This story is for you if...

• You miss as many fairways as you hit
• You rarely make clean contact from the rough
• When you do make solid contact you have no clue where the ball is headed

 

THE SITUATION
You've hit your drive into the rough and are tired of just hitting a wedge out to the fairway — you know there must be a way to reach the green.

 

THE SOLUTION
As long as the ball isn't completely buried, you don't need to back off. The following keys will give your second shot the boost it needs to escape the hay and end up near — or on — the green.

SETUP
Play the ball in the center of your stance and set the majority of your weight on your front foot. Pull one more club than you'd normally use for the distance and open the face about 5 degrees.

Hitting better chip shots requires a few fundamentals, most of which get overlooked by beginner and better players alike. Let’s look at a few and get your chipping back on track.

Choke Down On The Grip
This seems like an obvious mechanic, but choking down on the grip actually does a lot more than simply get your body closer to the ball to make a delicate stroke. Choking down also counterbalances the club, meaning added weight above the hands work to make it easier to make less than full shots without flipping the hands over too soon. As for your body, remember as you choke down: Don’t hunch your upper body. Instead, choke down with your hands, and get your body lower by adding more flex in the knees, as opposed to hunching over.

Stay Open & Narrow
Many of my students assume the best way to chip is to align their body either at or parallel to the target. I advise against this, since it’s important for the body to rotate (unlike a putt where it doesn’t rotate) just as with a full shot. Also, when it comes to chipping, because the hands have a delayed or lesser release than they do with a full swing, it’s even more important that the body be poised to turn. Think of it this way: If you’re too square, the body will resist rotating, and the hands will take over and get too active. That is, they’ll start to flip! Instead, make a narrow and open stance (don’t just flare out one foot) and let your body turn through the shot.