Good chipping practice is about choosing a landing spot and hitting it, not about hitting many balls to one flag. Pick where the ball should land, let the slope and roll do the rest, and change the lie, the distance and the club as you go. Finish with a game that scores how many chips you get up and down. If your contact is still fat or thin, fix the technique first; that is covered in how to chip.
chipping practice drills
One chip, one flag / Landing spots and variety
Fault vs fix
One chip, one flag
- 01Hitting the same chip from the same lie over and over
- 02Aiming only at the hole instead of a landing spot
- 03Using one club without learning how each one rolls out
Landing spots and variety
- 01Land chips on a towel, then watch how far each club rolls
- 02Rotate lies so every chip needs a fresh decision
- 03Finish with an up-and-down game that keeps score
What is happening
Most chipping practice is the same shot, from the same lie, to the same flag, over and over. It feels good because you settle into a rhythm, but on the course every chip is different: a new lie, a new distance, a new slope. Practice that never changes does not prepare you for that.
The skill that saves strokes is controlling where the ball lands and how far it rolls. A chip that lands on the right spot with the right club will roll out predictably. That means practicing landing spots and roll-out, not just a clean strike.
Technique and practice are separate jobs. If you still catch chips fat or thin, a routine will not fix that. Get the contact right first, then use practice to build judgement and confidence.
Diagnose it yourself
- Check your contact first: ten chips from a good lie. If several are fat or thin, work on technique before this routine.
- Pick a landing spot and see how many of ten chips land within a yard of it.
- Watch how far each club rolls after landing. Do you know it for your pitching wedge and sand wedge?
- On the course, count how often you get up and down from just off the green.
What SwingVantage looks for
- Weight distribution at setup and through the shot
- Whether the hands lead the clubhead into impact
- Stroke length and tempo, and whether they repeat from shot to shot
- Head stability through the stroke
Example SwingVantage diagnosis
your contact is consistent, but your stroke length changes a lot for the same distance, so distance control is where practice time should go.
Beginner-safe drills
chipping practice drills
Practice it in 3 steps
Drill sequence
Landing-spot towel
Lay a small towel on the green a few paces on. Chip to land the ball on the towel and watch where it finishes. Move the towel and change clubs to learn how far each one rolls out.
Three-lie rotation
Hit one chip from a good lie, one from light rough, and one from a tight or bare lie, then repeat. Never hit two in a row from the same lie, so every shot needs a fresh decision.
Up-and-down game
Drop five balls in different spots around the green. Chip each one and putt it out. Count how many you get down in two shots, and try to beat that score next session.
One fix, one plan, one retest
- The one fix
- Practice landing the ball on a chosen spot instead of aiming at the hole. Once you know where a chip should land and how far that club rolls, distance control follows. Aiming only at the flag leaves both to chance.
- The plan
- Two or three sessions a week, about 20 minutes: ten minutes of the landing-spot towel with two clubs, five of the three-lie rotation, and finish with one round of the up-and-down game.
- The retest
- Same practice green, once a week: play the up-and-down game from the same five spots. The fix is working when your score goes up over a few weeks. On the course, track your up-and-down rate from just off the green.
Did the fix work? Retest it.
Film the same swing from the same angle, run a new analysis, and compare the results side-by-side. One fix. One plan. One retest.
Retest my swingCommon mistakes to avoid
- Mistake 1
Hitting the same chip from the same lie over and over, which feels good but does not transfer.
- Mistake 2
Aiming only at the hole instead of choosing a landing spot.
- Mistake 3
Using one club for every chip without learning how each one rolls out.
- Mistake 4
Running this routine while contact is still fat or thin; fix the technique first.
- What goes wrong
When to work with a coach
If your contact is still inconsistent after working on the technique, or you cannot decide which club or shot to play around the green, a coach can help with both. Short-game lessons are often the fastest way to lower scores.
Your swing, decoded — coaching in your pocket. SwingVantage reads your swing and gives you the one fix that matters most, with data-backed guidance you can use today. Its findings are estimates that get sharper with every swing you add. For injury concerns or advanced technique, pair it with a coach — you'll show up to those sessions already ahead.
Warm up before full-speed swings, build speed gradually, and use properly fitted clubs. Stop if anything hurts.
FAQ
How often should I practice chipping?
Two or three short sessions a week, around 20 minutes each, is a good start. Spread practice beats one long session, and always finish with a game that keeps score.
Which club should I practice chipping with?
Practice with at least two: a pitching wedge for chips that should roll out, and a sand wedge for shorter, softer ones. Learning how far each one rolls is half the skill.
Can SwingVantage analyze my chipping?
Yes. Film a chip and pick it as the shot in Motion Lab. It reads the same phases as a full swing, without the release phase. It does not track where the ball lands or rolls, so judge those on the green.
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Authority references
Primary rules and research references used for factual context on this guide.