Subject: {FIRSTNAME}, Chipping Hello {FIRSTNAME}, I hope you enjoyed the fourth course on fairway shots, next we are going to look at chipping. Here is a recap of the e-course schedule: Part 1: Equipment Part 2: The Mental Game Of Golf Part 3: Driving The Ball Part 4: Fairway Shots Part 5: Chipping Part 6: Putting Part 7: Common Problems With A Swing With that being said... Lets get rolling shall we :) ================================================== Part 5: Chipping -------------------------------------------------- This is the part of golf that many golfers have the most trouble with. Because chipping requires a bit of finesse, it’s much easier to flub a shot or overshoot the hole. There are some good techniques you can use when chipping the ball up onto the green. There are two parts to a successful short game: the plan and the execution. The plan is simply defining your shot before you play it. You should determine where you plan to land the ball and how far it will roll. The plan should include landing the ball on the green whenever possible and playing the best percentage shot. The best percentage shot is usually the one that is simplest to execute. Since you are hitting the ball a shorter distance than with a full swing, you should choke up on the club, narrow your stance, and stand closer to the ball. Picture the shot you're about to play and make a practice swing to approximate the swing you'll need. The club should be swung with arms and shoulders, with some wrist break. The key to shots around the green is to "keep the arms moving". As with other golf shots, picking the right club is essential to an effective chip. First of all, chip shots are essentially those played from right off the green. Most are otherwise known as "bump and runs." Don't confuse them with pitches, which are lofted shots with a sand-wedge. Many of us have been taught over the years to get the ball on the green as soon as possible and let it roll to the hole. There is nothing wrong with this. This is fine. The issue of concern, however, is when golfers go about playing different length of chips with an assortment of clubs. They hit a 9-iron if the flag is 20 feet away, 8-iron thirty feet, 7-iron forty feet, etc. You should really just choose ONE club to hit all of your "bump and runs" with, and adjust for the distance with the force of your swing. It can be a 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, wedge, or sand wedge. It doesn't matter that much. A great player, Phil Mickelson, likes to use his sand wedge in just about every case. He will play it far back in his stance, with his hands way ahead to bump it. On the other hand, Corey Pavin often uses a 5-iron around the green. He just "taps" it and the ball goes scurrying across the green with a lot of topspin. These are extremes, however. You should pick a 7, 8, or 9-iron. I, personally, like to use a 9-iron for chipping. I know how the ball is going to come off of the club because that's the one I practice with all the time. I have tried using a 7-iron on longer chips, but the ball seems to explode off the club face because I am not sure the proper force that I need to use. The art of chipping is hard enough without having to master four or five clubs. Practice with a couple at first. You should hit short "bump and runs" from the fringe and then longer "bump and runs" from in front of the green. For more information about golfing, please refer to my website Take Care,