The 153rd Open Championship brought us some crazy shots and exciting performances from the best players in the world — one of which was Matt Fitzpatrick, who finished T4, and once again demonstrated how solid his short game is. His trademark cross-handed grip has made waves over the 2025 PGA Tour season, especially with his performance at this year’s PGA Championship, where he finished T8.
It’s a technique that Fitzpatrick has relied on for years, and it’s been instrumental in his consistency around the greens. Fitzpatrick is ranked 10th on tour for scrambling inside 30 yards.
If Fitzpatrick’s cross-handed approach has you reconsidering your technique around the greens, GOLF Teacher to Watch, Parker McLachlin, says his signature grip might be worth trying — and gives you a step-by-step “how to” for trying it out on your own.
What is cross-handed chipping?
If you still aren’t quite sure what constitutes a cross-handed grip, let me provide a refresher. The cross-handed grip, or “left-hand-low” for right-handed golfers, is simple: you place your left hand lower on the club than your right.
It may feel awkward at first, but it’s a technique that many golfers, including Fitzpatrick, have found helps them maintain stability and control around the green. While it’s commonly used for putting, it’s equally effective for chipping, especially when finesse is key.
Why does it work?
McLachlin explains that the cross-handed grip can provide you with more stability through impact, and reduces your wrist action, helping you avoid those jerky or flippy tendencies around the green.
By locking your hands in place, McLachlin says, it becomes more of a body motion and not as much of a hands motion, which can provide players with more stability and control around the green.
“With a cross-handed grip, you can’t get too involved with those small muscles,” McLachlin says.
Eliminating that unnecessary movement also means you’re less likely to hit duffed chips or mishit the ball.
How you can try it
Switch your grip: For right-handed golfers, move your left hand to the bottom of the grip, and your right hand higher up. It’s going to feel unusual at first, but don’t let that throw you off.
Start with simple chips: McLachlin says to practice short, low-running chips around the green.
“I would start with a lower loft club, maybe a nine iron, and just making swings where the ball is carrying 3 to 5 yards,” McLachlin says, “And just see if you can master that.”
As for your setup keys, they’re relatively the same as they would be for the same shot with a traditional grip. McLachlin says to stand slightly closer to the ball, keep your feet closer together, and play the ball back in your stance — off your trail foot.
Make some putting-style swings and if you can hit about 10 to 20 of these small shots, that will give you an awareness of whether or not this would be a good change for your game.
According to McLachlin, the final piece of the puzzle is figuring out which technique gives you the most confidence.
“That’s really what matters,” McLachlin says, “is having that confidence to be able to pull off the different types of shots. Because confidence is everything. And a lot of times, it’s what separates the guy at the top of the leaderboard from the guy in 30th.”
Once you can figure out what short game approach gives you the most confidence, you’ll even start to notice that it bleeds into other areas of your game. Because when you’re less afraid to miss a green — for fear of making a mistake in your short game — you swing more freely.
If you want a complete soup-to-nuts lesson on cross-handed chipping, check out McLachlin’s latest series on his website, Short Game Chef, today.
ShortGameChef.com, created by PGA Tour winner Parker McLachlin, provides golfers with a comprehensive resource to improve their short game. Through personalized tips, drills, and expert insights, Parker helps players of all levels gain more confidence and a deeper understanding of their short game to lower their scores. You can browse membership options here.
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