One Chip Shot for Almost Every Lie

The goal of a basic chip is not to hit it close. The first goal is to remove the second chip.

For an everyday golfer, the highest-value short-game motion is a low, predictable shot with a comfortable club. Use it whenever there is no bunker to carry, no severe upslope and enough green for the ball to roll.

Build the boring motion

• Set your feet close enough together that balance feels automatic.
• Let the handle sit slightly ahead of the ball without forcing it forward.
• Keep your chest moving through the strike as the arms swing.
• Finish with the clubhead low and your body facing slightly toward the target.

The exact club matters less than your ability to predict it. Start with a 9-iron or pitching wedge. Change clubs to change roll before changing the motion.

Pick the landing spot first

Most golfers stare at the hole and hope the ball sorts itself out. Instead, choose a flat landing spot just onto the green. Read the rest like a putt. Your job is to carry the fringe and let the ground do the difficult work.

The nine-ball ladder

Place a towel or headcover two steps onto the green. From one easy lie, hit three balls with a pitching wedge, three with a 9-iron and three with an 8-iron. Keep the motion the same. Notice how the carry stays similar while the rollout changes.

Score one point for landing on the putting surface and another for finishing inside a three-step circle. Repeat until you score 14 of 18. Then move to a slightly different lie.

Know when this shot is wrong

Use more loft when you must clear a bunker, stop the ball quickly or escape deep rough. A basic chip is not every shot. It is the default that simplifies most ordinary ones. For those situations, see our fuller chipping fundamentals guide, which covers the full decision tree, and our bunker play basics and flop shot guides for the specific exceptions.