Guessing the Distance Needed To Land My Chip

/ The Grateful Golfer

So, you are standing 15 yards off the green and the pin is short sided. You select your club and then have to figure out where to land the ball so it will release to the hole. It is a decision that we golfers make at least a dozen times a round (give or take a few). The trick is ‘do you have a process’ or do you just guess the distance?

Personally, I fall into the ‘process’ category. I believe that developing a process will greatly improve my ability to get the ball tight at any distance. Of course, I still use some feel with making a decision, but I try to reduce the amount of guessing I make when chipping. One of my favourite drills focuses on landing the ball from specific distances. It is a drill I use often, especially in the off-season.

Short sided chipping drill

In the case of the drill above, you can see that I am attempting to roll the ball out to the hole. So, my club selection is very important. The basic set up is as follows:

  • Place on club behind the hole approximately 1 foot
  • Place two clubs, approximately 3 feet apart, at a given distance from the hole. In the case of the picture above it is about 15 feet
  • Pace off a hitting area about 5, 10, 15, and 20 yards from the two clubs (this distance will vary depending on what distance you want to specifically practice)
  • Chip balls so they land between the two clubs and one hop and release
  • Try varying clubs, from different distances, to determine the roll out to the hole
  • Repeat as often as required

I really like this drill. During the actual golf season it is very beneficial and helps me develop greater control with my wedges. During the off-season, I only work on distance control of the ball in the air to a landing point. By using both of these drills, I can practice my short game all year around. It helps speed up my return to golf in April.

By practicing this drill, you will take the guessing out of chipping. The result of being more confident with your scoring irons will show up on lower golf scores after each round. It is drills like this that help me establish a process to eliminate guessing when making strokes around the green.

Do you have a process to removing guessing during your short game?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

9 thoughts on “Guessing the Distance Needed To Land My Chip”

  1. Pingback: A Drill To Improve Your Touch Around The Green | The Grateful Golfer

  2. Jim, good drill and I agree with what’s said here. I practice hitting to a spot with all my chipping clubs. Hitting the spot is the key. On the course, I’ll stand to the side of the shot and visualize the start and end point of the shot. Found that helps me to correctly identify the landing point because previously I had a tendency to pick a point that was too short, hence my shots would come up short.

    Thanks,

    Brian

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. What I do isn’t as accurate maybe, but it’s something I can do in my backyard. I chip into a bucket. I don’t get to judge roll out that way, but I do get to practice hitting to a target. For longer, higher chips, hitting into the backet works great. For lower chips I can land it on the plastic top. It works for lobs too but I’m careful to hit away from the house on those just in case. 😂

    Like

    Reply

    • Kevin

      I do that as well. I does help very much for flight distances on higher chips. There is no one way to apply this practice theme. It all helps in the long run. Thanks for adding to the discussion. How are you feeling?

      Cheers Jim

      Like

      Reply

      • Not bad. The swelling is finally gone now. That brace makes getting a full nights sleep next to impossible, but since I work from home, catching a nap when I need it is no problem and I have the kids still at home so I have help with the heavy stuff when I need it. The only real issue is not getting to practice my golf with the weather so nice out. That REALLY irritates. 😂

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment