Those short little chip shots should be easy…. so how come they are so hard to control? Some of them go too far, some of them don’t go far enough. Some of them pop up too high, some of them don’t get high enough.

What gives???

Consistently controlling your chip shots is a key to getting up and down and shooting your lowest scores, and it’s easier than you might think.

Focus on these simple tips to keep your chip shots under control…

Start by loading your weight on your lead leg.

For right handed golfers this means starting your swing with the majority of your weight on your left leg. This may sound backwards, but with a small swing like a chip a weight transfer is not necessary, and you’ll be able to avoid a lot of unnecessary movement by starting with the majority of your weight on your lead leg.

Control your distance with the length of your backswing.

Too many of the golfers I see try to control how far their chip shots travel by swinging harder or softer. This is EXTREMELY difficult to do consistently. Instead focus on controlling the distance of your chip shots just like you do on your putts – with the length of your backswing. For a short chip use a short backswing, for a long chip use a longer backswing. And remember, ALWAYS accelerate the club head through the ball.

Keep a strong lead wrist through impact.

For right handed golfers letting your left wrist collapse and flipping your club head through impact is one of the most sure fire ways to lose control over your chip shots and launch them way to high in the air. Instead keep your lead wrist strong and ahead of the club head as it passes through the impact zone only letting it break after your ball has landed on the green.

Practice these 3 tips next time you’re on the chipping green and before you know it you’ll be getting up and down and turning those bogeys into pars!