Tips for Improving Your Chip Shots and Pitches
Let's get down to the short game that happens around those greens we are all gonna miss from time to time. That's right, I'm talking about chipping and pitching.
We’re going to stick with the basics in this post, so I’ll save covering the flop shot, escaper specialty shots, or bunkers until a bit later on since they’re a bit more advanced.
Why does chipping and pitching seem so scary to most “noobs” and beginners, and to even some of the better players?
Think of it like this, you are just starting to get the hang of things with putting, and now you have to add in the idea of:
landing a ball in a specific location,
how far to carry that ball, and
how to predict the ball will come out of the rough or fairway you are hitting from or out of.
What gets most beginners out of whack is that they flip their hands at the ball and hinge them past impact, trying to “help the ball get in the air.” That is death to most chipping and pitching.
Instead, what you want to do to be able to pitch and chip the ball better is to first gain confidence with how to strike the ball. (Are you starting to see a theme with all this mentioning of 'confidence'?)
Advice #1
One of the best things I can tell you from personal experience is keep your pitching and chipping motion simple, and use your large muscles, i.e. your back and shoulders to turn back, set the club, and turn back through.
Advice #2
My other big piece of advice is please use a shorter to short backswing and always accelerate through impact. One of the biggest mistakes most beginners and any golfer can make is to make a larger back swing on your pitches/chips, and then try to slow into the shot so you don't “hit it too far”, and then you see people either hit the dreaded duff, or blade that chip or pitch.
How to hit the pitch/chip better
When you are getting ready to hit your chip or pitch, place the ball towards the back of your stance (aka your right foot if your are right handed, left if you are left handed), try to think you are hitting down on the ball and let the club's loft do the work on getting the ball up in the air.
When you want to hit your shot, think of turning your back away from the target, and only letting the club get to about belt/waist high tops, and then turn back through the shot to hit it off the fairway or to get out of the rough. Your tempo on the shot should be no more than a simple 1...2. Make a smooth tempo back and a smooth tempo through so you aren't having to over think your timing.
Hit down on the ball and see what happens. Just like the rest of golf this will take much practice to become more confident and natural.
How long should I practice?
Everyone is different so there isn't an exact science, but consistency is king. My best advice is to try to think of golf practice as an established routine, just like anything else you do during your week. You may not have enough time to play everyday, but try to have a club in your hand at least 5 times a week.
80-90% of golf happens from 100 yards and in, so try to establish a habit of playing golf routinely or at least putting and chipping every day to every other day for 1-2 hours. If this seems to much, than just ask yourself how good do you wish to get?
Muscle memory is also key! so of course if you haven't got the time that is understandable, because maybe you only want to play once a week, but in order to not play and still manage to look have way decent after not having touched a club all week, think about some drills you can do!
Drills for practice on and off the course
1 | Hit the furniture
This is a fun drill I like to practice in the winter months especially. When you are not playing (perhaps watching a movie, tv, listening to a podcast, or simply hanging around your house or a friends) this is a good drill to use off the course.
Take 10 minutes and grab a club and find an upholstered ottoman, side of a chair or sofa that allows you to take some chipping swings and be able to lightly hit the furniture with the club (gently now, you don't damage either!), and really feel that your shaft and hands are in front of the ball at impact, hold that position for about 5 seconds and repeat for about 10 times.
Do this a couple times a week just to keep the muscles familiar with the motion, and when you get back to the course hopefully it won't feel so foreign when you make the motions, or hold a wedge in your hands.
2 | Hit past the ball
In this drill, you’re acting like the ball is merely something in your path, rather than the “end” of the path. This is more of a mental idea at first, but you will add some physical drills as you develop.
Mental game first: when you are standing over your chip/pitch, think of that little white ball as a little obstacle, and the grass just past where it is…that's your striking goal! Try this for a bit on a practice green or in your backyard. You should start to see some really crisp strikes and get rid of those chunks. If you start to strike the ball thin, then back up your aiming point to half an inch and continue to refine until you can be ultra precise.
Physical drill second: place a golf tee about a half an inch in front of the golf ball (if you are right handed this would be the left side of your golf ball, reverse that if you are left handed), and try to hit your ball and the golf tee from the ground. This ensures a downward hit and through the ball for extra crispness.
“WHAT GETS ME SPIN???????”
I’m sure you’ve asked yourself this question, especially after watching the pros play. Well, a solid strike with clean contact that is what gets you spin!
The key is to hold your hands through and forward.
After each chip really feel like your hands are in front of the ball at address and through impact, so hold them forward. Try to think that your left hand is doing all the work and the right hand is simply following it. (Reverse that if you are left handed.) Try to have a strong hinge/angle with the hands so they stay in front of the ball. Really hold your follow through to the pitch so that your hands stay in front.
Thanks for reading today’s post about how to improve your chip shots and pitches!
If you’re wanting to get tips on something specific, let me know and I’ll share about it! You can fill out the contact form here or send me a DM on Instagram @followthroughfitness.