If there is one thing that ruins a great drive for a beginner, it is getting right next to the green and then chunking or thinning the chip shot. I used to do this all the time. I would get nervous, try to hit the ball purely with my wrists, and watch it blade right across the green into a bunker.

Everything changed when I learned the core fundamentals of a proper chipping setup and swing. If you are struggling with your short game, you need to completely forget what you know about the full golf swing. Chipping is a completely different beast.

Here is exactly how to stop skulling your chips and start getting up and down like a pro.

How should I stand for a chip shot?

If you read our guide on How to Set Up to a Golf Ball, you know that a standard iron shot requires a shoulder-width stance with your feet parallel to the target line.

For chipping, you need to do the exact opposite.

You need to stand super narrow. Your feet should be so close together that only a single clubhead could fit between them.

Additionally, you don’t want to stand perfectly parallel to the target. You want to stand slightly open. Flare your lead foot (the foot closest to the hole) slightly outward, about 5 to 10 degrees left of the target. This open, narrow stance is the foundation of a controlled chip.

Where should my weight be when chipping?

This is where 90% of beginners mess up. In a full swing, you naturally shift your weight to your back foot on the backswing, and then shift it to your front foot on the downswing.

At setup, you should place 60% of your weight on your left foot (your lead foot) and 40% on your right.

When you take the club back, you must fight the urge to sway back. You have to maintain that 60% pressure on your left foot the entire time. Why? Because chipping is a tiny swing. If you introduce lateral movement (swaying back and forth), you are drastically changing the lowest point of your swing arc. That swaying is exactly what causes you to hit the dirt behind the ball (fat shots) or hit the top half of the ball (thin shots). Stay anchored on that left side!

Why do I keep chunking my chip shots?

The most common reason beginners chunk or thin their chips is because they think, “It’s a small shot, so I’ll just use my hands.”

They keep their body perfectly still and just flick at the ball using only their wrists. This is a recipe for disaster. It causes massive inconsistency.

Even though it is a small, subtle movement, your entire body needs to move together. Just like how you rely on your body rotation in a full swing or when Putting, your chip shot needs body rotation too.

What is the “Door Technique” for chipping?

To stop using just your hands, you need to visualize the “Door Technique.”

Imagine that your body is a door. Your left side (the side closest to the target) is the wall with the hinges. The club is the door handle.

When a door opens and closes, the whole entire thing moves together from top to bottom. From the top of your very short backswing, pretend you are a door. Turn your body, your chest, your arms, and the club through the ball all at the exact same time. It is a unified rotation, not a wrist flick!

Should I keep my head down while chipping?

You have probably been told a million times, “Don’t lift your head up!”

While it is true that you don’t want to lift your head before impact, chipping actually breaks the standard “keep your head down” rule.

In a chip shot, you must turn your head with the golf ball as it leaves the clubface.

If you glue your eyes to the grass and rigidly keep your head completely down through impact (like you might in a full swing), your body rotation stops. When your body stops turning, your hands take over, and the clubhead will aggressively release and turn over. This means the ball will either run out way too far past the hole, or it will hook sharply to the left. You lose all control over distance and direction.

By allowing your head to naturally turn and follow the ball right as you hit it, you ensure that your body (the “door”) keeps rotating smoothly. This gives you beautiful, soft spin and perfect directional control.

To Summarize Your New Chipping Routine:

1. Stand Narrow: Only a clubhead of space between your feet.
2. Slightly Open: Flare your front foot 5-10 degrees.
3. Weight Forward: 60% of your weight permanently on your left side.
4. Be the Door: Turn your whole body through the shot; no wrist flicking.
5. Turn Your Head: Let your head naturally follow the ball after impact.

Master these fundamentals, ensure your Golf Grip is correct, and watch your short game transform overnight!