CHIPPING FUNDAMENTALS

PurePoint Golf Chipping Fundamentals

Part OneDefinition of Chipping

Part TwoClub Selection

Part ThreeThe Method

Part FourThe Setup: Ball Center of Stance

Part FiveThe Setup: Handle Across from Belt Buckle

Part SixThe Setup: 70% of Weight on Left Side

Part SevenThe Backswing: Arms Only

Part EightThe Backswing: Back to 8:00

Part NineThe Downswing: Chop the Ball with Leading Edge

Part TenThe Follow-Through: Low Follow-Through

Part ElevenMistakes: Causes and Lessons

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Part OneDefinition of Chipping

Some golfers think a chip shot and a pitch shot are the same thing. They are, in fact, two distinct shots, so lets begin by defining a chip shot.

A chip shot is a shot used around the green that gets the ball to the hole using minimum air time and maximum roll. The defining ratio of a chip shot is 1/3 air time and 2/3 roll on its way to the hole. In contrast, the definition of a pitch shot is a shot that has 2/3 air time and 1/3 roll.

A consistent chip shot is an important part of any golf game. Anytime you can put the ball on the ground instead of in the air you will have more control. You will be more accurate, and your distance control will be easier to learn.

There are five key components to a consistent and accurate chip shot:

club selection proper setup consistent backswing consistent downswing low follow-through

If you follow this method, you will learn the proper technique for all of these components. The meth-od is intended to be easily applied and to be a tool to help you become your own best instructor.

You can use a chip shot when the golf ball is off of the green and you are unable to putt. A chip shot will carry the ball over the fringe without a lot of height and allow the ball to roll the rest of the way to the hole.

Since a chip shot is mostly roll, you can control the direction of it as you control the direction of a putt, by reading the green. Once you learn proper distance control, you will begin to notice how you have a great chance of making the chip since its going to roll towards the hole like a putt.

It doesnt matter how close to or far from the hole you are, there is only one swing that you have to learn for a chip shot. The distance the ball travels is controlled solely by the club you select.

If you do not hit solid chip shots you will not have any consistency with your distance control. The most common mistake in chipping is not hitting the bottom of the golf ball. Improper impact with the golf ball can lead to four flawed shots:

topping the ball hitting the chip shot fat hitting behind the ball hitting the chip shot thin

Distance control in chipping is difficult enough when you are hitting solid chip shots. This method will help you develop the proper technique to hit consistent chip shots so you can accurately gauge your distance control.

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The distance to the cup does not have any impact on the decision to chip or pitch. As I said earlier, a chip shot is 1/3 air and 2/3 roll. If you cant get the ball safely on the green with 1/3 air because of some obstacle, then it is no longer a chip shot. It is a pitch shot. The distance and amount of roll for a pitch shot is much more difficult to estimate since you have to fly the ball farther in the air. I cant stress enough that the game of golf is easier and safer on the ground versus in the air.

Remember my mantra I have used for the past 25 years:

PUTT before you CHIPCHIP before you PITCHPITCH before you SAND

SAND before you LOB

If you have a chance to putt the ball, do it. If there is some grass or uneven terrain that you think a putt wont go through smoothly, chip the golf ball. If you cannot reach the green safely with 1/3 air, then it is time to pitch the ball. When pitching, a pitching wedge should be your first choice of club. Your second choice should be a sand wedge. The lob wedge is a last resort.

There is a little bit of grey area in this hierarchy. There are parts of the world where there is not a lot of grass around the green, and some golf courses are naturally very firm. The ground can be so firm that you could not hit a proper chip shot if you tried. That is when you put aside this method and putt the ball. Otherwise, keep the golf ball as low to the ground as possible.

Now that you know the definition of a chip shot, we can start learning how to chip. We are going to break it down into ten chapters that will help you improve different components of your chipping technique.

There may be other moving parts in the swing, but if you are able to understand and implement the ten chapters of this method, you will find immediate improvement.

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Part TwoClub Selection

The same swing is used for every chip shot. To control the distance you want the ball to travel, you change clubs.

Use the 9 iron for short chips Use the 7 iron for mid-length chips Use the 5 iron for longer chips

If you are a one-club chipper, you have to control your distance by varying the length of your back-swing. Being a one-club chipper means you have to have incredible touch all of the time. This is a very difficult way to chip a golf ball. However, if you chip with the 5, 7, and 9 irons, you take all of the guesswork out of your backswing and leave the distance control to the three chipping clubs.

Having one swing that works with three different clubs for one shot is important for several reasons.

