Short Game

Chipping

The basic chip setup: The chip is a low-risk, ground-oriented shot designed to get the ball rolling on the green as quickly as possible. The setup minimizes variables: narrow stance (feet a few inches apart), weight favoring the lead side (60–70%), ball position varying by shot type (see below), and hands slightly ahead of the ball at address (forward shaft lean). The body stays quiet — minimal hip and shoulder rotation, no weight shift. The motion is a pendulum driven by the shoulders, not the wrists: the arms and club form a rough "Y" shape at address, and that shape is maintained through the stroke. The lower body stays still; the club swings back and through with the same length on each side.

The most important principle: land the ball on the green as early as possible and let it roll to the hole. The shorter the carry and the longer the roll, the more predictable the outcome. Carry is the variable; roll is more consistent once the ball is on the putting surface.

• Club selection: more green to work with favors a lower-lofted club (7-iron, 8-iron, 9-iron) that carries a short distance and rolls most of the way. Less green, or a hazard between ball and hole, requires more loft to carry further and stop sooner. Match the club to the ratio of carry needed vs. roll available — don't default to the wedge for every chip.
• Bump and run: the lowest-trajectory chip option. Ball back in the stance (just behind center), hands well forward, weight firmly on the lead side. The forward shaft lean and back ball position deloft the club, producing a low, running ball that lands just on the green and releases to the hole. Best from tight lies and when there is substantial green to work with. A 7-iron or 8-iron bump-and-run is often the highest-percentage shot from off the back of a green with 30 feet to the hole.
• Standard chip: ball in the center of the narrow stance, hands slightly ahead, weight 60% lead. The club's natural loft produces a medium-height shot that lands in the first third of the green and rolls the rest of the way. The workhorse chip for most situations.
• Higher loft chip: ball slightly forward, face square or slightly open, more weight forward. Used when needing to carry a collar, bunker lip, or rough fringe before landing on the green. Expect less roll after landing.
• Putting stroke from the fringe: when the ball is just off the green on a tight collar with a clear path to the hole, a putting stroke — with a putter or a hybrid held like one — is often the highest-percentage play. It eliminates the risk of fat or thin contact and produces a predictable roll. Prefer it over chipping when the lie is clean and the fringe is short.

Chipping Lies

• Fairway (Short Grass): The most forgiving lie; ball sits cleanly, allowing a precise strike. Standard chip technique applies; club selection determines trajectory and roll.
• Fringe (Collar): Grass slightly longer than the fairway but shorter than rough; ball may sit up slightly. A putter, hybrid, or bump-and-run chip all work depending on distance and green firmness.
• Tight Lie (Hardpan or Bare Ground): Common on firm, dry courses and during dry seasons anywhere. Requires precision — the leading edge must contact the equator of the ball cleanly. Less loft is safer; flop shots are very high risk. The ball skips and releases more than from grass; favor lower loft and plan for extra roll.
• Fluffy or Perched Lie (Ball Sitting Up in Rough): Grass holds the ball above the ground; looks easy but the club can pass under it, producing a thin or skulled shot. Strike more steeply than usual, or use a more lofted club to account for the cushion. Grip down slightly for control. Expect reduced spin and more roll than from a clean lie.
• Long Grass, Ball Sitting Deep (Buried): Ball is down in thick rough with grass wrapped around it; grooves cannot grip the ball. Use a lofted wedge, open the face, and accept that the ball will come out with little spin and unpredictable distance — plan for a longer putt.
• Uphill Lie: Ball below feet on a slope that rises toward the target; the slope effectively adds loft at impact. Take less loft than normal, aim slightly right (for a right-handed player) to account for the tendency to pull, and expect the ball to fly higher and land softer.
• Downhill Lie: Ball above feet on a slope that falls toward the target; the slope reduces effective loft and promotes a lower, hotter ball flight with more run. Take more loft, lean into the slope, and expect the ball to come out lower and release more than usual.
• Sidehill Lie, Slope Toward You (Ball Above Feet): Ball is higher than your feet; the swing plane flattens naturally, promoting a draw or hook. Aim right to compensate, grip down on the club, and expect lower trajectory.
• Sidehill Lie, Slope Away From You (Ball Below Feet): Ball is lower than your feet; the swing tilts more upright, promoting a fade or push. Aim left to compensate, flex the knees more than usual to get down to the ball, and expect the shot to drift right.
• Combination Slopes: Hilly courses frequently combine slopes (e.g., downhill and sidehill simultaneously). Identify the dominant slope first, then account for the secondary one; expect the shot to behave like an exaggerated version of the dominant lie.
• Divot or Depressed Lie: Ball has rolled into an old divot or low spot; similar to a tight lie but with the ball sitting slightly below normal ground level. Play it like a punch chip — lean shaft forward, contact the ball first, accept a lower, running result.
• Pine Straw or Leaf Debris: Common under trees on many courses; ball may be sitting on or partially buried under loose material. The debris can shift at impact and alter the face angle; grip more firmly, keep the swing smooth, and take a slightly steeper approach to minimize debris interference.
• Wet or Heavy Grass: In wet conditions, thick grass grips the hosel and twists the face. Open the face slightly at address to pre-compensate for closure, use a more lofted wedge, and expect the ball to come out low with minimal spin.
• Muddy Lie Around the Green: The mud clings to one side of the ball and deflects it unpredictably. Assess which side the mud is on; mud on the right side kicks the ball left, and vice versa. Play to the fat part of the green and accept a longer putt rather than trying to precision-land a mud-affected shot.
• Compacted or Kikuyu Rough: Kikuyu grass — common at many coastal courses and in warm climates — is thick, fast-growing, and tends to grab the hosel. Use a bounce-forward approach, keep the clubhead moving through aggressively, and avoid trying to finesse from deep Kikuyu — a committed strike is more reliable than a delicate one.

