Browse by category
DRILL OVERVIEW
Grip-down chipping drill
Your drill at a glance
This drill is from the Golf Practice Made Fun App.
Find a shorter grip that helps you control a simple chip. Compare two hand positions with the same wedge and an easy motion. Watch where each ball lands and how far it rolls, then use the more comfortable grip for a scored round.
Watch the chipping distance-control video
This supporting Titleist video with Michael Breed and Greg Ducharme explores landing and rollout. It is also linked on Chipping card 34. The two-grip comparison and eighteen-shot scoring below are our App practice variation.
Step 1. Mark two grip positions
What to do
| Action | What to do |
|---|---|
| Choose a simple fairway chip | Start on short fairway grass just off the green. Choose a generous landing area and a hole with plenty of green between you and it. |
| Mark two grip positions | Use small pieces of removable tape to mark your normal hand position and a comfortable shorter position on the rubber grip. |
| Grip down comfortably | Move both hands lower down the grip, towards the clubhead. Leave some unused grip showing above your top hand. Keep both hands on the grip and settle into a comfortable stance. |
Step 2. Compare nine chips at each grip
Use the same wedge, starting spot and target for both sets. Keep the motion small and unhurried.
What to do
| Action | What to do |
|---|---|
| Play nine with your normal grip | Notice the landing area and the amount of roll. Keep your swing size and pace as similar as you comfortably can. |
| Play nine with the shorter grip | Move your hands to the lower mark. Let the shorter playing length feel natural; avoid adding speed to make the ball travel farther. |
| Compare the pattern | Look at the group of shots rather than one good result. Which grip feels comfortable, produces cleaner contact and gives you a useful landing-and-roll pattern? |
Quick practice checks
| Watch for | Try this |
|---|---|
| Your hands slide onto the metal shaft | Move them back onto the rubber grip. A modest grip-down is enough for this comparison. |
| You crouch or stretch to reach the ball | Reset your stance and distance from the ball so the shorter club length feels comfortable. |
| You hit harder with the shorter grip | Return to a small, easy motion. Compare the two grip positions before changing another part of the shot. |
| You judge only the final distance | Watch the first landing as well as the roll. Green speed, slope and contact can all change the result. |
Step 3. Score 18 chips
What to do
| Score | When to award it |
|---|---|
| 1 point | The chip finishes within one putter length of the hole, including a holed chip. |
| 0 points | The chip finishes outside one putter length. |
George’s Conclusion
A shorter grip gives you another option for a simple chip. Use this drill to find out how it feels with your wedge, rather than assuming it will always produce a particular distance. Keep the lie and target the same, compare the two patterns, and write down the hand position you would happily use again.
For another short-game practice idea, try the Finesse Chipping Drill.
MAKE THE NEXT BUCKET COUNT
Pick a card. Practise with purpose.