Three clubs offer you three different distances. The flat-faced clubs will roll the chip shot along the ground. The loftier clubs will help you get up and over a sand trap or the edge of a pond if necessary

If you have struggled with chipping, this method is going to get you started on the right path to im-proving your chipping game. The best way to see immediate improvement is to start practicing with the 9 iron; it is the easiest of the three clubs to hit. Over the course of a lifetime, most of your chip-ping will be done with the 7 and 9 irons, with very few chip shots necessitating the 5 iron.

When you practice your chipping, pay close attention to how far the three clubs travel, both in the air and on the ground. Practice on a flat green if possible so you can measure the distance between each iron, but make sure you also spend time learning uphill and downhill distances.

All golfers are very individual. I cannot tell you how far your chip shots should travel, however, I have included a chart at the end of the book that will give you a general idea of how far the average chip shot travels, both in the air and on the ground. It is very important that you spend time practicing so you know exactly how far your chip shots fly and roll. The chart simply provides you with a guide.

You understand the definition of chipping, and now you know which clubs to use. Lets learn the me-chanics of chipping.

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Part ThreeThe Method

The first step of the method is to decide if a chip shot is ideal in a given situation. Before you play any shot, you should first see the picture. Consider all of the following points when deciding how to ap-proach your shot.

Take in your entire surroundingsuphill, downhill, side-hill lies; fast or slow greens, etcPicture exactly what your shot is going to look like on its journey into the hole Pick out an exact blade of grass you want the ball to land on Read the green as though you were reading a putt

If the ball is just off the green on even terrain, your best option is to putt. If you cannot putt because of irregular terrain or longer grass just off the edge of the green, your options are to chip or pitch the golf ball. If you have to fly over a bunker, bush, tree, deep rough, or pond, you are going to have to pitch the golf ball. If you do not have to fly the ball over any obstacle or if the green is reachable with 1/3 air, then you can chip.

After you have decided to chip the ball, the next step of the method is to select a golf club. Depending on the distance to the hole, you can hit your 5, 7, or 9 iron.

Addressing the golf ball with the correct setup is an important part of the method. There are three key elements to the proper setup:

the position of the ball in your stance1. the position of the golf club handle2. your weight distribution3.

A proper setup allows the clubface to make contact with the ball at the angle needed to make the ball go up in the air, land where you want it to, and roll to the hole. If you are not standing to the ball cor-rectly with your chip shots, you will have to compensate during the swing to get the clubhead to arrive in the correct position.

As you can tell, there is an awful lot of effort that goes into the shot before you even strike the ball. The next part of the method involves developing the correct swing. There is one swing you need for a chip shot, no matter which club you use. A simple backswing combined with a low follow-through makes for the most effective and consistent chip shots.

The next three parts will cover the proper chip shot setupaddressing the ball, positioning the handle, and properly distributing your weight.

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Part FourThe SetupBall in Center of Stance

Lets talk in more detail about ball position at address. To execute a proper and consistent chip shot, the golf ball should be in the center of your stance at address. It does not matter what the lie isbare, thick rough, or uneventhe ball position stays the same, in the middle of your stance.

As you walk up to the golf ball and ground the clubhead, now is the time to make sure the golf ball is centered in your stance. When you look at the golf ball from above, it should be an equal distance from both of your feet.

When the ball is centered in your stance, you have put the ball in the best possible impact position for your downswing. The leading edge of the clubhead has to swing down into the ground in the down-swing, finding the bottom of the swing arc. By placing the ball in the center of your stance, you are placing the ball at the bottom of the swing arc, allowing the clubface to strike the ball perfectly and send it towards the hole with the correct loft.

If the golf ball is too far forward in your stance you risk making a shallow swing, which can cause the following mishits:

topped chips thin chips pulled chips (since the clubface will be aiming left at impact)

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Ball in Center of Stance

If the ball is too far back in your stance your swing will be too vertical, and you will not get the golf ball airborne. With the golf ball too far back in your stance, you may also have a tendency to push your chip shots, since the clubface will be aiming right at impact.

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Ball Too Far Forward in Stance

Ball Too Far Back in Stance

Part FiveThe SetupHandle Across from Belt Buckle

As discussed in the previous part, the foundation of a strong setup begins with centering the ball in your stance.

Once the ball is centered, the next step in setting up a chip shot is to move the handle of the golf club across from your belt buckle or the center of your body. This puts the handle slightly ahead of the clubhead.

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Ball is Centered

Handle Across from Belt Buckle

There are two reasons why moving the handle of the golf club across from your belt buckle is benefi-cial.

1. When the handle is forward of the ball at address, the clubhead swings up in the backswing.

2. Proper position of the handle at address also allows a steep angle in the downswing. This ensures the handle will stay in front of the clubhead during impact.

