How to spin chip shots: 3 tips for stopping low chips on a dime

By: Terry Rowles February 15, 2021

Sometimes you'll need to hit a low shot around the green that stops quickly.

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Programmed in every golfer is golf swing DNA, a specific way you’re predisposed to swinging the club, based on your unique biomechanics. Those tendencies show up in all your shots, including those around the green, which sometimes can wreak havoc on your success. Case in point: the low-and-spinning chip shot.

It’s a useful shot to have in your bag, especially into tiered greens where you need the ball to carry past the slope and then stop quickly. But without the following adjustments, you just might skull it. Here’s what to do:

1. Back ball position

Position the ball back in your stance, off the toes of your right foot.

2. Forward press

Press your hands forward and lean the shaft toward the target. Spoiler alert: You’ll need this same lean when you make your swing.

3. Weight to the front

Set your weight forward, but keep the tilt in your shoulders (right shoulder lower than your left).

There’s one more DNA change needed: “Extend” your trail arm as you come into the ball. It’ll be easier for some than for others, but feeling like your arm is extending into the ground will generate the spin and loft needed to stop this one close.

Terry Rowles teaches at Mountain Ridge CC in West Caldwell, N.J.