Golf Chipping Tips

Chipping is one of the most important shots of golf, and to perform it correctly, one requires presence of mind and some good technical skills. These technical skills can only be enhanced and developed over a period of time, with the right kind of guidance and practice.

The entire purpose of mastering the chip is to be able to get the ball on the green in as few shots as possible. Though the chip looks quite simple and elementary, it is quite difficult to execute.

The most crucial part of chipping is that the ball must get lesser air and more roll. If you can manage to do this, your chipping technique will soon improve. Rolling the ball gives you a greater degree of control over your shot.

The way one holds the golf club while swinging also makes a lot of difference to the effectiveness of a chip. A faulty grip can result in a haphazard shot. For this purpose, it is of importance for a right-handed person to have complete control over their left wrist, and vice versa.

One needs to avoid what is known as a break-down of the wrist, as this will result in a lack of direction and control. Anyone who is giving you tips will tell you that if your wrist breaks down, your trajectory will be ruined due to a change in the loft of your club. This results in an inaccurate chip.

To avoid this from happening, you must consciously make a decision to keep your arm straight and wrist firm, while you are making the shot.

The stance you take while making the chip is also an important factor, and something that you should be paying close attention to. The ball must be positioned between your feet, and your weight must be on the foot that is facing the direction in which you are going to chip.

The hands also need to be slightly ahead of the ball, and you need to make a movement of going under the ball, and scooping it out while playing the shot. All this while, your wrist must stay rigid and straight.

Though it is possible to play a chip with any choice of club, you must be able to make a sound decision regarding the same. Different clubs will give you different 'air time-ground time' ratios, and you need to be aware of this.

To know which club will suit you best, you need to spend a few hours practicing drills with different clubs. The more time you spend trying out different clubs, the easier it will be for you to determine which club is best suited for chipping.

Envision how far ahead you must let the chip fall, and how far ahead the ball needs to roll, for your chip to be successful. The secret is to practice as much as possible, and soon you will learn how to expertly hit a chip.