Fundamental Chipping: Setup, Pace, and Contact Keys

By Kevin Rhoads | January 07, 2008 | 8:03 AM | 0 Comments

In my last article I focused on putting, and what I consider the most important components for performance. In this article, I'd like to expand your short-game repertoire to include chipping. I would define chipping as any shot near the green which requires less air-time and more roll time. Similar to putting, there are many techniques that can work for chipping - so many that it can be difficult to choose an effective system. It is my intent to condense our efforts into the things that really matter. I'd like you to take away four main ideas from this article: proper dynamics, proper setup, proper contact, and a word on club choice.

First, I'd like you to recall the dynamics which are effective for putting. I argued that a neutrally-accelerating clubhead was in our best interests when trying for distance-control, because it's easier to regulate a neutrally-accelerating clubhead than either a clubhead that is de-accelerating or accelerating too quickly. The image we use for neutral-acceleration is a pendulum. I find the same image to be useful for chipping: since we are trying for distance-control in our chipping (just like putting,) we need to employ pendulum-like dynamics to our chipping as well. Sometimes you will use a shorter pendulum, and sometimes a longer one (depending on the length of your shot and how far you are from your landing spot.) But asking yourself, "What size pendulum do I need on this shot?" can be a very helpful pre-shot thought.

The next idea differs slightly from putting, and will be taken care of in your setup. For putts, we want the ball to start rolling smoothly directly off of the putter face, instead of bouncing. This is done by hitting our putts with a very level angle of approach. Since there is very little loft on a putter, if we hit ‘up' on the putt or ‘down' on the putt, the ball will bounce too much. But on a chip (or pitch) shot, we need to have a slightly descending approach to the ball. This allows us to not hit the ground before the ball, but also to hit the ball on the lofted part of the club. How do we accomplish this simply? Use a proper setup.

The proper chipping setup has three components. 1) Your ‘ball position' should be slightly to the right of the center of your stance. 2) The handle of your club should be pointed either at your belt-buckle, or 1 inch left of your belt buckle. 3) Last, your upper body needs to be leaning slightly towards the target, which puts some weight on your ‘target' foot. This makes your trail shoulder and hip a bit higher, and, coupled with your ball-position, helps encourage a slightly downward hit on the ball.

So far we know what the dynamics and the setup are like. Next, I want you to think about contact. If I had to define the most important variable in all of golf performance, I would say Proper Ball-Club CONTACT. We could do everything else correctly on a given shot, but if contact was incorrect, the ball WILL NOT perform. What is proper contact? Most people would say you need to hit the ball in the center of the face. But I would be more specific: besides a greenside bunker shot, a putt, or a shot with a driver off of a tee, every other shot in golf needs to be hit so that the LEADING EDGE OF THE CLUB MEETS THE BOTTOM OF THE BALL. For intents and purposes, I will just say it as ‘The Bottom of the Club meets the Bottom of the Ball." Balls should be hit in the center of the face in terms of toe to heel of the club, but in terms of high to low, need to be hit so that the bottom of the club meets the bottom of the ball. By having this specific image in your head, your contact will get better and better. This image, coupled with a proper setup, will give you good contact. Add proper dynamics to that, and you can definitely improve your chipping.

Last, a brief word about club-selection. I definitely believe in getting the ball on the ground a bit sooner rather than later. There are many reasons that I believe this, though the most important may just be the fact that there is more forgiveness in your misses when you're using a less-lofted club. Everyone misses a shot from time to time; we might as well make things easier on ourselves So choose the club that gets over any obstacle that is between you and the hole, but after clearing that obstacle, gets on the ground relatively quickly. For most people then, I would recommend developing shots around the green with your 7-iron, your Pitching Wedge. We'll talk about using your sand wedge in the next installment on Pitching.

So summing up, chipping is just this: a leaning-left pendulum (for a right-handed player) where the bottom of the club is meeting the bottom of the ball. If you've chosen the correct club and the correct landing spot, you'll be on the road to lower scores.

Next time I'll talk about pitching, which has many similarities to chipping besides the trajectory of the shots and how much the ball rolls after landing.

Very best wishes for the New Year. I hope that 2008 treats you and yours well, both on and off the course.

For comments or questions, please contact me at Kevin@RhoadsGolf.com.