With the correct set-up, you are in a position to quickly develop feel for the distance and direction of the shot. Your weight should be primarily on your left foot with your hands ahead of the ball. By doing this, you are assured of accelerating the club through the ball with a descending blow. The ball should be positioned no farther forward than the middle of your stance; this is so the left hand can lead the stroke. You should also align yourself slightly open (to the left) of the target so that you can swing the club straight out towards your target with a firm wrist action. Hips and feet are slightly open with shoulders parallel to the intended target line

Once you are set up correctly, the chipping stroke is simply a matter of brushing the grass under the ball with your club, allowing the loft of the club to get the ball in the air, land on the green and then roll like a putt to the hole. This is an arms only stroke with the hands staying ahead of the club head. The hands and body play no part in a well executed chipping stroke. The chip is simply a putt with a club that has loft on It When playing a chip shot; try to think of it as a chip and a putt in one stroke. Part of the shot is through the air and the other part is the ball rolling like a putt to the hole. How far the ball has to travel through the air to reach the green will determine which club is best suited to the shot How far the bail has to roil to the hole will determine how hard, or soft, the shot should be played.

It always pays to take a practice stroke first to get the feel for the right stroke and for distance. This is the thought process that should be applied to a chip, and the one which will always bring you the best results.
 
To schedule a lesson with one of our PGA Professionals please call the golf shop.

Bob Dougherty
Bob has been teaching golf for over thirty-five years. He has worked with Bob Toski at the Golf Digest schools and Jimmy Ballard at the Doral Resort in Miami. He has also worked with many tour players, including Fuzzy Zoeller, Jim Gallagher, Larry Gilbert, Jim O'Hearn, Jim Barber, Dave Ogrin, Ray Freeman - Canadian tour. Bob was nominated for PGA teacher of the year in 1994, 1996 and again in 1997. It Has been said of Bob that a swing does not exist that he cannot fix!

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