How to Chip a Golf Ball for Beginners
How to Chip a Golf Ball for Beginners
A beginner does not need six different chipping techniques.
You do not need to learn a flop shot, low spinner, bump-and-run, open-face cut shot, and three different wrist feels before you can get the ball onto the green.
Start simpler.
Use one club.
Pick one landing spot.
Make a small motion you can control.
That is where I want beginners to begin.
One of the most common mistakes I see around the green is golfers trying to help the ball into the air.
They lean back.
Flip the wrists.
Add unnecessary loft.
Then the strike becomes inconsistent.
The club already has loft.
Your job is to make clean contact, get the ball onto a predictable part of the green, and let it roll.
What a Chip Shot Is
A chip is a short shot played from close to the green that spends more time rolling than flying.
That is what separates it from a higher pitch shot.
A basic chip should feel simple.
You are not trying to create a large swing.
You are making a small controlled motion that carries the ball onto the green and lets it release toward the hole.
For beginners, that is a very useful shot because it removes a lot of unnecessary movement.
Start With a Simple Club
If you are learning how to chip, start with a pitching wedge or 9-iron from a clean fairway-height lie.
Do not begin from deep rough.
Do not begin with a ball sitting on bare dirt.
Do not begin by trying to carry a bunker.
Give yourself an easy practice environment first.
Once the motion becomes reliable, you can start changing clubs and lies.
The Basic Chipping Setup
Your setup should make it easier to control the bottom of the swing.
Here is a simple starting point.
1. Narrow Your Stance
Set your feet roughly one clubhead apart.
You do not need a full-swing stance for a chip.
A narrow stance helps keep the motion small and controlled.
2. Play the Ball Near the Middle
For a basic chip, start with the ball near the middle of your stance.
You do not need to push it dramatically back toward your trail foot.
Too much back-ball position can create excessive shaft lean and make the shot come out too low.
3. Favor the Lead Foot Slightly
Place a little more pressure on your lead side.
You do not need to lean aggressively.
You just want a stable setup that makes it easier to strike the ball before brushing the turf.
4. Keep the Handle Neutral or Slightly Forward
Your hands can be slightly ahead of the ball, but avoid forcing a large forward press.
The goal is control, not removing all the loft from the club.
5. Let Your Arms Hang Naturally
Stand close enough to the ball that your arms can hang comfortably.
Grip pressure should feel light enough that you can move the club smoothly.
The Chipping Motion
Once the setup is in place, keep the swing simple.
Make a short back-and-through motion.
I like beginners to feel as if the chest and arms move together.
You do not need a lot of wrist hinge.
You also do not need to freeze the wrists completely.
The goal is simply to avoid a loose flipping motion.
Let the Chest Keep Moving
One mistake beginners make is stopping the body and throwing the clubhead at the ball.
Instead, let your chest continue turning slightly toward the target.
That helps the club move through the shot instead of stopping at impact.
Brush the Grass After the Ball
A good chip should feel like the club brushes the grass just after contact.
You do not need to take a large divot.
You are looking for clean contact and a shallow brushing motion.
If you consistently hit the ground several inches behind the ball, your low point is too far back.
If you never touch the turf and keep catching the ball thin, you may be standing up or trying to lift it.
Do Not Scoop the Ball Into the Air
This deserves its own section because it causes so many bad chips.
The ball goes up because the golf club has loft.
You do not have to add loft with your hands.
When golfers try to scoop the ball, they often:
- Lean away from the target
- Flip the wrists
- Strike behind the ball
- Hit the ball thin
- Lose control of distance
Trust the club.
Make the motion.
Let the loft do the work.
Pick a Landing Spot
This is one of the easiest ways to improve chipping.
Do not only stare at the hole.
Pick a spot on the green where you want the ball to land.
For a beginner practice session, choose a flat area about three yards onto the green.
Try to land the ball on that spot and let it roll from there.
This makes the task much clearer.
Instead of thinking, “Hit it close,” your job becomes:
Land the ball here.
That is measurable.
Why the Landing Spot Matters
Imagine two chips finish six feet from the hole.
The first landed exactly where you intended and rolled farther than expected.
The second was struck poorly but happened to bounce close to the hole.
The first shot actually teaches you more.
Your landing spot helps separate contact and distance control from luck.
That is why I would rather see beginners practice landing zones than simply chase the hole.
Adjust the Shot Based on What Happens
If the ball lands on your spot but finishes short, you have several options.
You can:
- Use less loft
- Make a slightly longer motion
- Pick a farther landing spot
If the ball lands correctly but rolls too far, you can:
- Use more loft
- Shorten the motion
- Pick a closer landing spot
Do not change everything at once.
Change one variable and watch what happens.
Choose the Club Based on the Route
You do not need to chip with the same club every time.
The route between the ball and hole should help decide the club.
Use a Putter When You Can
If the ball is just off the green and the surface between you and the hole is smooth, putting may be the easiest option.
There is no rule that says you have to use a wedge because the ball is off the green.
If the putter removes risk, use it.
Use an 8-Iron or 9-Iron for More Roll
When you have very little grass to carry and plenty of green available, a lower-lofted club can be useful.
An 8-iron or 9-iron will generally launch lower and roll farther.
That can make the shot easier because the ball spends less time in the air.
