The golf chipping shot mandates a slow rhythmic tempo with crisp content. Probably the biggest mistake I see with people executing the chipping stroke is that they decelerate the swing just before impact and scuff the club on the ground behind the golf ball.

With your chipping stroke, try to stand a bit closer to the ball. This will make it easier to keep your swing path more direct.

Press your weight slightly forward over your front leg this will help you keep your body still and it will help promote keeping your hands ahead of the clubhead through the stroke (very, very, important I might add).

Think of the chipping stroke as a brush stroke and not a ‘hitting’ stroke because you are just trying to ‘brush’ the golf ball off the grass.

With your weight slightly forward, you’ll want your left arm (right handers) to dominate the stroke. In fact, a quick drill you can use while you’re practicing your chipping is to put your right hand directly over your left hand when you grip your club… this force your left hand to take a dominant role and you’ll get the sensation of the left arm ‘pulling’ the club through the stroke. This type of practice grip will make it very difficult for the clubhead to incorrectly pass ahead of the hands.

With the lower body there is virtually no movement throughout the chipping stroke. The only movement at all is just at impact; and this is barely noticeable. It is only used as a slight bit of tempo and allows you to finish the motion through the ball and keep you club going down the target line.

Remember, keep your arms leading the shot.

Your golf chipping strategy should always be one of getting the golf ball on the green and rolling toward the pin as soon as possible.

With this in mind play the ball back in your stance and work on making contact with the golf ball with a slight descending blow. Not too much… you don’t want to ‘jab’ at the ball… remember you want to just sweep the ball off of the turf.

Don’t become ‘pin’ oriented with your target. Yes, it’s true you want to gather the right distance, but distance control will come. Always chip to the landing spot you want to hit and allow for the ball to roll to the hole. Your distance control will come as you learn to make consistent contact with your chips.

When you are first learning don’t try to master several techniques and specialty shots when chipping… keep your practices straightforward and boring….

Ho… hum… another routine up and down from just off the green… that’s what will keep you wallet in your pocket.

This becomes even more amplified for the mid to higher handicap golfer simply because by definition the higher handicapper won’t be as accurate with their approach shots, hence they will miss more greens… when you miss more greens; you need to have a short game that can get you up and down from off the green.

A good short game is a great remedy for earlier misguided shots… not to mention a good short game will put more pressure on your opponents.

A good golf chipping practice drill for you is to take a handful of golf balls and from just off the practice green play a round of par 2 golf. Chip your five or so balls at the hole… once done putt your chips in starting with chip that came the closest. If you’re down in 2 then you par… if not… you bogey.

A couple of benefits with this golf chipping drill will happen here. First your chipping and putting will begin to improve. Secondly, you’ll be simulating what really goes on when you’re playing your rounds of golf.

Now if you want to even more accurately what reflects an actual round of golf, get together with one of your playing partners and work this golf chipping drill with a bit of friendly competition added to the mix.

No matter what the stakes (or steaks) are, this will assuredly heighten your focus or even make you pucker up a bit… but this is what we want…

And that is to get you to a comfort level with some real time pressure and game like environment. The more you put yourself in this type of situation the more comfortable you and your game will become. Don’t under estimate the value of this golf chipping tip.