Improve Your Short Game - Pitching & Chipping (1) When is a Shot a Pitch and when it is a Chip? Chipping is a low - trajectory shot used when near the green (from about 10 yards to a few inches), with minimal wrist hinge, where the ball lands and rolls out like a putt. A chip stays on the ground longer than it stays in the air, it has a very short carry. Pitching is a higher - trajectory shot for longer distances that needs to overcome obstacles, involving more wrist hinge and speed, causing the ball to land soft and stop more quickly. A pitch has a much longer carry, it stays in the air longer than it is on the ground. Pitching and Chipping are an important part of the game, to save strokes and improve your score. Unfortunately, many players practice the short game less than any other shots. Often golfers enjoy a long drive or a long iron shot much more than making a small short well. You should develop the ability, through practice, to take maximum two strokes to c omplete a hole after missing a green. A sho rt shot should be much easier than the long game because the arc is smaller and the swing speed is much lower than a full shot. Despite this expected ease, why many golfers find a short shot difficult? if a drive goes 10 yards to the right or left of the target, we don't mind, those 10 yards out of 200 yards are not much of an issue. But when pitching or chipping we miss the hole by 20 feet, it is very disappointing. When playing the short game, more pressure is placed on the ability to execute the shor t shot correctly. The pressure is less on long shots because we realize it is not realistic to expect the ball to end up 2 feet from the hole from 200 yards away. if the ball is 30 feet from the green, we expect the ball to go into the hole. A common mis - concept is that a short shot should be high, often a scooping action is employed. Just like any other shots, pitches and chips shall drive the ball forward toward the target, not into the clouds. Remember: The shorter the distance a ball is se nt, the lower it will go. The swing at short shots is made with the same purpose as any other swing, for any other shot. The swings for short shots are simply smaller than those needed for long shots. (2) Execute a Pitch Shot • Stance : Take a wider stance than a chip but narrower than a full swing. Your feet pointed slightly outward. • Ball Position : Position the ball center - to - forward in your stance. Use a larger, more coordinated swing than a chip by rotating your body through the shot. • Connection : Keep your arms connecte d to your body. Tuck your arms and elbows in to stay connected to your body, promoting a fluid, coordinated swing Hit down on the ball, allowing the club's bounce to help it skim the turf after impact, but avoid excessive slowing down or a steep angle of attack. • Clubface: Open the clubface slightly to increase loft and spin. • Swing Speed : Maintain a balanced, consistent tempo with a backswing and follow - through of roughly equal length to help with distance control. Avoid slowing down your swing too much, as this can lead to a mishit. (3) Execute a Chip Shot A chip shot is executed by taking a putting - like stance with most of your weight on your lead foot, placing the ball back in your stance, and using a pendulum - like shoulder motion to avoid excessive wrist action. • Stance : Take a narrow stance with your feet square to the target, similar to a putting stroke. • Weight: Shift about 70% of your weight to your lead (left) foot an d keep it there throughout the swing • Ball position: Place the ball toward the back of your stance, aligned with your lead foot. • Swing: Use a smooth, pendulum - like motion with your shoulders and arms. Keep your wrists quiet and avoid a large hinge • Choose the right club: A higher - lofted club like a sand wedge is often a good choice. • Minimize wrist action: The most common mistake is using too much wrist hinge, which leads to inconsistent contact and distance control. Think of your arms and shoulders working as a single unit.