Think about it. How many shots could you save per round if all of your chip shots resulted in up-and-downs? The effects of a good chipping game are substantial; the lack of a good chipping game can be very detrimental to your scores and/or your handicap. Statistics show that most amateurs miss up to 12 greens a round and out of those misses they get up and down only once or twice. Tour pros, who hit quite a few more greens per round, have a common up-and-down success rate of about 90% from within 10 yards of the green.
Here are some tips for getting your game around the greens that much closer to tour quality:
1) Select the proper club
On a chip shot, to increase distance and reach a farther target, it is advisable to take more club, such as a 6-iron instead of an 8-iron, instead of increasing the length of your swing or altering it in any way. There is no acceptable practice for what club to use for a chip shot. You can use anything from a sand or lob wedge for close pins and a 6- or 7-iron for further pins to a hybrid or rescue club for long chips or chips resting on the collar between the fringe and the rough. (The shape of the hybrid/rescue allows the club to glide easily through the rough on a chip shot). The choice is yours!
2) Address the ball properly
When you address a chip shot at a Myrtle Beach golf course, make sure you lean slightly forward and stand close to the ball so that the heel comes slightly off the ground. This helps prevent a chunk or a fat shot. Play the ball far back in your stance, just past the toe of your right shoe for right-handers, ensuring a descending blow on the ball and essentially eliminating any chance you have of hitting the chip fat. Grip down on the club so that your hands are not jammed up into your stomach, producing a slight bend or bow in your left wrist that should keep your swing smooth and firm, like a putt. (You don’t want your wrists to hinge in the swing; this is the kiss of death).
3) Swing properly
Before you hit the ball, take a couple practice swings at your Myrtle Beach golf course. Try to scuff the grass just in front of the ball without making a divot. When you hit the shot, repeat this action. Once you get consistent, clean contact your chip shots should roll the right distance and stop at a makeable distance from the hole.
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