Chipping is a type of golf shot that is played close to the green where the golfer does not need to carry the ball very far in the air and just wants to get the ball started and let it roll out towards the hole like a putt. It is a low shot that is played along the ground and spends little time in the air. Chipping can be hit with a variety of different clubs from wedges down to as low as a #7 iron. The chip shot is essential to everyone’s golf game, and it is the simplest way to get the ball moving toward your target when there is nothing obstructive in your path. The chip shot setup keeps the clubhead’s loft reduced to create lower trajectory shots in comparison to pitch shots, which yield higher, softer shots with more spin from a setup encouraging a shallower attack angle, more use of the club’s bounce and an impact point closer to the bottom of the swing arc.

To hit a proper chip shot, it is important to get set up properly, choose your landing point, and choke down if necessary. An important part of chipping is visualizing where you want the ball to land. A good rule of thumb is to land the ball about 20% of the way to the hole on a chip shot. Assuming you hit it with the right loft club and proper amount of power, the ball will roll the rest of the way to the hole. You can use a wide variety of clubs when hitting a chip shot. The less lofted club you use, the lower the ball will fly and the more it will roll without changing your backswing length. Of course, you can use a club with more loft, like a sand wedge or pitching wedge, but many players use a lower lofted club like a 7 or 8 iron on longer chips.