Teaching the chip shot to beginners

"So, what would you like to get out of these golf lessons? What are some of your 'golfing goals'?" The instructor asks the new student.

"Um, I don't know!" The student replies without much thought.

"Are you sure? Nothing comes to mind?" The instructor persists.

"Well, uh.. I guess to hit it far and to learn how to hit my driver better?"

We've all heard this one before. It's a fairly common theme.

The student may not have wanted to admit it because they know, even at their skill level, that learning how to hit it far and how to hit the driver well are bi-products of learning smaller shots with more lofted irons first, and building towards the 'Big Dog'. However, patience is a virtue that not all of us possess (guilty as charged, your honor), and it's just human nature to want to hit it far.

Convincing the beginner student that the best way to learn the game is from the green backwards is usually not too challenging, as the student places quite a bit of trust in the instructor before the two even meet. Therefore, the instructor should take the student to the practice green for the first one or even the first two lessons and get a good short game foundation established.

If the student is signed up for a series of lessons - the first lesson should be spent entirely on putting. The drills practiced should encompass primarily 'distance control' exercises (such as putting to the fringe from different areas on the green to get a feel for 'how hard a ball needs to be hit to get it to stop at a certain area'). As we all know, distance control trumps 'reading the line well' in terms of putting success, especially for the beginner. After a good amount of distance control drills have been completed, the instructor should then introduce 'reading a putt' and show how the student how to line up to hit a putt to the apex of the break (the spot where the ball stops moving one way and starts moving towards the other). This is a good time to mention the importance of aim/ alignment.

At the end of the first lesson, the instructor should mention that the next lesson will be devoted to the chip shot. First the instructor needs to define what that shot is, then give a demonstration with a pitching wedge, mentioning how similar the chipping motion is to the putting stroke (rock the shoulders, light grip, keep the rest of the body still, keep the eyes down until after contact, don't break the wrists, and focus on distance control). Playing the ball back in the stance should be encouraged as well.

Bringing up things like 'having an open stance, accelerating through impact, hitting the ball on a descending blow, lagging the club head behind the hands through impact, leading with the left arm, and opening the club face for more loft', should not yet be introduced to the beginner. This will cause sensory overload and tension. Give them a chance to try a couple of shots before the first lesson is over.

For the second lesson, give a quick verbal refresher on the putting stroke, then transition back into the chip shot by again mentioning the similarities between the two shots. Then tell the student that the chip shot is an incredibly important shot to practice (in my opinion it is the most important shot for beginners to practice and feel comfortable with before moving on).

Reasons why the chip shot is so important for beginners to learn and practice diligently include:

-The motion mimics the putting motion, thereby reinforcing a good putting stroke.

-The golfer establishes a good feel for contact through repetition. The more this action is repeated the better.

-The golfer is unknowingly practicing hitting the ball on a descending blow, setting a great foundation for the full swing.

-The golfer is also unknowingly practicing a slightly delayed release of the hands, again setting an excellent foundation for later.

-The golfer is practicing the most important small section of the full swing, the contact point.

-The golfer is practicing the 'one-piece-takeaway' that is the start of a good back swing.

-When the golfer practices the chip shot with different lofts (and this is where it gets exciting), they are not only practicing chipping with different trajectories (which is a good idea in my opinion - I am an advocate of using as little loft as it takes to get the ball on the green and rolling over as much green as possible), but they are practicing how 'club-to-ball' contact feels with different clubs. I believe that if this is introduced on the practice green, the golfer will transition from lofted to less lofted clubs easier on the driving range.

Whichever loft they are using for chipping, make sure the student picks a specific target spot where they want the ball to land on the green in order for it to roll towards the hole (laying down a golf towel as the target spot works well for this) rather than thinking of the hole as their target spot. Be very encouraging and tell them that just getting it on the green is a success as a beginning golfer.

When the student is finally taken to the range, have them practice some chipping strokes without a ball at first, relaying the importance of 'brushing the ground' with every stroke. Encourage 'the club head thumping the ground every time' and introduce the concept of hitting down on the ball with more lofted clubs. Then, have them practice hitting chip shots with a pitching wedge and transition to the pitch shot and towards the full swing.

The more a golfer practices chipping, the better their entire game gets. What's so great is that practicing the short game is always free at the practice green, in the park, or in the living room at home (just make sure to use practice balls in the living room - I learned this one the hard way).