Chipping Practice: Drills, Technique, and a Simple Routine
Quick Answer
Effective chipping practice combines solid contact, a predictable landing spot, and controlled rollout. Use one club first, practice from different lies, and score every drill instead of hitting random balls. The PGA’s chipping guidance describes a chip as a shot with more run than rise, so your practice should focus on getting the ball down and rolling quickly.
A Simple Chipping Practice Plan
- Warm up: Hit 10 short chips while focusing only on centered contact.
- Choose a landing spot: Place a towel three to six feet onto the green and land 10 balls on it.
- Change clubs: Compare the flight and rollout of an 8-iron, pitching wedge, and sand wedge.
- Change lies: Practice from fairway grass, light rough, and uneven ground.
- Add pressure: Finish by getting five of nine balls inside a six-foot circle.
Practice Goal
- Build one dependable chip before adding high, low, or specialty shots.
Chipping used to frustrate me because I practiced without a target. I hit dozens of balls, felt productive, and learned little about controlling distance.
A useful chipping practice session needs feedback and a clear goal. This guide covers setup, contact, club selection, drills, difficult lies, and a repeatable weekly routine.
In This Guide
What Should Chipping Practice Improve?
Chipping practice should improve contact, carry distance, rollout, and proximity to the hole. The goal is not to hole every shot.
A chip shot is a low, controlled greenside shot that spends more time rolling than flying. It differs from a pitch, which normally flies higher and carries farther.
Start with predictable contact
Your first job is getting the ball onto the green. A slightly imperfect chip that finishes 15 feet away is better than a bladed shot crossing the green.
Track these basic outcomes during practice:
- Green-hit rate: How many chips finish on the putting surface?
- Landing accuracy: How often does the ball land near your chosen spot?
- Proximity: How many shots finish inside three, six, or nine feet?
- Miss pattern: Do your misses finish short, long, left, or right?
Control the landing spot before the hole
The hole is the final target, but it should not be your only target. Pick a landing point where the ball can safely begin rolling.
I like to place a small towel a few feet onto the green. That simple target shows whether poor results come from carry control or an incorrect read.
The ideal landing area changes with slope and green speed. An uphill chip can land farther forward, while a downhill chip usually needs an earlier landing point.
Learn one stock shot first
A stock chip is your dependable default shot. For most golfers, it uses a pitching wedge or gap wedge with a small, putting-like motion.
Build that shot from a clean lie before attempting flop shots or open-face techniques. Specialty shots offer little value without reliable contact.
Section Takeaway: Measure green-hit rate, landing accuracy, and proximity. Build one predictable stock chip before expanding your shot selection.
How Do You Build a Consistent Chipping Technique?
A consistent chip needs a narrow setup, quiet lower body, and controlled brush of the turf. Avoid trying to lift the ball into the air.
Use a simple setup
Begin with your feet close together and your chest slightly open to the target. Keep most of your pressure on your lead foot.
For a standard right-handed chip:
- Position the ball near the middle or slightly back of center.
- Place about 55% to 65% of your pressure on the left foot.
- Set your hands slightly ahead of the ball.
- Grip down for more control.
- Keep the clubface square to the intended starting line.
Left-handed golfers can reverse those directions. The setup should feel stable, not forced.
Let your chest move the club
Small chip shots do not need an active hand action. Move your chest, arms, and club together through the ball.
Your wrists can remain soft without becoming floppy. Excessive wrist action changes the club’s low point and produces fat or thin contact.
Keep turning toward the target after impact. Stopping your body often causes the clubhead to pass your hands too early.
Brush the ground after the ball
A descending strike does not mean driving the club steeply downward. The club should contact the ball and then brush the turf.
Draw a line on the practice ground when the facility allows it. Place each ball just ahead of the line and check where the club touches the grass.
- Contact behind the line: Your low point is too far back.
- No turf contact: You may be lifting or pulling away.
- Contact ahead of the line: Your low point control is improving.
