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How to Chip a Golf Ball Consistently
Your practice at a glance
These golf drills are from the Golf Practice Made Fun App.
Heavy and thin chips make it hard to predict where the ball will land and how far it will roll.
Use Three Chipping Keys to check your setup, Grip-Down Chipping to find a comfortable grip length, Harrington Chipping to stay gently forward and Chipstick to turn through without scooping.
Drill 1. Three Chipping Keys: Set Up and Turn Through
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Start on short fairway grass just off the green. Turn slightly towards the target, then bow into address with your sternum ahead of the ball. For a right-handed golfer, the initial turn is left. |
| 2 | Rehearse a small backswing with the handle moving close to your body. Let the arms work with your turn rather than reaching away. |
| 3 | Play eighteen short chips. Let your body gently rise as it turns through, allowing the wedge to brush the turf and finish low in balance. Notice the quality of contact before judging the rollout. |
See the full Three Keys to Improve Chipping drill and its video →
Drill 2. Grip-Down Chipping: Compare Landing and Rollout
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Mark your normal hand position and a comfortable shorter position with removable tape. |
| 2 | With the same wedge, lie and target, hit nine chips at the normal grip and nine at the shorter grip. Keep the motion small and similar; compare where the balls land and how far they roll. |
| 3 | Choose the grip you prefer and play eighteen chips. Use one putter length from the hole as your finishing target. Avoid adding speed simply to make the shorter grip send the ball as far. |
The shorter grip is an option to test, rather than a promise of a fixed distance. Judge the group of shots and the comfort of your setup.
See the full Grip-Down Chipping Drill and its grip comparison →
Drill 3. Harrington Chipping: Stay Gently Forward
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Settle a little more pressure into your lead foot, with your chest over or slightly towards the target side of the ball. Explore the slightly forward ball position shown in the lesson. |
| 2 | Make a short, easy swing and keep the forward feel as your chest turns through. Let the loft lift the ball; look for a brush at or just beyond the ball instead of leaning back to scoop. |
| 3 | Complete eighteen chips in two sets of nine, resetting before each shot. Notice where the club meets the ground. If useful, use a flat, soft marker behind the ball for feedback, keeping it clear of the intended strike. |
This forward-pressure feel differs from the ball-back Chipstick setup below. Explore each drill on its own rather than trying to combine every setup cue into one shot. Reverse left and right if you play left-handed.
See Padraig Harrington’s full chipping lesson and contact checks →
Drill 4. Chipstick: Keep the Stick Clear
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hold an alignment stick alongside your wedge shaft, gripping both together. Let its upper end extend above your hands outside your lead side. Use a narrow stance, ball back and weight forward. |
| 2 | Make a few slow rehearsals. Turn your chest through and keep the lead wrist steady, allowing the hands to move towards the target into a low finish. The upper end of the stick should stay clear of your body. |
| 3 | Play eighteen chips from one spot. Mark a target three feet from the hole in every direction. If the stick touches your side, return to a smaller, slower rehearsal before the next ball. |
See the full Chipstick Drill with its start and finish positions →
