Chipping Practice
Also known as: how to practice chipping, chipping practice routine, chipping practice drills, practice chipping
Practice chipping by picking a landing spot and hitting it, not by hitting many balls at one flag. Change the lie, the distance and the club as you go, learn how far each club rolls after landing, and finish with an up-and-down game that keeps score. If contact is still fat or thin, fix the technique first.
Most chipping practice is the same shot from the same lie to the same flag. It feels good because you settle into a rhythm, but on the course every chip is different. The skill that saves strokes is controlling where the ball lands and how far it rolls. As a result, practice landing spots and roll-out rather than only a clean strike.
Lay a towel on the green a few paces on and try to land chips on it, then watch where each finishes. Move the towel and change clubs to learn how far each one rolls. Rotate lies so you never hit two in a row from the same one: a good lie, light rough, then a tight lie. Finish by dropping balls around the green, chipping and putting each out, and counting how many you get down in two.
Technique and practice are separate jobs. If you still catch chips fat or thin, a routine will not fix that; work on contact first.
Tips by skill level
Practice with two clubs, a pitching wedge for chips that roll out and a sand wedge for softer ones, and learn how far each rolls.
Never hit two practice chips in a row from the same lie. Every shot should need a fresh decision, as it does on the course.
Example
He used to hit fifty chips at one flag. Now he lands chips on a towel with two clubs, rotates lies, and ends with five balls of up-and-down. His up-and-down score climbs over a month.
Why it matters
Chipping practice that never changes does not transfer to the course. Practicing landing spots, lies and clubs builds the judgement that saves strokes around the green.
Common mistakes
- Hitting the same chip from the same lie over and over
- Aiming only at the hole instead of choosing a landing spot
- Using one club for every chip without learning how each rolls out
- Running a routine while contact is still fat or thin
Frequently asked questions
How do I practice chipping?
Pick a landing spot and try to hit it, change the lie, distance and club as you go, and finish with an up-and-down game that keeps score.
How often should I practice chipping?
Two or three short sessions a week is a good start. Spread practice beats one long session, and always finish with a game that keeps score.
Sources
- How to Practice Chipping: Landing Spots, Distance and Pressure
Related terms
- ChippingChipping is a short shot played from just off the green. A small swing gets the ball rolling on the green quickly so it can run to the hole.
- Chip-and-RunA chip-and-run is a low, bouncing chip that gets on the green fast and rolls toward the hole. It is the safest choice when there is room between the ball and the green edge.
- Chip vs PitchA chip flies low, spends more time rolling than flying and uses a short stroke with little wrist hinge. A pitch flies higher, carries most of the way and uses a longer swing with wrist hinge. Chip when you have green to work with, and pitch when you must carry rough, a bunker or a slope.
- Chipping From Greenside RoughFrom thick rough near the green, use a lofted wedge, open the face slightly and play the ball in the middle of your stance. Make a steeper swing with more wrist hinge and keep accelerating through the grass. Expect the ball to come out with little spin and roll more than a chip from the fringe.
- Chipping From a Tight LieFrom a tight or bare lie, the safest play is usually to use less loft and roll the ball. A hybrid or 8-iron chipped like a long putt often works well. Play the ball in the middle of your stance, grip down, stand a little closer and lean the shaft toward the target. Make a small swing at your normal tempo that brushes the ground, rather than scooping with a lofted wedge.
- Chunked ChipA chunked chip is fat contact on a short finesse shot near the green. The club hits the ground well before the ball, loses speed, and leaves the shot far short of the target.
Related guides & benchmarks
Work on the cause
Video shows how you move, not the ball itself. Film one swing to find the movement behind this result — free to start.
See a sample Golf report first