How To Chip The Ball: A Simple Technique (Part 2)

Always stick to the basics when performing the bump and run chip shot. With your stance in place and your weight shifted on the front foot, it's time to make the swing.

On this type of shot you really want to avoid making too much of a divot. The club should hit the ball while it is accelerating, not slowing down. If your swing digs into the ground then it is likely to cause the clubhead to slow and your hopeful chip shot then turns into a bumbled fat shot.

Visualize hitting both the ball and the ground at once, with your wrists firm, while making a clean sweep of the club through the contact zone – then make it happen, just like described.

Flop Shot Basic Technique

When a flop shot is in order, make your stance practically identical to the bump and run stance. The only changes are that your feet should be closer together and your stance slightly more open. You may have differing adjustments than my recommended stance, and that is just fine so long as you adhere to the basic principles of what I am describing here.

Because I like to open my stance up a little more than most golfers, it allows me to play the ball far in the front and produces more loft. This means that I will be able to hit the ball with more height while reducing the amount of roll when it lands.

To hit the flop shot correctly the ball should be sitting just on top of the fluff of grass. This means that the shot is easier to hit when the ball is in the rough rather than on closely-trimmed fairway. And of course you need to pop the ball up (which requires that you hit under the ball). When playing on nicely cut grass, it is too easy to mess up and hit the ground first.

Last Minute Chipping Tips

Here are three key things to keep in mind whenever you are making a chip shot:

1) Never pass on the bump and run shot if you have a clear, smooth pathway in between your ball and the hole.

2) Not every chip shot has the same conditions so if you need less roll and more height on the ball, consider using a higher lofted club. The sand wedge or the pitching wedge are good choices. And for less hight and more roll, look to the 7 or 8 iron.

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