I watched a golfer recently float a chip shot into a green and then complain that it stopped and didn't roll. Not long after that I watched a different golfer hit a lower shot and complain that it rolled too far. If you want to be fundamentally sound when it comes to chipping, you must focus on the trajectory of your shot so you can predict and control the roll.
Often times this can be done by club selection. Your lie and angle that you are chipping from also have something to do with the trajectory.
The idea is pretty simple - the higher you hit your chip shot, the less it will roll. So, when faced with a shot, you must first calculate where you want to TRY and land the ball.
If chipping with a sand wedge or lob wedge that floats the ball, it will travel 2/3 to 3/4 of its distance in the air and the rest on the ground. With a pitching wedge, it's more like half on the ground and half in the air. Lower lofted chip-and-run shots hit with 8- or 7-irons will be 1/4 to 1/3 in the air and the rest on the ground.
As I mentioned earlier, pay attention to your lie and angle before you calculate. A ball sitting down in thick grass may come out lower, as well as a ball chipped from a downhill lie. A ball from an uphill lie, or one that is perched on top of thick grass, may come out higher because it's "teed" up, and your club could slide under it.
Another important variable to think about is green firmness and speed. A hard, fast surface will obviously cause the ball to roll much more than a slow, soft surface.
Don DeLorenzo is a PGA-certified instructor at Gilroy Golf Course. To schedule a lesson with Don, call Gilroy GC at (408) 848-0490.
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Former Rams bask in the glory days at reunion
