No More Chunky Chips

Today I had a long conversation with one of the members of the golf club I work about how to eliminate the ‘fat’ shots from his short game. He said he had a great round except for a couple chips that he ‘chunked.’ To clarify, a ‘fat’ or ‘chunked’ shot is one where the clubhead impacts the grass behind the ball first, which decelerates the club tremendously and results in the golf ball traveling only a fraction of the distance desired.

In order to eliminate the ‘fat’ shot from your short game, you must accomplish a few things. One of these keys is to hit down on the ball and contact the golf ball first. This is easiest when you play the ball in the middle or back of your stance and lean the shaft of your club forward at address. You also want to put more weight toward your front foot and lean toward the target slightly.

Another important part of eliminating heavy shots is to select your club carefully. Many golfers take a high-lofted wedge out for every shot around the green. That can work in your favor when you do not have a lot of green to work with to roll your ball up to the hole, but when you do have some green to work with you need to take something with less loft. Take 8 or 9 iron to chip with around the green, this will keep your swing very short and compact which helps with hitting the ball solidly. When you take a high-lofted wedge around the green, you usually have to alter your normal chipping stroke to hit the ball the correct distance. When you alter your chipping stroke, you bring the ‘fat’ shot into the equation.

The final thought is definitely the most important for avoiding a chunked shot. You must accelerate through impact. Many golfers, with a chip or pitch, try to take a long backswing and control the distance the ball travels by slowing their clubhead down when coming into the impact area. Decelerating the club is the leading cause of ‘chunked’ shots. That is because when you slow things down in the middle of your swing your club can snag the ground very easily and dig into the ground and cause a ‘fat’ shot. So, what I teach my students to do when they are struggling with their chipping is to make sure their follow-through is longer than their backswing. This insures that the club is accelerating through impact.

Hitting a shot heavy around the greens is one of the worst feelings in golf and you know instantly that you have made a mistake. Hopefully, this article has helped you save some shots around the greens and I hope you never have to endure another ‘fat’ shot around the greens again!

Hitting A Chip Shot

A chip shot is best used when your ball is very near the green, but not close enough to putt the ball, or there is some sort of obstacle between you and the green. The goal of this chip shot is the use a small and controlled swing to pop the ball in the air just enough to get it onto the putting surface. Once the ball is onto the putting surface it will roll like a putt toward the hole. The goal of this shot is to get the ball rolling on the green as soon as possible because a shot most similar to a putt is easier to control than one that is hit high in the air and landed near the hole.

The best way to hit a chip shot is to play the ball back in your stance, or more toward your back foot. Angle your feet slightly left of the target and put your feet close together, less than shoulder width apart. Lean the shaft of the club forward toward the target slightly and put about 70 percent of your weight on your front foot. This will cause you to lean forward just slightly, which will help you strike the ball with a descending swing. I recommend gripping down on the club because it gives you more control of your swing. Once you have achieved a good setup you will take the club in your backswing to less than waist height. You can adjust the club that you are swinging with to control the distance and trajectory of the ball that will best suit the particular shot you are trying to play. A chip shot involves very little or no wrist break because you are trying to hit the ball in the air just enough to get it over the grass in front of you and onto the green rolling like a putt. Once you have taken the club back the appropriate length, swing through the ball and make sure you are hitting the ball with a descending blow. You want to hit the golf ball first with your club and then scrape the grass. This concept is very important because it leads to solid contact and easier distance control. When following through, be sure to keep your lead wrist straight. Do not let your lead wrist break down and flip through impact. This will lead to shots that are thin or fat and hard to control.

Once you have learned how to correctly hit a chip shot, experiment with different clubs to see how high the ball flies and how far each shot goes. You will need to use different clubs for varying situations you are confronted with on the golf course. Hopefully this information and advice will help your short game and lower your scores!