Recreational golfers miss more greens than Tour players — making a good wedge game all the more important. After all, if the average seven handicap is only hitting about eight greens per round, on average, they’ll need to hit lots of good chips to save pars and shoot a good score.
So how do they do it?
PGA Tour player and GOLFTEC ambassador, Jim Knous, suggests a simple strategy.
“It depends on the player, but you’ve got to stick with what you’re good at,” he says. “If you like hitting bump-and-runs, hit bump-and-runs. If you like hitting high shots to every hole, hit high shots.”
But the first step to finding out which shot you’re best at requires trying each one, he says, and learning the correct technique for each.
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How to hit a low chip
Best used for when you have lots of green to work with, the trundling low shot will tend to roll more than it flies. To hit it Knous says to choose a low-lofted club and play the ball back in your stance
How to hit a medium chip
For something a little higher — but not an out-and-out flop shot — choose a club with a bit more loft and move the ball a little more up in your stance. The key tip for this, Knous says, is to look at the spot where you want your shot to land while you’re making practice strokes.
How to hit a high chip
Moving all the way up the spectrum, to loft one high, the first step is to reach for your highest lofted wedge and to open the face wide, Knous says. Combine that with a bigger, steeper swing, and you’ll get a shot that starts high, lands soft, and spins a lot.
Once you find one you’re most comfortable with, practice it. There’s no such thing as perfect in golf, but if you can get good at one shot style, you’ll be able to depend on it when you need to.
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