Chipping is an important skill in the short game. It is just as precise as putting in that it requires precise distance and direction control. In addition, chipping adds the requirement to control trajectory and spin. Engaging the fingers can be used to influence trajectory and spin.
Club Selection
I prefer to choose one club for chipping. Just like choosing a putter, the goal is to find a club that you have complete confidence in being able to deliver the desired shot. This means the club must be able to produce the desired distance, direction, trajectory, and spin. The reason to choose only one chipping club is the fact that the chip shot needs to be just a precise as a putt. So, developing the feel for chipping requires a lot of practice. To use more than one club for chipping requires more practice time to develop the feel for chipping using multiple clubs. Professional golfers have the practice time to devote to chipping using multiple clubs. The average golfer does not.
I prefer to use a 56-degree wedge as my chipping club. The wedge provides the flexibility to create shots with a variety of trajectories and spin. I also prefer to treat my chip shots as mini pitch shots: more air time than ground time. The wedge allows the flexibility to control spin and trajectory. Lower lofted clubs like the nine, eight, or seven iron are less flexible and are treated more like a putter. I find it more difficult to get consistent and precise distance control if I just get the ball on the green and let the ball roll to the hole.
Method
The key to using the wedge to chip is to use the bounce of the wedge. The bounce is the lower, rear portion of the club head. The bounce is lower than the leading edge and is used to hit the ground behind the ball in the descending path of the chip shot. Using the leading edge in a descending blow causes the club head to dig into the ground. The bounce will not dig into the ground, but it will compress the ground behind the ball and allow the leading edge to go under the ball without digging into the ground. Opening the club face at least ten degrees will allow the bounce to hit the ground before the leading edge.
I focus on where I want the ball to land on the green and then roll to the hole. Depending on the trajectory and the amount of spin the landing; closer to the hole with more trajectory and spin and farther from the hole with less trajectory and spin.
The motion that I use is mainly in the hands. I use the hands to provide control of the distance, trajectory, and spin. The grip is mainly in the fingers and the grip pressure is very light in order to feel the swing motion of the club head. The rhythm of the stroke is the same as the full swing and putting rhythm. The motion is initiated by the hands, but I allow the arms and body to react to the swing of the club. I try to keep the right elbow stretching down.
Controlling Trajectory
For a low trajectory chip that runs out the most, use the arms instead of the hands. Position the ball opposite the big toe of the right foot, stand closer to the ball so that the heel of the club is raised off the ground, and open the face of the club a little. Feel the top of the back of the right upper arm stretch up. The amount of the stretch felt in the right upper arm determines the distance of the shot. Feel the top of the back of the right upper arm “bounce” up to release the club down toward the target.
For a medium trajectory chip, position the ball one-half inch in front of the center of the stance. Stand a little away from the ball, position the feet slightly closed, and open the face of the club at least 15 degrees. To start the back swing, feel the top of the palm pad of the right index finger stretch up and feel the inside of the palm pad of the right index finger stretch down. The length of the back swing determines the length of the shot. When the appropriate length of back swing is felt, feel the inside of the palm pad slightly stretch down and feel the top of the palm pad “bounce” up of to release the club down toward the target.
For a higher trajectory shot, position the ball a little more forward, stand the normal distance from the ball, and open the body a little bit. Use the same back swing as the medium trajectory chip but during the down swing, feel the palm pad of the left index finger pull to the left and hold and feel the top of the palm pad of the right index finger “bounce” up to release the club toward the target.
Spin
Spin is created with an open club face and club head speed. Position the ball off the left toe, stand the normal distance from the ball, and open the stance. During the down swing, feel the left upper arm and fingers of the left hand pull quickly to the left. This causes the club head to quickly cut across the back of the ball with an open club face to generate the spin. The quicker the snap on the down swing, the more spin is generated. Using a ball with a soft cover can also help to create spin. Having a new wedge with sharp grooves is the best way to create the maximum amount of spin. That is why tour pros change wedges every two weeks!!! They get their wedges for free from the golf club companies. The average golfer is not that fortunate. As the grooves lose their sharpness, less spin is generated. Do not expect to get the spin the tour pros get unless you change your wedge frequently. It is easier to add trajectory to minimize the amount of roll in the chip shot.
Just as in putting, experiment to discover a technique that will result on a method that gives the best chance to chip the ball close to the hole.
Chipping from Green Side Long Rough
One technique to experiment with is the chip from the long rough around the green. This technique involves using only the left wrist to move the club. This means keeping the arms and upper body fixed with no movement. Set up with the ball forward in the stance, inside the forward foot. Open the club face and position the hands so that the shaft is vertical, not tilted to the left.
Feel the first knuckle of the left index finger stretch up to make the left wrist cock up and let the right wrist cock up. Feel the right index finger keep the shaft moving vertically. The amount of wrist cock will determine the distance of the chip shot. When the desired amount of wrist cock is achieved, feel the first knuckle of the left index finger snap down to snap the club head down. Because the wrists are the only moving parts of the body, this action brings the club back down behind the ball to pop it up out of the rough. This technique demonstrates how much power there is in the left wrist. Experiment with varying amount of wrist cock to control the distance of the shot.
Here is a link to a Lee Trevino video showing how to play various chipping situations:
Lee Trevino Chipping Situations
Here is a link to a Tiger Woods chipping lesson:
Here is a link to a video of Tiger Woods during a short game practice session: