What Is a Chip Shot in Golf? How to Hit It and When to Use It

You’re just off the green, ball sitting clean, and without thinking twice you reach for your wedge, then chunk it five feet. The technique wasn’t the problem; choosing that shot was. Knowing what a chip shot actually is, when it makes more sense than a putt or a pitch, how to execute it properly, and which club fits the situation that’s what separates a recovered hole from a wasted one. Let’s break it all down.

What Is a Chip Shot in Golf?

A chip shot in golf is a short, low-trajectory golf shot played when you are close to the green, and the ball spends very little time in the air and rolls mostly on the ground toward the hole. This shot is usually played within 10 to 15 yards range of the hole.

A bump & run is one common type of chip shot, where you hit the ball so it flies in the air just for a moment, lands in the grass and then rolls the rest of the way toward the hole like a putt. Unlike a chip shot, a pitch shot flies much higher into the air and rolls very little after landing.

The Rule Every Caddie Uses: Putt, Chip, Pitch

Most of the real caddies use a golden rule to help their golfer score lower, which is to “Putt if you can, chip if you can’t putt and pitch only if you have to.”

When figuring out when to chip in golf, a caddie looks at the ground between the ball and the hole. Keeping the ball on the grass is always safer than throwing it into the air, which is why a chip shot is your ultimate middle-ground weapon. You can use the chip shot in golf when you are just a few steps away from the green and there are no obstacles such as sand or tall grass in your path.

Here is the exact three-step framework a caddie runs through on every single hole

1. Putt (First Choice)

If there is only a short grass between your ball and the green, grab your putter. A rolling ball is the easiest to control and keeps you out of trouble. If the grass is smooth enough to roll the ball across, never take it into the air.

2. Chip (Second Choice)

When you cannot putt because a patch of longer, bumpy rough grass blocks your path, then it is time for a chip shot. Your goal here is to use a low-lofted club to hit the ball just high enough to clear the bad grass. Once it lands safely on the smooth green, it rolls the remaining distance to the hole like a putt. Knowing how to chip in golf simply means letting the ball carry the trouble and roll the rest of the way.

3. Pitch (Last Resort)

You only pitch when you are forced to by an obstacle you cannot roll through. If a deep sand trap, a body of water or a wall of tall bushes sits between you and the flag, you must hit a high, flying pitch shot. It flies high, lands softly and stops quickly but it requires a bigger swing and carries the highest risk of mistake. A bunker requires a different shot altogether, using a club and technique designed to escape the sand.

When a Chip Shot Isn’t the Right Call?

While a chip shot is a caddie’s favorite safety net, there are times when it will absolutely ruin your score. You should put away the chip shot when the ground or an obstacle forces you to get the ball high into the air and it is not the right call in several specific situations.

Here is when a chip shot is the wrong choice:

1. When There is a Hazard in Your Way

A chip shot travels very low on the ground. If there is a sand bunker, a patch of tall rough grass, or a ridge between you and the hole, a low chip shot will smash right into it. Use a pitch shot (a higher, softer shot) to fly the ball cleanly over the obstacle.

2. When You Do Not Have Much Green to Work with

Chipping requires room for the ball to roll out toward the hole. If the hole is cut very close to the edge of the green where your ball is (short-sided), you lack that space. A chip shot will hit the green and roll way past the hole, leaving you with the long putt. Use a high-lofted club (like a lob wedge) to pop the ball up so it lands softly and stops quickly.

3. When Your Ball Is Sitting in Deep, Thick Grass

To hit a good chip, your club needs clean contact with the ball. Thick grass gets trapped between the clubface and the ball or grabs the clubhead and slows down. This makes the ball come out unpredictably, often moving only a few inches. Use a wedge with more loft, grip it firmly and make a wider, steeper swing to hack the ball out safely.

4. When The Ground Is Smooth & Predictable

You may often think that you must chip when you are just a few feet off the putting green. But the risk is that chipping involves hitting the ball with a wedge, which creates a higher chance of a mishit (blading or chunking the ball) compared to using a putter. You should use your putter from off the green which is often called a Texas Wedge, as a bad putt is almost always better than a bad chip.

Also Checkout: Types of Golf Grips: Every Style, Strength, and Putting Grip Explained.

How to Chip in Golf?​

To hit a successful chip shot in golf, you must follow the steps below:

1. The Setup

Stand with your feet very close together in a narrow stance, just a few inches apart and shift 60% to 70% of your body weight onto your lead side (your left foot for right-handed golfers) or the foot closest to the target and keep your chest pressed slightly forward over the front foot.

2. Ball Positioning

Now, place the golf ball slightly back in your stance, aligned with the inside of your trailing foot (right foot for right-handed golfers). This makes sure that the clubhead meets the ball before it reaches the bottom of its arc, which will help you to strike the ball first, then the turf.

3. Forward Shaft Lean

Press your hands forward toward the target until they sit well in front of the golf ball. This creates forward shaft lean and helps position the club’s low point ahead of the ball for a clean downward strike.

