Happy Tuesday- if your chipping was less than optimal this season, it could come down to your chipping trajectory. The general rule of thumb is to get the ball on the ground as soon as possible, which makes the low bump-and-run shot an easy choice. But what if you have a limited landing area into a tight pin and can’t afford to let the ball run out? There are endless short game shots you can attempt to perfect in this game, but if you can keep your approach simple, there’s a good chance your average outcome will be better than trying to learn 20+ different shot types with a variety of clubs. Today, we’ll do just that ↓↓↓
Let’s go!
SHORT GAME
The Simple Approach to Chipping: Pick Your Landing Spot and ‘Point the Arrow’
So simple, yet so smart - thank you @chrisryangolf
We don’t know who needs to hear this, but you DO NOT NEED to have a toolbox filled with 20+ shot types to be effective around the greens. You don’t need to play multiple wedges either. In reality, if you have one go-to club (we’ll recommend your 53-56* wedge, but pick your poison) and can play 3 different trajectories, you’ll be covered for 98%+ of the shots you might ever face on the course. Here’s exactly how it works, as demonstrated by Coach Chris Ryan:
-STEP 1: Assess your lie and pick out your landing spot. If you don’t have to clear a bunker or ridge and have plenty of green to work with, opt for the landing spot that’s closer to your current position (i.e. get the ball on the ground as quickly as possible!).
-STEP 2: Once you have your landing spot picked out, determine if you need to go high, medium or low with your trajectory.
-STEP 3: Imagine your club is an arrow, and where you point that arrow (i.e. club head) after impact will determine your trajectory. To hit it low, finish with the arrow pointing at the ground. To hit it a medium height, finish with the club pointing straight out. To hit it high, finish with the club to the sky. If you can master this approach with just a single club, you’ll be light years ahead of most amateurs.
PRO TIP: Get super-granular with your landing spots- give your brain something to hone in on! Conversely, DO NOT pick a 3-4 foot circle as that could be the difference between a tap-in and a hard breaking 8-footer to get up and down. Rather, if you determine that a tiny spec of sand on the green is your optimal landing zone, focus only on that tiny spec. You know the mantra- aim small and miss small!
TODAY’S TRIVIA
Answer to Win a 3 Dozen TP5 Pix Nightmare Circus Golf Balls
(1 winner chosen on 10/31/25 across all October trivia entries, 1,000 correct respondents minimum)
Which PGA Tour veteran is said to have squatted 350 lbs. at the age of 13?
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