Chipping is the fastest way to lower your scores. Every golfer misses greens — even skilled players miss several a round, and most club golfers miss far more. Each time you do, a good chip can turn a likely bogey or double bogey into a par or bogey. Yet chipping is one of the most neglected skills in golf, and many players fear it because of thin shots skulled across the green or fat shots that move a few feet.
This guide gives you a simple, reliable chipping technique, explains how to choose the right club for every situation and provides drills that build confidence quickly.
Chip vs pitch: what is the difference?
- A chip is a short, low shot played from just off the green. The ball flies a short distance and then rolls most of the way to the hole.
- A pitch is a higher shot that flies most of the way to the target and stops more quickly. Pitches are used when you need to carry the ball over rough, bunkers or a long distance before landing.
As a rule: roll it when you can, fly it when you must. A rolling ball is more predictable than one in the air. For higher shots, see our guide to wedge play, pitching and spin.
The basic chipping technique
Set-up
- Narrow stance — feet a few inches apart, slightly open (lead foot pulled back a little).
- Ball position — just back of centre in your stance.
- Weight forward — about 60–70% on your lead foot, and keep it there throughout the stroke.
- Hands ahead of the ball — the shaft leans slightly towards the target.
- Grip down the club an inch or two for control.
- Stand closer to the ball than for a full shot, with the shaft more upright. This makes the stroke more like a putt.
The stroke
- Make a putting-style stroke, rocking your shoulders back and through.
- Keep your wrists firm — minimal hinge.
- Keep your lower body quiet.
- Strike down slightly on the ball, brushing the grass after it.
- Keep the length of backswing and follow-through roughly equal, at an even tempo.
- Finish with the hands still ahead of the clubhead.
Choosing the right club
Many golfers chip with the same club every time — usually a sand wedge. That works sometimes, but it makes distance control harder, because a high-lofted club flies the ball further and rolls it less, making every chip a delicate shot.
A better approach is to choose the club based on how much carry and roll you need.
Carry-to-roll ratios
On a flat green at normal speed, a chip with a putting-style stroke typically behaves roughly like this:
| Club | Approximate carry : roll |
|---|---|
| Sand wedge | 1 : 1 |
| Pitching wedge | 1 : 2 |
| 9-iron | 1 : 3 |
| 8-iron | 1 : 4 |
| 7-iron | 1 : 5 |
These are starting points. Green speed, slope and grass conditions change them, so test them on your practice green.
How to use the ratios
- Pick a landing spot about a yard onto the green.
- Estimate how far the ball needs to carry to that spot and how far it must roll to the hole.
- Choose the club whose ratio matches.
For example, if you are a few yards off the green and the hole is 15 yards away on the green, a carry of 3 yards and roll of 12 suggests roughly a 1 : 4 ratio — an 8-iron.
Using the same technique with different clubs gives you consistent contact and predictable distances.
Reading the lie
The lie determines what shot you can play.
| Lie | What to do |
|---|---|
| Tight fairway or fringe | Standard chip; consider a putter or hybrid chip |
| Ball sitting up in light rough | Standard chip; the ball may come out with less spin and roll more |
| Ball sitting down in thick rough | More lofted club, steeper stroke, firmer hit; expect less control |
| Into the grain | Grass grabs the club; be firmer |
| Uphill lie | Ball flies higher and stops quicker; use less loft |
| Downhill lie | Ball comes out lower and runs more; use more loft and land it shorter |
Alternative chipping options
Putting from off the green
If the grass between you and the green is short and smooth, putting is often the best option — even from several yards off. A poor putt usually finishes closer than a poor chip.
The hybrid or fairway wood chip
From a tight lie against the fringe or collar, a hybrid or fairway wood can be excellent. Grip down to the end of the grip, stand close and use your putting stroke. The ball pops up briefly and rolls like a putt. See hybrid golf clubs explained.
The bump-and-run
On firm ground, especially on links courses, play a longer chip with a 7- or 8-iron, landing the ball short of the green and letting it run up. Read links vs parkland vs heathland.
Reading the green when chipping
Chips roll like putts once they land, so read them like putts:
- Look at the slope between the landing spot and the hole.
- Consider speed — downhill chips need a softer stroke and a landing spot further from the hole.
- Pick a precise landing spot and focus on it, not on the hole.
- Visualise the roll from landing spot to hole.
Our guide on how to putt explains green reading in detail.