Use a Pitching Wedge or Sand Wedge for More Carry
If you need to carry rough or stop the ball sooner, use more loft.
A pitching wedge or sand wedge can help the ball fly farther before it begins rolling.
The key is not to automatically choose the highest-lofted club in the bag.
Use only as much loft as the shot requires.
For more help with this decision, read when to putt, chip, or pitch.
Start With One Club Before Adding More
Although different clubs are useful, beginners should not constantly switch clubs while learning the basic motion.
Start with one.
I would use a pitching wedge or 9-iron.
Learn:
- Clean contact
- A consistent landing spot
- How far the ball rolls
- How swing length changes distance
Once you can predict those things, add another club.
Now you can compare how loft changes carry and rollout.
That is much easier than trying to learn five clubs at the same time.
The 10-Ball Landing Test
Here is a simple chipping test I like for beginners.
Place ten golf balls about two yards off the green on a clean fairway lie.
Place a towel about three yards onto the green.
Use one club.
Your goal is to land the ball on or near the towel.
Scoring
Give yourself:
- 2 points for landing on the towel
- 1 point for landing within one club length of the towel
- 0 points for landing farther away or failing to reach the green
Your maximum score is 20.
Do not worry about where the ball finishes yet.
This test is about the landing spot.
Track Contact Separately
Also keep a simple record of poor contact.
Mark each shot as:
- Solid
- Heavy
- Thin
This helps you understand the actual problem.
If your landing score is poor because you hit four shots fat, you need to work on contact.
If all ten shots are struck cleanly but your landing spots are scattered, your motion length needs more consistency.
Those are two different problems.
What to Do If You Keep Hitting Chips Fat
If you hit behind the ball, shorten the swing.
Make small waist-high or smaller motions.
Focus on brushing the grass in the same place after the ball.
You can even draw a line on the turf or place a small marker beside the ball to help monitor where the club contacts the ground.
Do not try to fix fat shots by swinging harder.
Improve where the club reaches the bottom of the swing.
What to Do If You Keep Hitting Chips Thin
Thin shots usually happen when the club misses the turf or contacts the ball too high on the face.
Check that you are not trying to lift the ball.
Stay in your posture.
Keep your chest moving.
Let the club brush the grass.
The goal is not to pick the ball perfectly clean.
How to Practice Chipping Distance Control
Once your contact becomes reliable, start changing distance.
Choose three landing spots:
- Short
- Medium
- Long
Hit three balls to each spot.
Keep the same club.
Change only the length of the motion.
This teaches you how swing length changes carry.
Then repeat the drill with a second club and notice how the rollout changes.
For the next step, read my beginner chip-distance guide.
The Simplest Course Rule for Beginners
When you are on the course, choose the shot with the smallest chance of disaster.
That usually means:
- Putt if the surface allows it
- Chip low when you have room to roll
- Add loft only when you need to carry something
Do not try to hit the most impressive shot.
Hit the easiest one.
Get the First Chip Onto the Green
If you remember one scoring rule, use this one.
Get the first chip onto the green.
A chip to 15 feet is fine.
A chip to 25 feet can still be fine.
A chunk that moves two yards and leaves another chip is much more damaging.
Beginners often lose more strokes from failed chips than from chips that finish too far from the hole.
Your first job is getting the ball onto the putting surface.
Avoid the extra chip: Use my free Break 90 Blueprint and Shot Leak Audit to identify whether short-game mistakes are one of the biggest reasons your scores are staying high.
Do Not Try to Hole Every Chip
Trying to hole the shot often causes beginners to become too aggressive with club selection and technique.
They may grab a lob wedge because the shot looks exciting.
They may try to stop the ball beside the hole.
They may choose a tiny landing spot with very little margin for error.
Instead, give yourself a safe target.
Get the ball on the green.
Leave yourself a putt.
That is successful short-game golf.
A Simple Beginner Chipping Practice Session
Here is an easy 30-minute session.
5 Minutes: Setup and Contact
Use one club.
Make small chips from a clean lie.
Focus only on brushing the grass after the ball.
10 Minutes: Landing Spot Practice
Use the towel drill.
Try to improve your 10-ball score.
10 Minutes: Three Distances
Pick three different landing spots.
Hit several balls to each one.
Change swing length rather than changing technique.
5 Minutes: Random Practice
Change the target after every shot.
Go through your full routine.
Pick a landing spot before each chip.
This final section helps transfer the practice to the golf course.
How to Know When You Are Improving
Do not judge progress by one chip that nearly goes in.
Track simple benchmarks.
For example:
- Fewer fat shots
- Fewer thin shots
- More balls reaching the green
- Better towel-test score
- Smaller landing-pattern dispersion
- More predictable rollout
Those are signs that your chipping is actually becoming more reliable.
Keep Chipping Simple
Beginners do not need more technique.
They need more predictability.
Start with one club.
Build one basic setup.
Make one small controlled motion.
Choose a landing spot.
Learn how the ball reacts after it lands.
Then gradually add different clubs, lies, and trajectories.
That progression makes chipping much easier to understand.
You are not trying to become a short-game magician.
You are trying to make clean contact, get the ball onto the green, and give yourself a manageable putt.
That alone can save a lot of strokes.
Make short-game practice easier to follow: Explore the Foy Golf Academy Practice Plans for organized chipping, putting, and full-swing practice sessions.