Chip and pitch are both strategic golf shots that every golfer needs to master. These two short-game shots have a reputation for being tricky, but with the right technique and preparation, you can become comfortable chipping and pitching in no time.
Let’s get acquainted with these two essential golf shots so that you can perfect them in your next round of golf. Both of these techniques will help you regain control of your ball when you’re left with an awkward distance from the green or tee box.
Pitch is one of the most useful distances shots in golf because it allows you to attack a green from almost any location without risking a drive into trouble. The same goes for chipping, which is an easier shot than standard pitching but still very effective at getting your ball into the hole from almost any distance.
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Tips, Short Golf Game for Pitching Chipping, and Short Shot Technique
Good golf makes scoring much easier on the green. Even if you miss a few greens in regulation, with a good short game, you can still make par. Use these tips to help improve your short game technique.
Chipping Short Game Golf Tips
- On short chips, where there is nothing between you and the hole, make sure the ball is back in your stance. This ensures a clean, crisp strike by hitting the golf ball first, then the ground.
- On a standard seven iron chip and run, the ball flies approximately one-third of its distance through the air and then runs across the green for two-thirds. On a thirty-yard chip, the ball has to pitch ten yards away from you.
- Learn to play a standard chip shot with several clubs. Record how far each one runs when it hits the green so you can calculate which club to hit. When the pin is at the back of the green, take the least lofted club that will land the ball on the putting surface.
- Keep your hands leading on the downswing of a chip shot. There should be no crossing over of the hands on a chip. The power of the shot comes from the body turning back and forwards. The shoulders, arms, and hands work together as a unit, keeping the hands passive.
- On all short game shots, within twenty yards of the green, keep watching the ball closely until impact. Then don’t look up. Try to keep looking at the ground until you hear the ball land.
Short Game Pitching
- Even on a pitch shot, keep the ball back in the stance unless it is really sitting up. The most important aspect of a pitch is a good strike. Unless you have to elevate the ball dramatically, have the ball just inside the back foot. This ensures a clean strike that will impart backspin.
- Make sure the follow-through is longer than the backswing. This will keep acceleration in the swing, which is essential for good striking.
- On a short pitch, there is a weight transference from the back foot to the front foot on the downswing. Make sure the heel of your right foot comes off the ground slightly to guarantee your body weight is transferred onto the front foot. This will stop you from quitting on the shot.
- Grip tighter when you play pitches from the rough. Make sure you can control the blade of the ball through thick rough with a firmer grip. Have a practice swing nearby in similar grass to find out how much resistance to expect and grip accordingly.
- Picture exactly where you want the ball to land. Do not just hit the ball into a general area. Imagining where you want the ball to land helps you feel how hard to hit the shot. Visualization is vital for positive pitching. See it, feel it, strike it.
