Chipping
is best thought of as modified putting. Chipping should be employed
when you are near the green. You may have obstacle between you and
the hole or you may not. More often, you will not have anything
but open green and the flag stick.
The
object is to get the ball rolling towards the hole as if you had
putted it. It is easier for you to calculate how much force a putt
needs than how hard to swing to loft it to the hole.
Approach
a chip like you would a long putt. Read the break the same way and
figure in the slope as if you plan to sink it.
Next,
by looking at the distance from the ball to the hole from the side,
determine 5 equal segments of that distance. In other words, divide
the distance into fifths. You typically want to carry the ball the
first fifth, and let it roll the next 4 fifths to the hole. If you
are on the fringe, that should be easy to figure. Take a club that
will loft the ball the distance from the ball to the edge of the
green and it will roll the rest off the way to the hole. Say you're
20 feet from the pin and 4 feet off the green, with a normal lie.
Take a 4 iron to an 8 iron to lift and carry it the first 4 feet.
After it reaches the putting surface it will roll proportionally
to the loft of the club. An eight iron won't roll as much as a 4
iron.
Take
some balls to the practice green and throw 5 over your shoulder
on the edge. Play them with different clubs as you experiment with
this concept.
When
the distance is about the same, say 5 feet of fringe and 5 to 10
feet of green, then you need more loft. Pitching wedge or sand wedge
will be the club. The loft and roll on these club will be 50/50.
Half the distance will be in the air and half will be roll.
All
of these shots require a putting grip and a putting stance. Make
the stroke as if it were a putt. The is extremely important to remember.
Chip with you smoothest putting stroke. Put the ball back in your
stance, off your right toe. Keep your wrists firm. Do not let them
break any more than they would when you putt. THINK PUTT.
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