I'm a golfaholic, no question about that. Counseling wouldn't help me. They'd have to put me in prison, and then I'd talk the warden into building a hole or two and teach him how to play. ~Lee Trevino
What stroke are you using for the chip? Are you trying to flop it high using a lot of hands? If so, stop. Make a putting stroke at it...make sure to make a descending blow by moving the ball in the back of your stance a bit. If you already were using the putting stroke (no hand movement-just the shoulder rotation) then what club for what distance are you using?
I use the formula: pw=1/2 & 1/2 7i = 1/3 & 2/3 sw = 2/3 & 1/3
First % is the flight distance, second is the roll %. Rule 1: Always use the club that will roll it the farthest by landing the ball as close to the very front of the green as possible...so use the 7i whenever possible. Use the sw only if you have to. Rule 2: After reading breaks, changing up the clubs slightly to adjust to the slopes (uphill chip might use a 6i, not the 7i...etc), then FOCUS ONLY ON YOUR LANDING SPOT. Do not look at the hole any more. You already figured out the right club for the right distance and slope...that work is done. Now all you have to do is execute that shot to fly the ball to that spot. If you miss the spot, ok. Better execution next time. If you miss read the slopes and % flights, ok. Learn the speed of the greens on the next one.
I always take 10-20 chips on the practice greens with the pw and 7i. Varying the lengths, from flat lies to uphill/downhill. Each day's greens will be different. One day the 1/2 and 1/2 might be the sw on fast days. Maybe a 7i on slow. It might be the 8i...etc. What is essential is that you get the SPEED right. Line is secondary. It's hard to hole out chips when the ball lands and skids. But flight length is all your preparation and within your control.
Bad lies in the rough...well are tough. You have to assess each one separately, and there is no good way to know the difference except to hit a lot of them. If there is a general rule, it is to take a sw and take a steeper attack, so using the hands more like in a bunker shot. But this is not a "CHIP" shot, where you take the hands completely out of the stroke. So play with these variables, and really practice them. Instead of going to the range and hitting 100 drivers, hit 100 chips. Your next round will benefit from it more then 1000 drivers.
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