Things You Didn’t Know About Chipping Technique Improvement Frankly, golfers would prefer to just strike a long drive or get that crisp shot for birdie rather than struggling to save par with a chip. This is probably the reason why most people just don’t bother to practice new techniques that can improve their chipping. Chipping may not be your kettle of fish, but it is almost unavoidable. With improved chipping, you stand a good chance of saving your par in case you missed the green. Chipping may just be the fastest means of lowering your scores. Just like for everything, even for golf the regular practice is the only solution to overcome poor chipping. So, instead of getting frustrated about it, try finding out the right techniques to apply in order to improve your chipping. Your rounds of golfing and overall golf game will be the better for it. Here are certain things you didn’t know about chipping techniques that are probably responsible for mis-hits such as fat chips and thin chips. The knowledge obtained from these common mistakes can be applied to improve your chipping techniques and improve your golf game: 1. Shorter backswing is not helpful:
Accelerating through impact is vital for the perfect chip. Only problem is the fear golfers have of hitting the ball farther than necessary. This fear leads them to slow down the club head just before impact leading to fat chip. Swinging too far back during the backswing or hitting the ball in an attempt to lift it off the ground and into the air are the major causes of poor chipping. The key is the right calculation and control of acceleration and distance of the ball. Precision is a necessity. You can even watch a number of golfing technique videos to improve your game.
2. Hitting the ball up equals’ weak chipping:
Quit trying so hard to hit up the ball, you’ll only end up with terrible chipping. Unless you are trying to play the ball over a bunker or a hedge, it is safer to hit the ball so that it is low and rolls on the ground rather than bouncing high up in the air. A perfect way to understand this is to watch the pros hole out off the green. You will observe that their chipping technique does not involve hitting up the ball. To avoid lifting the ball into the air at impact, hold the club at the center in between the shaft and the club head. The grip on the club should point transversely towards your front hip. 3. Your hands play a vital role:
Chipping is not putting and therefore, the techniques to achieve both differ significantly. Let me explain this, in putting, hand movement is basically non-existent. There has to be no hinges in the wrist for a putt to be executed effectively. The reverse is the case for chipping where both hands has to be heavily involved in the process. One vital element in achieving excellent chip shot is hinging of your wrist on the downswing. This movement ensures that at impact, the club produces a descending hit on the ball while rising above the ground.
4. No extra clubs needed:
Most amateur golfers tend to always focus on purchasing more clubs than they need instead of aiming to improve their game. This should not be the case. After all, you only get to practice for an hour once a week or twice at most. Face it; if you are not a pro golfer who intends to improve his golfing skills by practicing many hours daily, then you have no business using more than one club. The fact is you don’t need several different clubs to practice or get your chip right. Of course, choosing the right club is fundamental. All you need is one good club; a sand wedge is your best bet. Adopt and apply the proper techniques to improve your golf with just that club. Overtime, you will notice that you become better and acquire the ability to hit a variety of shots and increase your mastery while you are at it. So, ditch the extra clubs. 5. Good balance is important:
As a golfer who is looking to improve his chipping technique, the importance of a good posture and balance cannot be over emphasized. At address, your stance should be open enough to enable the ball rise and land comfortably on the green. With your legs close together but about 30 degrees in the direction of your target, address the ball. Your back heel should be in line with the target while executing a chip shot. The trick is not leaving your weight on your back foot. When chipping, the largest percentage of your body mass should be transferred to your right foot. Frequently doing this will improve your launch and leave no room for mis-hits commonly associated with chipping (fat chip and thin chip).
6. The entire body is not excluded:
As mentioned earlier that your hand and wrist rotation is vital to achieving improved chipping. In the same vein, a golfer’s whole body has a key role to play in chipping. Proper coordination of the arms, hips and shoulders during the shot enhances your chances of making the perfect chip. Maintain firm connection between your front elbow and your stomach as you carry out the chip shot. Effective transfer of your body weight is equally important in achieving improved chipping techniques. 7. Don’t wish away practice:
Like a saying goes, practice makes perfect. To improve your chipping technique, regular practice is necessary. Acknowledge that chipping is an integral part of every round of golfing. This will help you improve your chip shot and considerably cut down mis-hits. Devote time to practice your chipping techniques; it will definitely pay off in time. It would interest you to know that chipping is a technique you can practice anywhere aside from the shooting range. Chipping is one aspect of golf that you can comfortably do in your home or backyard. To drastically reduce your score and play lower handicap, be disciplined enough to practice improving your chipping techniques. You’ll be glad you did. Also, there are a number of golf training equipment that you can invest in to improve your golf game. One such training aid is GSRN's Timing Improver. This golf swing training aid helps you improve your swing, timing, and power. The best part is that you can use this tool right from the comfort of your home or office.