Pro tip: Ask a PGA of America professional to check your setup if you keep hitting the ground first. A short lesson can identify a low-point problem that is difficult to diagnose alone.
Section Takeaway: Use a stable setup and move your chest through the shot. Let the club brush the turf instead of trying to scoop the ball upward.
What Are the Best Chipping Drills?
The best chipping drills provide immediate feedback and recreate on-course decisions. Use fewer balls and change the target often.
1. The towel landing drill
Place a folded towel three to six feet onto the green. Choose one club and hit 10 balls toward it.
Award one point when the ball lands on the towel. Record your score, move the towel, and repeat from another distance.
2. The three-club rollout drill
Hit the same landing spot with an 8-iron, pitching wedge, and sand wedge. Watch how each club changes the carry-to-roll ratio.
This drill teaches club selection without mechanical changes. Your normal motion can produce several trajectories.
3. The ladder drill
Place targets at roughly 10, 20, and 30 feet. Chip one ball to each target, then work back toward the closest one.
Control distance by changing your backswing length. Keep the rhythm and through-swing committed.
4. The nine-ball circle drill
Place three balls in fairway grass, three in light rough, and three on a slight slope. Play every ball toward one hole.
Score the result as follows:
- Three points for finishing inside three feet.
- Two points for finishing inside six feet.
- One point for finishing inside nine feet.
- Zero points for missing the green.
A score of 12 from nine balls is a practical starting goal. Raise the target after you beat it during three separate sessions.
5. The one-ball up-and-down game
Drop one ball in a different location after every attempt. Chip onto the green and then putt the ball into the hole.
Count two strokes as an up-and-down. This creates consequence because you cannot correct a poor chip with another immediate attempt.
6. The worst-ball challenge
Hit two chips from one location and always play the worse result. Continue until you hole out.
This drill exposes weak shots and adds pressure. It also rewards leaving the first chip in a safe position.
Section Takeaway: Combine a contact drill, a distance drill, and a pressure game. Record scores so you can see whether your short game is improving.
Which Clubs and Lies Should You Practice?
Practice with at least three clubs and several realistic lies. Club choice should depend on the required carry, available rollout, and turf condition.
Chipping club comparison
| Club | Typical Flight | Typical Roll | Useful Situation | Main Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8-iron | Low | Long | Plenty of green between the ball and hole | Judging rollout on fast greens |
| Pitching wedge | Low to medium | Medium | Standard chips from a clean lie | Balancing carry and rollout |
| Gap wedge | Medium | Medium to short | Moderate carry with controlled release | Consistent strike and landing point |
| Sand wedge | Medium to high | Short | Short-sided targets or light rough | Requires dependable contact |
| Hybrid | Very low | Long | Tight fringe or awkward grass behind the ball | Controlling a lively strike |
These flight patterns are relative, not fixed yardage formulas. Loft, lie, ball position, turf, green speed, and technique all change the result.
Practice from a tight fairway lie
A tight lie provides little grass beneath the ball. Use a neutral shaft angle and avoid forcing the leading edge sharply into the ground.
Start with a pitching wedge and a small motion. Your main goal is clean ball-first contact.
Practice from light and deep rough
Light rough may reduce spin and create extra rollout. Deep rough can grab the hosel, slow the club, or produce a ball that jumps forward.
Test each lie before choosing a landing spot. A sand wedge often helps from deeper grass because its added loft gets the ball up sooner.
Practice uphill, downhill, and sidehill chips
An uphill chip usually needs more energy and may stop sooner. A downhill chip needs a conservative landing point because gravity adds rollout.
On sidehill lies, prioritize balance. Rehearse the setup without disturbing the ball during a round.
The USGA’s discussion of chipping areas notes that golfers may use anything from a putter or hybrid to a lofted wedge. That variety is exactly why lie-based practice matters.
Section Takeaway: Let the lie and available green choose the club. Practice low, medium, and high options without forcing one wedge to handle every situation.
