Top Golf Short Game Tips, How to Chip and Pitch

Tips, Short Golf Game for Pitching Chipping and Short Shot Technique

Jun 10, 2009 John Hoskison

Ten top tips to tighten up your short game. Get up and down more often with a good economical short game. Tips on chipping, pitching and short game shots around the green

With a good golf short game scoring becomes much easier. Miss a few greens in regulation and with a good short game you can still make par. Try to incorporate these tips into your short game technique.

Chipping Short Game Golf Tips

• On short chips, where there is nothing between you and the hole, make sure the ball is back in your stance. This ensures a clean crisp strike by hitting the golf ball first, then the ground.

• On a standard seven iron chip and run the ball flies approximately one third of its distance through the air and then runs across the green for two thirds. On a thirty yard chip the ball has to pitch ten yards away from you.

• Learn to play a standard chip shot with several clubs. Record how far each one runs when it hits the green so you can calculate which club to hit. When the pin is at the back of the green take the least lofted club that will land the ball on the putting surface.

• Keep your hands leading on the downswing of a chip shot. There should be no crossing over of the hands on a chip. The power for the shot comes from the body turning back and forwards. The shoulders, arms and hands work together as a unit, keep the hands passive.

• On all short game shots, within twenty yards of the green, keep watching the ball closely until impact. Then don’t look up, try to keep looking at the ground until you hear the ball land.

Short Game Pitching

• Even on a pitch shot keep the ball back in the stance unless it is really sitting up. The most important aspect of a pitch is a good strike. Unless you have to elevate the ball dramatically have the ball just inside the back foot. This ensures a clean strike that will impart backspin.

• Make sure the follow through is longer than the backswing. This will keep acceleration in the swing, which is essential for good striking.

• On a short pitch there is a weight transference from the back foot to the front foot on the downswing. Make sure the heel of your right foot comes off the ground slightly to guarantee your body weight is transferred onto the front foot. This will stop you quitting on te shot.

• Grip tighter when you play pitches from the rough. Make sure you can control the blade of the ball through thick rough with a firmer grip. Have a practice swing nearby in similar grass to find out how much resistance to expect and grip accordingly.

• Picture exactly where you want the ball to land. Do not just hit the ball into a general area. Imagining exactly where you want the ball to land helps you feel how hard to hit the shot. Visulisation is vital for positive pitching. See it, feel it, strike it.

See also: Top Ten Putting Tips or Top Ten Golf Swing Tips

The copyright of the article Top Golf Short Game Tips, How to Chip and Pitch in Golf is owned by John Hoskison. Permission to republish Top Golf Short Game Tips, How to Chip and Pitch in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Ten Top Short Game Tips

Get up and Down in Two

What do you think about this article?

---

NOTE: Because you are not a Suite101 member, your comment will be moderated before it is viewable.

post your comment

What is 3+1?