Even great professional golfers will often miss the green in their longer strokes with the ball landing just outside the greens. For a golf beginner, it is therefore useful to learn the right golf chipping technique to excel in the short game of chipping the golf ball from just outside the putting green surface.

Although the golf chipping is a short stroke similar to the putting stroke, but unlike the golf putting, you need a lofted club to enable you to send the ball into the air in a low trajectory, before it hit the putting surface and roll into the hole. The idea is to assess the distance the trajectory of the ball will cover to the landing point on the green smooth surface.

Hence, if you are novice golfer, there are a few tips you should know to help to guide you into improving your chipping technique. These pointers are listed below:-

1. Prior to the stroke you should visualize the flight and roll of the ball to determine where you want the ball to land on the putting surface so that it will roll the distance and along the correct line to the hole.

2. Check the way the ball is laying on the grass outside the putting green.

3. Choose the right lofted club with the right pitching wedge. Select a club that provides a minimum air time and maximum ground time. It is easier to judge the rolling distance of the ball than trying to land the ball in hole when you are outside the putting surface.

4. The basic chipping stroke and stance is similar to the putting stroke, except that your feet shall be closer to the ball. Keep your body relatively still and your wrists stiff as in putting. Your grip is such that both the palms of your hands are facing each other. On the backstroke, allow the club head to come off the ground more abruptly than in a putting stroke, letting the club head strike down on the ball with minimal follow through. When you set up to the ball, concentrate only on hitting with the firmness necessary to land it on the spot on the green you have picked up.

5. Practice the technique mentioned above on the practice green using clubs with the different lofts for various distance from the hole. Unlike the longer golf swing stroke, you will not be able to practice the chipping shot in the driving range.

As mentioned above even the best players often miss the green with their longer strokes, therefore been competent in the golf chipping technique is an important aspect of a golf beginner’s training. The ability to chip the ball to roll near to the hole can make up for the deficiency in the long shots to improve your score in the game.

When addressing the ball, most PGA tour players bend forward approximately 36 degrees. The average golfer will usually set up with either too much or too little forward bend causing them to lift the upper body at the top of the swing and at impact. This almost always results in inconsistent shotmaking and bloated golf scores. Here are a few golf ball striking tips to keep those scores down.

Proper Shoulder Tilt

Proper shoulder tilt plays a huge role in golf ball striking and the overall golf swing. It’s major impact is on weight transfer during the swing. The average golfer will set up with level shoulders and no shoulder tilt. This will cause them to lean towards the target with their shoulders.

Most professional golfers will tilt their shoulders slight to the right when addressing the ball. This will help to position their body behind the ball at the right spot for an effective weight shift during the swing. Pay attention to your shoulder from the top of your swing, to ball impact. You want your spine to move farther to the right on your downswing. Ensuring your shoulders are tilted properly is one of the most important golf ball striking tips you can learn.

Increase Side Bend

When you are in the middle of your swing at your club is at the top, you want to try and increase your side bend. In order to increase your side bend, you want to tilt your upper torso slightly to the right by 10 degrees or more. It helps me to feel like I am moving the top of my spine away from the target than the bottom in the middle of your backswing.

As you start to bring your club down to strike the ball, you want to slowly move the top of your spine farther away from your target. Try and bend your spine about 20 degrees. This will position your right shoulder just under your left shoulder as you swing your club to strike the ball. This will help to ensure that your club is on the right path through your downswing, and helps to maximize clubhead speed. Practice the last two golf ball striking tips, and your golf game will really benefit.