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Chip Away At Your Score

by Deb Vangellow

If you can hit more greens in regulation, your score will hopefully reflect more birdies. This certainly will help you shoot lower rounds. But if you can get up and down (meaning playing your ball up near the hole and down into the hole in two strokes) 70 percent of the time, you will lower your scores.

First of all, if you can putt, always putt. The sooner you can get the ball on the ground rolling towards the flag, the better, and there is less chance for error. If the grass is too high in front of your golf ball simply choose a club that will lift the ball over it. This is a chip or a “lofted putt.” Your plan should be to carry the trouble that is tough to putt through and get it on the better “stuff” (the green) to roll to the hole.

On a chip shot, you are trying to think in terms of minimum air time, maximum ground time. This is the opposite of a pitch shot where you are creating a shot that has maximum airtime, minimum ground time. The pitch requires a bit more motion and hinging action whereas with a chip the swing is executed like a putt: little or no body action and little or no wrist hinge. You should pick a spot to land the ball after carrying it over the trouble, and let it roll to the hole from there. Your landing area should be a spot that carries the front edge of the green comfortably because it’s preferable to land it on the fringe since it could take an unusual bounce, unless there is little green to work with.

The amount of roll you get is determined by the amount of loft on the clubface. To simplify this, use a sand wedge for a short roll, a pitching wedge for a slightly longer roll, a nine iron for one that is a bit longer, and so forth.

Once you have the chosen club in hand, rehearse the length of backswing needed to hit the landing area and TRUST that it will roll to the hole. A small swing that is executed like a putt will create this “lift” as your club will brush grass, allowing the ball to climb the clubface. If you do not chip the ball in, you will make the “second” putt since you will be close and can therefore get up and down easily.

As you move away from the green, you are further away and need more carry. Since you need more carry, you need a longer backswing. With a longer backswing, comes a faster moving ball, and with a faster moving ball you need additional loft on the clubface to help the ball come to a stop. Thus, even though the distance you have to the flag might indicate a longer chip, it is likely you will use pitching, gap, and sand wedge for a pitch-and-run shot.

Your “bull’s-eye” landing area is further away and you want to cushion the landing a bit so the ball won’t run off the green. Using a more lofted club helps. Although this seems confusing, experiment with your clubs and test the carry and roll of each club from a variety of distances. You will sense that as you move away from the green, your shot may go from chip to pitch and run to pitch depending on how much green you have to work with and how far away you are from the flag. Improve in this area and you will surely “chip away” at your score!

LPGA Class A Member Deb Vangellow holds both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science Degree in Education/Student Development from the University of Northern Iowa and Miami (Ohio) respectively. A multi-sport athlete who was a scholarship recipient, captain, and letter winner in soccer and track, Deb chose to devote her career path to becoming a top golf educator. Her experiences reflect this endeavor. Deb writes regularly for Tee Time Magazine and has contributed to many other golf publications around the country. Listed as one of the top 50 teachers by Golf for Women Magazine, Deb was also named one of America’s “Favorite Golf Instructors” and one of Houston’s “Top Teachers.” Deb is on the faculty for the LPGA National Education Program and offers a variety of wellness-based programs as part of her “Balanced Golf” curriculum.