4. Swing Principle

Swing the club using only your arms, shoulders, and a gentle body rotation through the ball, while maintaining your wrist completely firm and controlled. Avoid any flicking or scooping motions of wrist and deliver a sharp descending strike directly into the back of the ball.

5. Follow Through

Stay through impact and finish with a short, crisp follow-through, keeping the clubhead low to the ground. Keep your hands ahead of the clubhead at finish, trusting the natural loft of the club to lift the ball up into the air.

What Club Should You Chip With?

Choosing the right club for a chip shot depends on one simple rule: more roll needed means less loft, while less roll and a softer landing means more loft. If you want the ball to fly low, and roll far, pick a straighter club. If you want it to pop up and stop quickly, pick an angled club.

Here are your options for choosing the right type of golf club:

1. Pitching Wedge or 9-Iron (The Everyday Option)

Choose this when you have a normal amount of green to work with and want a balanced shot that spends equal time in the air and on the ground. This is your middle-ground choice; it easily clears the rough grass, lands safely on the green, and rolls predictably toward the hole.

2. Sand Wedge or Lob Wedge (The Short-Sided Stop)

Use this club when you are very close to the pin, or you need to chip over an obstacle like a bunker, meaning you have almost no room for the ball to roll. Sand wedges and lob wedges have high loft; the ball pops up high, lands softly on the green, and stops almost instantly.

3. 7-Iron or 8-Iron (The Long Distance Roll)

Opt for this club whenever you are just off the edge of the grass, but the flag is all the way on the other side of the green, giving you plenty of smooth grass to roll over. These clubs have low loft; the ball stays very low to the ground and spends most of its journey rolling like a putt.

The Most Common Chip Shot Mistake

The absolute most common mistake players make with a chip shot is the scooping instinct, where you flip your wrists at impact to try and lift the ball.

The Mistake: When you see the ball sitting tight against the grass, your brain naturally wants to help it up into the air. This causes your trailing wrist to bend and flip forward right at the moment of impact, trying to scoop under the ball. This instinct completely ruins your contact, causing you to either hit the ground way before the ball (a duff or a fat shot) or blade the middle of the ball across the green (a skull, thin or bladed shot).

The Fix: You must actively keep your lead wrist completely locked (left wrist for right-handed players) and rigid through the entire swing. Remember the basic rule and a chipping tip: hit down to send it up. Instead of trying to lift the ball yourself, keep your hands ahead of the clubhead and deliver a sharp, descending strike. Trust that the natural angle built into your clubface is the only thing responsible for lifting the ball into the air.

Track Whether Your Chipping Is Actually Improving

Your short game can feel better without actually getting better on the course, which is why tracking the numbers matters, no matter how smooth your technique looks. ParTeeOf18 lets you monitor key stats such as Up & Down percentage, GIR, FIR, and putts per round, making it easier to spot real changes in performance over time.

If you’re spending extra time working on chipping, your Up & Down percentage gives you a clear way to see whether that practice is helping you save strokes when it counts. Instead of relying on how your swing felt during practice, you can look back at your recent rounds, compare your numbers, and see where your short game is actually moving.

Over a few weeks or months, those small improvements become much easier to recognize and much harder to dismiss as a good day. With your stats in one place, our golf app helps turn practice into measurable progress.

Turn Better Chipping Into Better Scores

Track your short-game stats over time and see whether more successful up-and-downs are translating into better scoring on the course.

Frequently Asked Questions

What club should I use for a chip shot?

Use a pitching wedge for standard shots, a sand or lob wedge to land softly over obstacles, or a 7-iron to run the ball along the green like a putt.

Why do I keep chunking my chip shots?

You are trying to scoop the ball by flipping your wrists. Lock your wrists, shift your weight forward, and hit down on the ball to ensure clean, crisp contact.

Can I chip with a putter?

Yes. If the grass between your ball and the green is short and smooth, putting is often the safest, most predictable option to get the ball rolling toward the hole.

Should I chip with the same club every time or switch clubs by situation?

Switch by situation. Change clubs to let the loft do the work; use less loft for long rolls and more loft when you need the ball to stop quickly.

Should I chip or pitch if my ball is in the rough just off the green?

Pitch if the grass is deep and thick. You need a steeper swing to pop the ball out cleanly without the heavy rough grabbing your clubhead and ruining the shot.

How far from the green is too far to chip?

There is no exact distance that makes a chip shot too far, but a traditional chip is generally used from about 10 to 30 yards from the green. Once you get beyond roughly 30 to 40 yards, a standard greenside chip becomes harder to control because the ball needs more carry and the rollout becomes harder to predict. If thick rough, a bunker, a steep bank, or another obstacle forces you to carry the ball farther, a pitch or longer approach is usually the better choice.

Why does my chip shot go left/right?

Your clubface is misaligned at impact. Twisting your wrists or pulling across your body forces the face open or closed. Keep your chest rotating and your wrists completely quiet.