Josh’s Tips & Tricks: Chipping on Sloping Greens
Intro
Hello golfers, welcome to this weeks tips & tricks. I hope you enjoyed the Masters and it’s given you some inspiration to get out playing and practicing. I would like to cover some short game this week as the season is about to start and we have barely had a chance to get out and practice on the grass around the greens. Lets get straight into it.
Chipping Onto Greens
All I would like you to think about this week is how the ball reacts when it’s rolling on the green. I see lots of club golfers selecting the wrong club or the wrong shot type in different scenarios around the greens. I general we would like to see the ball gently rolling like a putt when it is approaching the hole. The slopes on the green and the type of shot we play (club we use) will help to dictate this. Have a look at the following video to see what I mean…
As a general rule I would suggest looking at these shots in two different ways. If you are chipping into an upslope you don’t want to be using too much loft. The ball will stop too quickly and you will have to land it too close to the hole, especially when the conditions are softer and wet. You want to try and run it in lower with a flatter faced club in this situation.
When the ground conditions are firmer and the slope is running away from you, using a flatter faced club might mean the ball rolls too much and ends up well past the hole. Chipping with a slightly more lofted club with a bit of spin can help slow the ball down if the slope is running away from you.
Practice
The only way you’re ever going to know which shot to select is through practice and experience. Now the weather is drying up get on to your courses and practice areas and see how the ball is rolling on the greens. Try using lots of different clubs from lots of different angles. Green usually slope from back to front so if you’re short of the green it will be uphill and if you’re long it will be downhill. Always go and have a look where the pin is when you’re chipping so you don’t make these silly mistakes.
Summary
Save yourself shots around the greens by selecting the correct type of shot. If you want some help tightening up your short game before the season officially starts you know where I am. Use the link below to book a lesson now:
Catch you soon.
Cheers,
Josh