10 Easy Chipping Drills That Will Help Melt Strokes off Your Game
Chipping drills are a great way to lower your score on the golf course.
Are you ready to hit some of the lowest numbers you’ve ever seen? Or maybe you’re just looking to have better scores than your golfing buddies!
Either way improving your chipping skills is exactly what you need!
If you practice these chipping tips and drills you will hands down improve your golf game and you don’t even need to be on the course.
Continue reading for 10 proven chipping tips and drills to take strokes off of your game.
#1 The Coin Chipping Drill
This golf chipping drill is one you can do when you are not able to get to the green or outside period.
It’s a perfect in-home chipping drill that doesn’t require a lot, but can yield great results for you the next time you find yourself on the green.
You’ll need a few coins and a cup.
Randomly scatter a handful of coins on your carpet with a cup in the middle.
Get clean contact with the coin sending it into the air and into the cup if you can.
This chipping drill is so effective because chipping with a coin will help you make clean contact with your chip shots, and also make chipping a golf ball much more effortless.
Consider using older clubs for this drill as the coins can start to scratch or dent the club face.
#2 Chip at a Chair
This is a chipping tip that is for all the golf fanatics.
Rainy out?
Don’t worry, this chipping drill, you can do right in your own home with a living room chair.
In order to control your trajectory you’ll need to control your roll out.
Your living room chair has three trajectories for you to aim at:
-the bottom
-the cushion
-the back
You’ll want to set up 3-6 feet back from the chair and take your usual chipping stroke at the chair. The point that it hits the chair is your baseline trajectory.
Practice moving your ball positions to see the different zones you hit. Moving further back in your stance will produce lower ball fly, but when you move it forward it will pop higher.
The next time you are on the green remember the chipping stroke and position of the ball that hit the bottom of the chair and imitate this to maximize your roll out.
#3 Eyes wide shut chipping drill
You can let a chip get the best of you by staring it down. Nerves will take over and affect your tempo resulting in you chunking or blading the chip.
Not to worry, this is true for tour pros as well as scratch golfers.
This chipping drill is sure to set you up to ‘feel’ for a good stroke versus looking for it.
The set up is really simple for this one. On the green have a few golf balls just off of the green. Set yourself up as you normally would…
-Positioning the ball off your rear foot, loading 80% of weight on your front foot. Stand closer to the ball than you would for a full swing and choke down several inches making sure your hands are ahead of the ball -
Once you have yourself set up, simply close your eyes. Proceed with a short chipping stroke, keep focus on your wrist angle to ensure a downward strike on the ball.
#4 The bag backstop
Most beginner golfers have trouble taking a big backswing and try to counteract it with decelerating on the way down.
They understand their big backswing will send the ball too far, but decelerating is not the answer.
Chipping strokes must always be short, smooth and aggressive. In order to achieve this, the backswing must be shortened.
A simple solution?
Put your golf bag 3 feet behind you, if your backswing hits the bag it’s too long. This chipping drill is easy to do at the course or at home.
#5 Landing spot
This is an easy beginner level golf chipping drill that improves your short game.
This is a great chipping drill that can be done in your backyard or on the golf course.
You will only need your wedge and a towel.
Start by folding your towel into about a 1 foot by 1 foot square.
You’ll take two large steps back from it once it’s placed on the ground. Start wit your first golf ball and chip from this distance first (about 6 feet)
Your goal is to chip straight and land on your target (the towel). Once you have hit the goal 5 times successfully, move back another 3 feet and repeat.
Continue to repeat this up until 21 feet of distance is between you and the target.
Be sure to start close to target at just 6 feet away from you. For these closer distance chipping shots you will not need as much power, so your ball should not fly as high.
Make sure you are able to hit the target multiple times before moving back to the next distance.
We recommend starting at 5 successful hits but you can set that number higher if you would like more of a challenge.
#6 Triangle Chipping Drill
Most everyday golfers are coming up short with their chips by trying to “scoop” the ball into the air.
While the best way to get a solid chip is to have your arms, wrist and elbows working as one unit.
This is exactly what you will learn to do and perfect with this chipping drill/ chipping tip.
To execute this chipping tip focus on creating a triangle shape with your shoulders, forearms and hands.
Keep your arms, shoulders and club together as one and lightly brush the ground through impact.
Be sure to hold this shape throughout your swing and let your upper body do all the work.
#7 Hula Hoop
A great drill you can do at the range in your back yard or even at a park.
The only additional thing you need is a hula hoop or string to make the shape of a circle.
Set your golf balls up starting at 5 yards from the hula hoop. Chip it and land it inside of the hoop.
Every time you sink a ball in the hoop move further back from the hoop.
You can make it more challenging by making yourself start over with each failed attempt to sink the ball in the hula hoop.
By regularly getting your chips inside the hoop, its more likely you’ll get up and down a lot more.
#8 Trial Hand Release
This chipping drill was has been coined by one of the best golf coaches, Butch Harmon.
While a very simple chipping tip, it is very effective!
Harmon noted many golfers trying to “help” the ball into the air instead of letting the club face do the work. This causes your typical chipping “yips”
This drill is very simple and to execute it you’ll need to be in your typical chipping stance ( narrow stance, your weight heavy on your front foot etc)
Follow up with a normal chipping stroke, dropping your trail hand (dominant hand) off the club right before it hits the ball.
Be sure to keep your non dominant hand (lead arm) swinging straight toward the target.
#9 Slam Dunk
Think of this in basketball terms. You want nothing but net!
The slam dunk chipping drill is really a lot of fun and helps you to start hitting your chips and pitches at exact distances.
Simply put, you want to sink your ball in the cup with no contact with the green.
Choose any distance between 10 and 30 yard and try to “slam dunk” as many of these shots as you can.
It may not be many to begin with, but with time and practice, this chipping drill will really improve your game.
#10 Par 18 Chipping Game
One of the best chipping tips is to incorporate games into your training. Games will not only help you to learn to play under pressure but will also keep the monotony out of your routine.
How to play
- Pick 9 areas of the green (for best practice 3 easy, 3 medium and 3 difficult )
- The goal is to get up and down in par 2 at all 9 holes, to make the total “par 18”
- Play all 9 holes while keeping your score and make 18 your target
You can make this game more challenging by trying to beat your score while practicing.
This is not the type of pressure you would want during a normal round, but during practice is different.
Keeping track of your score while practicing can imitate the same type of pressure you would normally feel on the course.
As with any golf stoke stance is critical.
There you have it, the best drills to improve your chipping game. The final piece of the puzzle is creating a schedule that allows you to practice these drills consistently. Repetition is key and you’re far more likely to get the reps in if you deliberately make time to do them! Choose a day and time of the week and commit to it like an appointment you can’t skip and you’ll thank yourself later for it.