Pitching

A pitch is a higher, softer shot than a chip — more carry, less roll — used when the ball must travel more distance in the air (to clear rough, carry to a specific landing zone, or fly a hazard). Unlike the chip, a pitch uses body rotation to generate power and control distance. The lower body is active, not static.

The basic pitch setup: Slightly wider stance than the chip (still narrower than a full iron shot), weight 55–60% forward, ball in the center of the stance, hands slightly ahead. The stroke is driven by the rotation of the shoulders and torso — not the hands. On the backswing, the shoulders turn and the wrists hinge naturally; on the downswing, the body leads and the hands follow through, with the face staying relatively square through impact. The finish is controlled: arms in front of the body, chest facing the target.

• Distance control — the clock system: Dave Pelz's clock system calibrates carry distance by arm position — 7 o'clock to 5 o'clock (a compact swing), 9 to 3 (half swing), 10 to 2 (three-quarter swing). Each position with each wedge produces a consistent carry distance once calibrated. This is more reliable than varying effort on the same swing length, which introduces inconsistency.
• Hinge and hold: Dave Pelz's technique for chip and pitch shots where the face must stay stable through impact. The wrists hinge on the backswing and hold their position through the strike — preventing the hands from flipping or releasing aggressively. Produces consistent contact and predictable trajectory. Distinct from the flop shot, which requires the opposite: a full, aggressive release through a wide arc.
• Full pivot pitch: for longer pitches (40–80 yards), a fuller body turn replaces the quieter arms-only motion of shorter chips and pitches. The hips and shoulders rotate more, generating more speed. The body rotation must match the arm swing — an arms-only full pitch produces inconsistent contact.
• Spin and landing zone: understand how much roll to expect based on loft, green firmness, and swing speed. From a full pitch with a sharp-grooved wedge on a soft green, the ball checks significantly; from a partial pitch on a firm green, it releases. Always pick a specific landing spot — the landing zone controls where the ball finishes.

Flop Shot

• When to use: short-sided position with little green to work with and a hazard or slope beyond. The flop is a high-risk, last-resort shot — it requires a near-perfect strike and is not the right play when a simpler chip or bump-and-run will do.
• Setup: open stance 30–45 degrees left of target, face laid open significantly (pointing well right of target), ball forward in the stance, weight slightly forward. The open face and open stance together produce a steep, out-to-in swing path that slides the club under the ball.
• The swing: swing along the stance line (left), not the target line — the open face compensates for this and the ball flies roughly toward the target. The club must accelerate fully through impact with a wide, shallow arc; any deceleration produces a thin, skulled shot that races across the green. The swing feels like you are swinging left while the ball goes right.
• Commitment: this shot requires complete commitment. Half-measures produce the worst possible outcome. If you are not fully committed, play a different shot.

Short Game Drills

Towel drill (connection): Place a small towel or headcover under both arms — between the upper arms and chest — and hit chip shots while keeping it in place. If the towel falls, the arms have separated from the body (lost connection) or the elbows have broken outward (chicken wing). This is the classic drill for training the "Y" shape of arms and club through impact. Do it for 10–15 chips per session when working on chipping mechanics; the feedback is immediate and unambiguous. Progression: start with very short chips, then extend to 20–30 yard pitches. The towel teaches connection more efficiently than any amount of verbal instruction.

Feet together drill (balance and rotation): Hit chip shots, short pitches, and half-swing irons with both feet touching or very close together. The narrow base makes any swaying, lateral sliding, or loss of balance immediately evident — the player simply falls over if the weight shifts incorrectly. It promotes rotational transfer over lateral movement and a centered pivot. Particularly effective for players with a reverse pivot or excessive lateral sway. Use a 7-iron or 8-iron for short pitches; the drill works for any shot up to about 80 yards. One bucket of balls with feet together teaches more about balance than hours of normal practice.

Landing spot drill (carry/roll ratio): Place a small towel or alignment stick on the green at the exact landing spot you intend the ball to hit. Hit chips and pitches trying to land the ball on the towel. The immediate feedback trains the carry/roll ratio — the most important skill in short game. Most recreational players have no real sense of where the ball is landing; they aim at the hole and hope. This drill shifts the mental target from the hole to the landing spot, which is the correct priority. Vary the club and the landing spot position to develop feel for different carry/roll ratios across the full range of short game shots.

Two-tee gate drill for chipping: Place two tees in the ground just wider than the clubhead on both sides of the intended swing path, 3–4 inches in front of the ball. The gate forces an on-path stroke through impact — the club can't reach the ball without passing through the gate cleanly. Any path deviation hits a tee. Effective for players who flip through impact (the club head goes left of the path at impact for right-handers) or who cut across the ball. Works best for standard chip technique; not suitable for open-face shots.

The bunker line drill: Draw a straight line in the sand with a club or rake — about 4 feet long. Without a ball, make bunker swings trying to enter the sand exactly on the line. The displaced sand reveals entry point precision: consistently entering behind the line means you're entering too early; ahead of the line means too late. Once the entry is consistent, place a ball just ahead of the line and use it as the baseline for the 1.5–2 inch behind-ball entry point. The most fundamental bunker drill; beginners should do this for an entire practice session before worrying about ball-in-sand results.

The circle drill for bunkers: Draw a circle roughly 6 inches in diameter around the ball in the sand. The goal is to splash out the entire circle — all the sand inside it — on every swing. This trains the correct entry zone width and commitment to a full follow-through. If only a small divot appears, the club entered too steeply or decelerated. If the circle is only partially cleared, the entry point was off. A consistent, full circle displaced means the technique is correct. Progress to placing the ball at the center and counting how many consecutive clean exits you can make.