CHIPPING NOTES

TARGET SELECTION:

Come from behind the ball to pick a landing spot on the green from which the ball should roll on into the hole. Distance from edge of green to hole depends on club selected, but rule of thumb is 1/3 of the way, assuming pretty level green. The landing spot becomes the target; you can forget the hole then.

ADDRESS:

Point back foot at ball. Place front foot close to back foot. Put most weight on front foot. Put hands near front knee. Choke down on club, since unlikely to need entire length of club; bend knees to avoid bending spine. Do not place eyes over ball as in putting.

Variations that also work—Open stance, making line across toes 45 degrees left of target (for right handers; right of target for left handers), instead of standing parallel to target line, but be sure to swing club down target line, not along toe line. Also, you could turn front foot or both feet 45 degrees toward target relative to target line. If turn both feet, instep of the back foot would point to ball, rather than the toes.

SWING:

• Step directly back from ball, and take one or more practice swings while looking at target to figure out how long swing needs to be—probably about the length swing would need for a putt on the green of that distance. Use a putting type stroke, e.g. no wrist hinge (although Tiger and Phil Michelson and a few others hinge wrists on back swing). Stay on target line as much as possible. Make steep descent to make a divot, and be sure to pull club out of the divot to finish the stroke; don’t let the ground stop your club; remember, your job is to send the club head to the target, not to hit balls or make holes. If back of divot is not relative to the front edge of ball, move toward or away from target, taking practice swings until that’s the case.

• Take a rehearsal swing, holding finishing position, then turn head to see.

• Step directly back to the ball and repeat the same swing. If the ball is in the right place in your stance, and you have made the proper swing, the club should strike the back of the ball in the southern hemisphere and make a hole in the ground. Wait until you hear the ball strike the ground before looking up.
  

Variation that also works, although sometimes a bit less accurately—the bump-and-run technique presented in the pitching lesson.)

© 2005 Joe La Marca, Golf Lessons for Every Body .