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Club Swings Up in Backswing

Handle in Front During Impact

Since the clubhead angle is so steep in the downswing, the clubface, not the leading edge, will make contact with the ball first. Consistent contact between the clubface and the ball is the key to consistent chipping.

Lets take a minute to recap. When addressing the ball, center it between both feet and move the handle across from your belt buckle. You are now ready to move on to the final step of the chip shot setupputting 70% of your weight on your left side.

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Clubface Making Contact

Part SixThe Setup70% of Weight on Left Side

Part six of the method deals with proper weight distribution when addressing the ball. This means that after you have centered the golf ball in your stance, grounded the clubhead behind the golf ball, and moved the handle across from your belt buckle, you will shift 70% of your weight over to your left leg.

Once you start the backswing, your weight stays on your left side. This weight distribution should be there throughout the entire swing. It does not change throughout setup, takeaway, the backswing, the downswing, impact, or the follow-through.

Ill repeat: You should always have 70% of your weight on your left leg.

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70% of Weight on Left Side

Weight on Left Side for Backswing

The reason for this particular distribution is to keep you from trying to hit up on the golf ball. Keeping your weight on your left side will force you to bring the clubhead towards the golf ball in a chopping motion in the downswing.

This chopping motion will make the golf ball come off of the clubface with consistent direction and loft. With 70% of your weight on your left foot, the golf club will swing up and down, not down and up. In other words, you will start to see the clubhead swinging into the bottom of the golf ball, not the top.

If you can contact the ball with the clubface in this position you will get consistent impact, and the golf ball will fly in the air and have the same roll during your rounds as when you practice your chip shots on the range.

Shifting the weight distribution during the backswing alters your swing so that the clubface does not accurately strike the ball.

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Chopping Motion in Downswing

Weight Moves in Backswing

If you keep your weight distribution the same during the entire swing, you can avoid some of the most common mistakes golfers make when chipping:

topping the ball hitting a fat shot hitting behind the ball hitting a thin shot

Using this setup consistently will enable the golf club to swing more vertically and impact the ball more squarely.

The first three parts of the method are static steps. There are no moving parts in the setup. Now that you know the fundamentals of the proper setup for a chip shot, lets move on to the actual swing.

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Part SevenThe BackswingArms Only

Now the fun begins. The last three parts related to the proper chip shot setup. Lets talk in more detail about the backswing.

The only parts of the body that move during a chipping swing are the arms. As the swing begins, the arms, hands, and golf club move together in one motion to the top of the backswing. Then they move together again in the downswing and follow-through.

Unlike a full swing, there are several things NOT to do in a chip shot swing.

Do not bend your wrists Do not shift your weight Do not turn your body

You only need to move your arms.

The right shoulder does not turn in a chip shot. During the backswing the right shoulder tilts up be-cause of the handle being slightly ahead of the ball and the weight being on your left side at address.

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Arms Only in Backswing

The arms and golf club swing independent of your body. Chipping is such an exact stroke that you must stay as quiet as a putt. You are trying to develop a repeatable swing that will create consistent impact and distance control. If you have chosen the correct club, swinging the arms will generate enough power to send a chip shot the necessary distance.

Now that you have a better understanding of the movement involved in the swing, lets move on to how far back you need to take the club.

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Right Shoulder Tilts Up in Backswing

Part EightThe BackswingBack to 8:00

Now that you understand how to swing the club for a chip shot, we can address how far back the club needs to go. This step of the method is going to give you an exact stopping place for your chip shot backswing. Knowing this position will allow you to learn one swing for chipping and let the club selection control the distance.

Think of the club being at the 6:00 position at address. As the clubhead starts back, it passes through 7:00 and arrives at 8:00. This is your stopping point.

The 8:00 backswing provides you with an exact stopping point at the top of the swing so you can develop consistent distance control. No matter which club you have chosen for your shotthe 5, 7, or 9 ironyou only have to swing the club back to the 8:00 position.

Why 8:00, you ask? In a chip shot, you are only trying to give the golf ball enough air time to carry the fringe and then roll across the green towards the hole like a putt. Swinging to the 8:00 position gives the ball just enough power.

There are two common mistakes golfers make in the backswing of a chip shot. The backswing is either too short or too long. If the clubhead stops before 8:00, two things could happen, both of which will leave the ball short of the hole:

lack of power in the downswing scooping at the golf ball

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The 8:00 Position

If your clubhead reaches the 9:00 position in the backswing, there are two consequences as well.

You strike the golf ball with too much power, sending it past the hole If you realize youve taken the club too far back, you try to slow the downswing so you dont strike the ball too hard, which makes it difficult to achieve consistent contact

Now that you know exactly where to stop the golf club at the top of the backswing, lets discuss the downswing.