Common chipping mistakes
- Scooping — trying to lift the ball, causing thin and fat shots. Fix: hands forward, weight forward, strike down.
- Weight on the back foot — leads to hitting the ground first. Fix: set 60–70% of weight on the lead foot and keep it there.
- Decelerating — a long backswing followed by a hesitant stroke. Fix: shorter backswing, smooth acceleration.
- Too much wrist action — inconsistent contact. Fix: firm wrists, shoulders rock.
- Always using the same club — poor distance control. Fix: choose the club by carry-to-roll ratio.
- Looking up early — moving the head before contact. Fix: keep your eyes on the back of the ball until after impact.
Chipping drills
1. The landing spot drill
Place a towel or coin a yard onto the green. Chip balls with different clubs, trying to land each one on the target. Watch how far each club rolls.
2. The ladder drill
Place targets at 10, 20 and 30 feet from the edge of the green. Chip to each in turn. This builds distance control.
3. The coin drill (contact)
Place a coin a couple of inches in front of the ball. Hit chips that strike the ball and then brush the coin. This trains a downward, ball-first strike.
4. The one-handed drill
Chip with only your lead hand. It teaches you to keep the hands ahead and the wrists firm.
5. Up-and-down challenge
Drop five balls around the practice green in different lies. Chip and putt each one out. Count how many you get up and down in two shots, and try to beat your score next session.
6. Par-18 chipping course
Choose nine different spots around the green. From each, chip and putt. Two shots is par for each spot — aim to beat 18.
How to practise chipping effectively
- Spend a third of your practice time on the short game.
- Practise from varied lies — tight, fluffy, uphill, downhill.
- Use multiple clubs, not just one wedge.
- Finish every chip by putting out, so practice resembles the course.
- Track your up-and-down percentage on the course. See how to lower your golf handicap.
Chipping on the course: a routine
- Assess the lie.
- Choose a landing spot.
- Select the club to give the right carry and roll.
- Make two practice strokes while looking at the landing spot.
- Set up with the ball back, weight forward and hands forward.
- Commit and make a smooth stroke.
Chipping from tricky spots
Against the collar
When your ball rests against the longer grass around the green, the club can snag. Try putting with the leading edge of a wedge — grip down, set the wedge's leading edge at the equator of the ball and use a putting stroke. Alternatively, use a hybrid or fairway wood chip.
From a bare or tight lie
Use a less-lofted club and a putting-style stroke so the leading edge does not dig. A pitching wedge or 9-iron with minimal wrist action is safer than a sand wedge here.
From a fluffy lie in the rough
The ball sits up, so there is a risk of sliding the club underneath it. Hover the club at address rather than grounding it, and make a slightly firmer, sweeping stroke.
Downhill to a fast green
Choose more loft, land the ball as close to the edge of the green as possible and accept that the ball may roll past. The goal is to leave an uphill putt if possible.
A four-week chipping plan
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Set-up and contact: coin drill, one-handed drill |
| 2 | Club selection: landing-spot drill with four different clubs |
| 3 | Lies and slopes: chips from tight, fluffy, uphill and downhill lies |
| 4 | Scoring: up-and-down challenge and par-18 course |
Track your up-and-down percentage in each round and watch it climb.
Frequently asked questions
Which club is best for chipping?
There is no single best club. Use the one that gives the right combination of carry and roll for the situation. Many golfers find a pitching wedge or 9-iron the most versatile.
Should I chip with a putting grip?
Many golfers do, especially for short chips. A putting grip quietens the wrists and helps make chipping feel like putting. Experiment and choose what gives the most consistent contact.
Why do I keep thinning my chips?
Usually because the weight moves back or the hands flip to lift the ball. Keep your weight forward, hands ahead and strike down slightly.
The bottom line
Good chipping comes from a simple set-up — narrow stance, ball back, weight and hands forward — combined with a firm, putting-style stroke. Choose your club by carry-to-roll ratio, land the ball on the green as soon as possible and read the roll like a putt. Practise with purpose and track your up-and-down percentage, and you will save strokes on almost every hole where you miss the green.
Not sure which shot to play? Read chip or putt? How to choose, and for high, soft shots, how to hit a lob shot.
Tricky lies: playing from the collar and how to use the bounce.
More chipping skills: the bump and run, chipping from tight lies, greenside rough shots and chipping with a hybrid.