Mastering the Art of the Chip Shot

If you want to lower your scores fast, forget the driver. Start around the greens.

“Chipping isn’t just about technique—it’s about confidence, control, and understanding your options. Whether you’re a scratch player or shooting in the 90s, mastering the chip shot will change your game”.

Start With the Setup

Most amateur chipping errors come from a poor setup. Here’s the foundation I teach every student:

• Feet close together (about a clubhead apart)
• Weight slightly forward (60–70% on your lead foot)
• Ball in the middle of your stance.
• Shaft leaning forward—hands slightly ahead of the ball
• Minimal wrist hinge—keep it simple

  

“The most common mistake I see is too much movement. Golfers get flippy with their wrists or shift their weight back. That kills contact,” Wood explains. “You need stability and simplicity in your chipping motion.”

One great visual: imagine your arms and shoulders forming a triangle. Keep that triangle intact from start to finish. Let the loft do the work.

Use the Right Club, Not Just the Wedge You Love

Many players instinctively reach for their most lofted club. Big mistake.

“A lob wedge has its place—but it’s not your default chipping club,” Wood advises. “More often than not, you want to get the ball on the ground and rolling like a putt.”

For tight lies, bump-and-runs, or long green surfaces, consider using a 9-iron or pitching wedge. You’ll reduce the margin of error by avoiding high, spinny shots unless they’re absolutely necessary.

Club Selection Guidelines:

• 9-iron: Low chip, long rollout. Great for uphill or flat greens.
• PW or GW: Mid trajectory, medium rollout.
• SW or LW: High chip, short rollout. Only when needed.

“The rule I give my students is this: the less airtime you need, the less loft you use. It simplifies decisions and improves consistency.”

Drill: The Alignment Stick Fix

This is one of my favorite drills to teach feel and clean contact.

How to Do It:

• Tape an alignment stick along your club shaft, extending past your lead hip.
• Hit chip shots with your normal motion.
• If the stick hits your side, you flipped your wrists—start again.

“This drill changed the way many of my players feel impact,” Wood says. “It trains you to keep the handle ahead and use your body—not your hands—to control the shot.”

Focus on Contact, Not Power

Chipping isn’t about power. It’s about precision.

“Forget trying to help the ball into the air,” Wood insists. “You want to hit down slightly and brush the grass. The ball pops up naturally with the loft.”

Keep your weight forward. Let the club bottom out just after the ball. Trust your setup and let the club do its job.

How to Practice Chipping with a Purpose

Repetition without structure doesn’t build skill. You need intentional practice.

Here are three drills I use with players of all levels:

1. Ladder Drill

Set tees at 3, 6, 9, and 12 feet from your target. Try to land chips progressively closer without going past the last tee. Builds distance control.

2. Up-and-Down Game

Drop 10 balls around the green. Chip, then putt out each one. Score how many times you get up and down. Track weekly.

3. One-Ball Rule

Practice like you play: one ball, one lie, different clubs. Mimic real on-course decisions.

“I tell my players: you don’t get a redo on the course, so stop giving yourself unlimited retries in practice. Pressure creates growth.”

Closing Advice from Mark

“If you can get up and down from just off the green seven out of ten times, you’re going to drop your handicap faster than you ever have. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Just simplify the setup, choose the right club, and commit to contact.”

You don’t need to hit it 300 yards to be a great golfer. But you do need to get up and down when it counts.

Start mastering the chip shot today—and watch your scorecard thank you tomorrow.

Purchase Books by Mark Wood
52 Golf Challenges to shoot lower scores >> https://mybook.to/wJfl
Never Shank Again >> https://mybook.to/vJ58
How to Crush the Ball 20 Yards Further >> https://mybook.to/yBLlmSt

For More Great Swing Advice From Mark Wood visit his personal golf community at https://www.markwood.golf/share/I0JXd_NM3t1dnpk-?utm_source=manual

For Online Lessons with Mark visit https://skillest.com/@MarkWoodGolf