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The 7:00 PositionStopping Too Soon

The 9:00 PositionSwinging Too Far Back

Part NineThe DownswingChop the Ball with Leading Edge

Even with the proper setup and backswing, chip shots cannot be consistent without the clubface prop-erly striking the golf ball. In order to do this, the leading edge of the clubhead must swing down into the ground in the downswing.

Following the earlier techniques for setup and backswing will put you in a position to do this. Every-thing leading up to this moment allows the clubhead to swing into the ground and under the golf ball.

As the golf club is swinging down into the back of the golf ball, the leading edge of the clubhead can do one of two things:

dig in after it reaches the bottom of the swing arc bottom out and begin to swing back up

If the club stays on the correct path in the downswing, the clubhead will continue to dig in.

If the leading edge of the clubhead digs into the ground, the center of the clubface will strike the golf ball, giving the ball the correct loft on its way to the green. Remember: Chop, dont stop.

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Swing into Ground in Downswing

The chopping motion will make the leading edge dig into the ground, ensuring solid contact with the golf ball.

The top four mistakes in chipping are caused by the leading edge of the clubhead not digging into the ground under the golf ball.

If the golf club arrives too much from the inside, the leading edge will not dig in. The bottom of the clubhead will bounce off of the ground, and the leading edge will strike the middle of the golf ball. Such a strike will result in a topped or thin chip shot.

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Chop, Dont Stop

Leading Edge Not Digging In

Part TenThe Follow-ThroughLow Follow-Through

The last aspect of proper chipping technique is a low follow-through.

After the clubhead digs into the ground, it wants to continue on because of its momentum. Do not stop the clubhead after impact, but dont continue on with a full follow-through either. The finish in chipping is a low follow-through. The clubhead only needs to continue on for a foot or two, low to the ground.

You do not want to stop the clubhead at impact. This results in a loss of power. You also do not want to have a full follow-through, such as that of a full swing. A full follow-through can make you try to scoop at the ball to lift it off the ground.

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Clubhead Continues Low to Ground

Correct Follow-Through Incorrect Follow-Through

When the club is coming down at such a steep angle in the downswing, it is very difficult to bring the club back up, as would be needed in a full follow-through. Instead, it is much easier to have a low follow-through along the ground. It is very important for you to understand the mechanics behind this mistake. You will be able to fix your own swing with this knowledge.

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Part ElevenMistakesCauses and Lessons

Lets go over the top six chipping mistakes so you can figure out which one you make and how to fix it on your own.

1. Topping and Thin Chip ShotsIf you are topping or hitting your chip shots thin, there are two possible reasons why you are making this mistake. You are swinging the golf club too much from inside to outside, or the clubhead is reach-ing the bottom of the swing arc behind the ball. By the time the leading edge of the clubhead reaches the golf ball, the clubhead is beginning to swing up and the leading edge catches the ball in the middle or top.

Lesson: Check weight and handle placement. If you continue to top the ball or hit it thin, place the ball farther back in your stance.

2. ToppingYes, there is another way to top the golf ball. If you swing the golf club too much from outside to inside, the club will travel too vertically during the downswing. You will either hit tops or fat shots.

If the clubhead travels too steeply, the bottom of the swing arc moves from under the ball to another inch farther forwardon top of the ball.

Lesson: Check ball position. Move your right shoulder back an inch or two so the golf club can swing more from the inside.

3. Too LongIf you believe you are using the proper technique yet you consistently hit chip shots that run across the green, you will need to correct your downswing. It is too steep, and the clubhead is coming down too vertically.

Lesson: Check ball position first. If the ball is too far back in your stance, this will create a down-swing that is too steep. Next, check handle position. Make sure the handle is across from your belt buckle, not your left pant leg.

4. Too ShortIf you believe you are using the proper technique yet you consistently hit chip shots that come up short, you will need to correct your downswing. It is too shallow, and the clubhead is coming down too level with the ground.

Lesson: Check your setup. The ball position should not be too far forward, your weight distribution should be 70% on your left leg, and the handle should be across from your belt buckle.

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5. PullsIf you have a tendency to pull your chip shots, the golf club is traveling too much from outside to inside in the downswing and the clubface is aiming left at impact.

Lesson: Check ball position first. Make sure the ball is slightly back of center. Then check that your shoulder alignment is parallel to your target line.

6. PushesIf you have a tendency to push your chip shots, the golf club is traveling too much from inside to out-side in the downswing and the clubface is aiming right at impact.

Lesson: Check ball position first. Make sure the ball is slightly forward of center. Then check that your shoulder alignment is parallel to your target line.

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