Golf Chipping Tips to Improve Your Short Game

Everyone knows a solid short game is important. Here are some easy golf chipping tips to help you boost your short game.

Let's begin with the disclaimer that there are several types of chips you can hit when you get near the green. In other words, there is no solitary perfect approach for hitting the ball closer to the hole. The quality of your chipping will hinge on your position, the length of the grass, distance to the flag, and the state of the green.

Now let's begin our golf chipping tips with a typical chip. This shot is best when you are near the green but haven't yet reached it. Typically, you play it with either the 9-iron or your favorite wedge. My recommendation is that a decent chip will travel about 1/3 of the distance to the cup in the air and then roll the remainder of the distance. This shot should be played in the center of your stance with your hands in front of the ball and the club face square to your stance.

As we proceed with our golf chipping techniques, let's examine the soft shot. This kind of stroke allows the ball to go further in the air and gently land in close proximity to (and hopefully rolling into) the cup. The most common club used for a soft chip shot is the lob wedge, but a sand wedge can also be chosen.

To hit this shot, you should address the ball with the club face open slightly. Play the ball forward in your stance and leave your hands in the back of it during the stroke. It is imperative that you begin to accelerate the club head when making this shot. When done properly, the ball will fly high for a limited distance and then land gently and move just a little.

If you have a good deal of distance between your ball and the flag, you might attempt the low chip shot. This stroke is typically hit with a mid-iron, like a six- or 7-iron. You must play the ball toward the back of your stance to get the downward kind of contact you need. Once again, keep your hands in front of the club head and the face of the club in line with what you're aiming at.

This stroke generates the biggest amount of roll once the ball lands on the green, and is good to employ when you are able to aim right at the hole but are nervous about going too far behind it. This can take place if a sand trap or water hazard is close to the rear part of the hole.

Most importantly, the most effective golf chipping advice you can get is to prepare by consistently using each of your short game clubs, from mid-irons to wedges. Each requires its own setup and swing, and the only way to grasp all of these options is to go to the course and practice with them regularly.

Start with the regular shot and proceed to the soft shot, the two shots you will hit most often on any given day. Once you have these down, proceed to the low shot. It may take longer to perfect than the more common shots, but it is definitely worth the effort.

By using these golf chipping tips, you can begin to get good at your short game and achieve a lower score, every time. Have patience, and keep trying until you get it perfect.

Chris Keller blogs about golf tips on his site Golf Problems, which is geared towards solving common golf issues like slicing, shanking, and driving.