When it come to choosing the right club to chip their way around the green, the choices from professional golfers vary, typically from two schools of thought:

1) Some prefer to use just one club as much as possible when making chip shots. The reason? Because when you practice as many chip shots as you can with just one club, you can become an expert in handling that club. They believe in the old saying that goes: “Jack of all trades, master of none”.

2) On the flip side of the opinion from various pro golfers about what club to pull out for your chip shots, the advice is to use as many different clubs as you can. The reason? So that you can become skilled at adapting to the different conditions on the course for the shot. So while the first expert opinion is to master one club, this advice requires that you use several clubs for different chip shots.

Tough Choice, Two Opposing Opinions

This is what I love about golf - you will get 10 different answers from 10 different golfers. And guess what? They are all right! You have to try different approaches to the entire game until you develop your own personal system.

Chip shots, pitch shots, putting, drives... take all the advice you can and practice until the right feel comes to you.

For the beginner golfer, the best approach is more likely to try different clubs, as advised in #2 above. This will help the new player to get a feel for each club's natural movements and advantages instead of forcing the chip shot through one club that may not be the right one for you. It takes a while to get the the intermediate level of the game to make more experienced club decisions so take your time, have fun, and go with the flow of getting to know your clubs.

Then, as you learn the game and start to get a solid grasp on what your clubs can do, you can make the switch to mastering one club for all of your chip shots. In time, you will probably find that there is one club in particular that just feels perfect when you grip it for these type of shots.

For example, my 8 iron is my absolute favorite for knocking balls around the green. I cannot explain why in scientific detail, but after playing the sport for over ten years it just grew on me as the one that brings me the most success.

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Chip Shot: What Club Should You Use?

Mastering your short game can be as simple or as hard as you make it. Common complexities do exist, sure, but most new golfers make too many mountains out of molehills when the best approach to take is to just...

Keep It Simple!

Let's discuss the simple approach to the chip shot. When it comes to the bare-bones-basics of chipping the ball, your technique should be a simple routine that can be used over and over again with simplicity.

Why? Because by using a straight-forward routine that can be implemented with ease, and for shot after shot, you will make better progress and your overall skill level will increase at a faster pace.

Too many new golfers end up spinning their wheels for months, some even years, due to their inability to stick with a basic swing technique for different shots. Make it a personal commitment to “not be that guy” on the course. Learn the game, keep your swings simple, and stick to the basics - especially when it comes to your chip shots.

A Simple Bump And Run Approach

The bump and run is the easiest chip shot to make. You should use a less-lofted club for this shot, something in the range of your 6, 7 or 8 iron. Your stance should be different than your normal iron shot. Standard iron shots require about a shoulder-width foot placement. But chip shots should be made with an open stance and your feet tightly closer together.

Now to hit your bump and run what I advise is to move the ball back further within your stance as opposed to the normal iron shot stance. This little trick helps swing the club with less loft because your stance is open and you are playing the ball back. The ball will be kept low to the ground and the open stance helps keep the leg power out of the swing (you do not want full leg power due to the short distance of this shot).

By using too much leg power you have the tendency to sacrifice accuracy. The short game is all about technique, not power. Professional golfers know this. They have hundreds of different strategies for playing the short game and it shows.

Remember to keep most of your weight on the front foot. Your hands should be approximately three inches ahead of the ball when you are set up. The result is a crisp, clean bump and run with a happy chip shot ending.

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How To Chip The Ball: A Simple Technique

Chip Tip: A Simple Way To Understand The Mechanics Of The Chip Shot

If you are having a tough time with your chip shots then the easiest way to get better is to first understand the mechanics of the shot.

Simple think of the chip shot like the hands of a clock: The bottom of your swing would be the 6 o'clock mark. The top of the swing would be your 12 o'clock mark. In this shot, the appropriate timing on these “hands of the clock” may vary depending on how much distance you need.

For example, if you swing the club from the 6 o'clock starting point, back along the target line, and the backswing stops at the 3 o'clock position, then the swing along the target line – after striking the ball – should not stop until it reaches the 9 o'clock mark.

The Bottom Line

Make sure you draw the club back, keeping it low to the ground right along the target line, then forward through the ball. Finish your swing pointing directly to the target line, with the same amount of distance that you took your club back, making sure to not stop there – keep the club moving as you lead with the front wrist – as this will keep the clubface on the target line.

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The Chip Shot