How Should You Structure a Chipping Practice Routine?
A productive chipping routine can take 30 minutes. Divide the session between technique, skill development, and pressure testing.
A focused 30-minute session
- Minutes 0–5 — Contact: Hit 10 to 15 chips from a clean lie. Focus on brushing the ground after the ball.
- Minutes 5–12 — Landing spot: Use the towel drill from two locations. Record how many balls hit the target.
- Minutes 12–18 — Club selection: Hit three clubs to the same hole and compare rollout.
- Minutes 18–24 — Different lies: Practice from fairway grass, rough, and one slope.
- Minutes 24–30 — Pressure: Play the nine-ball circle or one-ball up-and-down game.
How often should you practice?
Two focused sessions each week can build useful skill. Even 15 minutes helps when the practice has a target and measurable outcome.
A practical weekly schedule looks like this:
- Session one: Contact, landing spot, and basic rollout.
- Session two: Different lies, club selection, and pressure games.
- Before a round: Test green speed and turf response for 10 minutes.
The PGA’s at-home practice guidance also recommends working on different chip types, including low and high shots. Use foam balls indoors and protect walls, windows, people, and pets.
Avoid random repetition
Hitting 30 balls from one perfect lie can improve rhythm. It does not fully prepare you for a round.
After warming up, change either the lie, club, landing spot, or target after every few shots. This forces you to read and adapt.
Track three simple numbers
Use a notebook or phone to record:
- Landing-zone hits out of 10 attempts.
- Average nine-ball challenge score.
- Up-and-down conversions out of 10 attempts.
Compare results every two weeks. A rising score provides stronger evidence than judging the session by feel.
If progress stops, check strike location and miss direction. Constantly changing technique may hide the real problem.
Section Takeaway: Split practice between contact, distance control, varied lies, and pressure. Track a small set of scores instead of relying on feel alone.
Chipping Practice FAQ
How many golf balls should I use for chipping practice?
Use three to nine balls for technical drills, then switch to one ball for game-like practice. A smaller group makes it easier to change locations and prevents you from repeatedly correcting the same shot without consequences.
What is the best club for a beginner to chip with?
A pitching wedge is a practical starting club because it offers a useful balance of carry and rollout. Once contact becomes predictable, add an 8-iron for lower shots and a sand wedge for shots requiring more height.
Should I chip with my wrists locked?
Your wrists should feel quiet but not rigid. Move your chest, arms, and club together while maintaining the structure created at address. Excessive wrist action can move the low point behind the ball.
Can I practice chipping at home?
Yes. Use foam balls, a small mat, and a safe landing target in a clear area. Practice centered contact and landing accuracy, but confirm real rollout later because carpet and artificial mats react differently from grass.
Why do I keep hitting chip shots fat?
Fat chips often come from shifting pressure onto the trail foot, stopping body rotation, or trying to lift the ball. Keep pressure forward, turn through the shot, and practice brushing the ground beyond a marked line.
How can I practice chipping without a practice green?
Use a safe grass area and create landing zones with towels or alignment rods. You can still improve contact and carry distance, although you will need a real green to learn rollout and slope.
Can I practice chipping during a round?
You cannot make practice strokes while playing a hole. Under USGA Rule 5, limited putting or chipping practice may be allowed between holes in specified areas, provided it does not delay play and the Committee has not prohibited it.
Your Next Chipping Practice Session
Start with one pitching wedge, one landing target, and 10 balls. Record how many land on the target before changing anything.
Then add an 8-iron and sand wedge. Notice how loft changes flight and rollout while your motion stays similar.
Finish with nine different chips and score proximity. That final test turns a technical session into preparation for the course.
Keep the routine simple for four weeks. Better chipping comes from predictable contact and smarter practice, not collecting more swing thoughts.
Your next step: Schedule one 30-minute session this week and record your landing-zone score. Give yourself a number to beat next time.
