your eyes directly over the ball when chipping.

You want the club face to be pointing straight at your target and you also want your wrists to be slightly bowed. To do this you may need to raise the club up so the heel of the club is off the ground. If so, do it. And don't worry about it because you'll be striking the ball first instead of the ground so it won't make any difference as far as the contact is concerned. Also, you should grip the club with your putting grip. Finally, you should have about 60-65% of your weight on your front foot.

So, remember these important details when you setup to chip .

§         grip the club with your putting grip

§         align the club directly at where you want your ball to start

§         have some flex in your knees

§         position your hands so they are in front of the ball and bowed.

§         have your arms relatively straight

§         align your shoulders parallel to the starting line of your shot

§         60 - 65% of your weight is on your left foot

 And may you enjoy continuing your golf improvement....