Chip Shot Basics: The Art of the Low Running Shot

If you could only master one shot around the green, make it the chip. It's the simplest, most reliable, and most versatile short game option available to you -- and most amateurs dramatically underuse it.

What exactly is a chip shot?

A chip shot is a low, running shot played from near the green. The ball spends most of its journey on the ground, rolling like a putt for the majority of the distance. Think of it as a putt with a little airborne section at the start to clear the fringe or any rough between you and the green.

Chip vs. pitch: A chip rolls more than it flies. A pitch flies more than it rolls. That's the essential difference.

Why does this matter? Because rolling the ball is more predictable than flying it. A ball on the ground behaves consistently. A ball in the air is subject to spin, wind, and landing angle -- all of which add variables and increase error.

The reliability advantage

Here's the core argument for chipping: it has the highest success rate of any greenside shot for amateurs.

The chip gets you closer, more consistently, with less risk. The numbers aren't even close.

The technique

The chip shot setup is deliberately simple:

That's it. No complicated wrist hinge, no explosive acceleration, no tricky timing. The simpler the motion, the more repeatable the result.

Club selection: the most overlooked factor

Here's where most amateurs go wrong: they reach for the same club (usually a sand wedge or lob wedge) for every chip. This is like using a driver for every tee shot regardless of the hole.

The rule for chip shot club selection is simple: use the lowest loft that clears the obstacle between you and the green.

Here's a practical guide based on how much green you have to work with:

Notice the lob wedge isn't on this list. For a standard chip, you almost never need 60 degrees of loft. Save it for situations that truly require height.

The landing spot

Instead of thinking about the hole, think about where you want the ball to land. Pick a spot on the green (or just on the fringe) where the ball should first touch down. Then let the roll take it to the hole.

This simplifies an intimidating shot into two manageable questions:

1. Where should the ball land?
2. Which club produces the right amount of roll from that spot?

Aim for a landing spot 2-3 feet onto the green. Landing in the fringe or rough introduces unpredictable bounces.

Common mistakes and fixes

Scooping (trying to help the ball up)

The ball is on the ground and you instinctively try to lift it. Your weight shifts back, your wrists flip, and you hit the ball thin (blading it across the green) or fat (chunking it 3 feet).

Fix: Trust the loft. Even a 7-iron has enough loft to get the ball airborne with a descending strike. Keep your weight forward and your hands ahead. The club does the work.

Using too much loft

Reaching for the 60-degree for a chip across 40 feet of green creates unnecessary difficulty. More loft means more spin variables, more sensitivity to strike quality, and larger distance errors.

Fix: Default to less loft. When in doubt, choose the less lofted option.

Decelerating

Taking a big backswing and then slowing down through impact. This produces unpredictable contact and usually a fat shot.

Fix: Make a shorter backswing and accelerate smoothly through the ball. The backswing length controls the distance, not the speed through impact.

Practice drill: the ladder

Place balls at 10, 20, 30, and 40 feet from the green edge. For each distance, chip to the same hole using different clubs. Notice how a 7-iron from 40 feet feels almost identical to a sand wedge from 10 feet -- same stroke, different club, different result.

This drill builds the feel for club selection that separates solid chippers from strugglers.

When NOT to chip

The chip shot isn't always the right play:

• Ball in a deep lie: The ball sitting down in thick rough needs loft to escape. A chip will catch too much grass.
• No green to work with: If the pin is cut close to your side and you have almost no green, you need a higher shot that stops quickly.
• Severe upslope between you and the green: A low runner won't carry up a steep bank consistently.
• Bunker in the way: If there's a bunker between you and the green, you need to fly over it.

In these situations, a pitch or even a flop shot is the better choice. But these situations are the exception, not the rule. For 60-70% of greenside shots, a chip is the smartest play.

The bottom line

The chip shot is the most reliable shot in your short game arsenal. Use the lowest loft possible, land the ball on the green, and let it roll. Keep the technique simple: ball back, weight forward, hands ahead, quiet wrists. Practice with multiple clubs to develop feel for different carry-to-roll ratios. When you default to chipping instead of flipping and flopping, your up-and-down rate will climb and your scores will drop.

References & Data Notes

1. Pelz, D. Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible. Broadway Books, 1999.
2. Utley, S. The Art of the Short Game. Gotham Books, 2007.

• Get-up-and-down rates and proximity data represent generalized amateur performance patterns. Individual results vary based on skill level and course conditions.