How to chip in golf with better ball position.
I’m PGA Professional Todd Kolb, with another segment of On the Lesson Tee. One of the most common questions that our students bring to the lesson tee in regards to chipping is where should they position the ball to hit shots around the green? What I want to talk about here today is helping you understand what I call cause and effect.
Now the most common position that people are told to hit chip shots from is with the ball towards the back foot—or for me, would be my right foot. They’re also told that the hands should be well in front of the golf ball. Now let me say this: this is not a bad spot or a wrong spot, but you need to understand the cause and effect. And from this position—with the ball back, and the hands in front—the ball’s going to come out lower and it’s going to roll more, because you’ve de-lofted the golf club. And if that’s a shot you want to hit, then that’s the proper setup.
However, if you want to hit the ball a little higher and softer, you need to adjust your setup. And in order to do that, I want to see the ball positioned in the center of the stance, and I want the handle—or what we might call the butt end of the club—to be equal with the ball. This keeps loft on the face, and is going to allow the ball to come out a little bit higher and softer.
So chipping is all about cause and effect, and getting the golf ball to do what you want it to do. If you want to hit it low, and you want it to roll, move it towards the back foot and move your hands in front. If you want to hit the ball a little higher and a little softer, move it more in the center; make sure the handle is equal with the ball. You’ll have more loft on the club, and once again, the ball will come out a little bit higher and softer. These are great ways to hit a variety of shots around the green, and hopefully this will help your chipping.
