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ChippingWedge play = Pitching and Chipping Wedges Beginner ⏱ 2 min 🇬🇧 Video in English, summarized

Butch Harmon left-handed chip weight: the standard chip

Do you scrape or tap your chips? Butch Harmon reveals the key to the standard chip: keeping your weight on the left at impact. Golf Digest adds an exercise he uses with his players and emphasizes the importance of accelerating through the ball.

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Butch Harmon
Butch Harmon · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

5 minNext Level UpHigh-Hands Chip off the Toe: Tiger and SchefflerTiger Woods · Intermediate / Expert6 minSame problemGripping Down When Chipping, by Van de VeldeJean Van de Velde · Beginner / Intermediate2 minFrom the same proClosed-Face Shank: The Driver Cover DrillButch Harmon · Beginner / Intermediate

What the lesson shows

According to Butch Harmon, the key to making solid contact on a standard chip shot is to have your weight on the left side at impact. All too often, amateurs position themselves behind the ball or step back during the downswing: they hit the ball too far back, too high, or too low. To avoid this, you need to position the ball in the back half of the stance, shift your weight to the left and lean on your left side.

The drill he has his players do: putting a club cover on 20 to 30 centimeters behind the ball and chip it without touching it. Second key: acceleration. When your hands and arms slow down on the downswing, the clubhead gets ahead of your hands and the club makes contact behind the ball. So you need to push your hands forward and strike the ball on a downward path, accelerating as you do so.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Place the ball in the back half of your stance.
  2. Shift your weight to the left and lean on your left side.
  3. Push your hands forward of the ball.
  4. Place a club cover 20 to 30 centimeters behind the ball.
  5. Hit the ball with a downward swing, without touching the cover.
  6. Swing through the ball quickly, without slowing down your hands and arms.

Key Takeaways

Weight on the left side at impact: the key to a solid contact.
Ball in the back half of the stance.
Hands extended forward of the ball.
A downward strike that gains speed.
Slowing down your arms causes the clubhead to pass in front of your hands.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Get into position behind the ball at address.
  • Back up while going downhill.
  • Slow down your hands and arms in the downswing.
  • Let the clubhead extend past your hands before impact.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. Club cover placed 20 to 30 centimeters behind the ball
  2. Chip on the left foot, ball back, hands in front
  3. A series of shots taken by deliberately accelerating the ball

Your Questions

What is the key to the standard chip shot, according to Butch Harmon?

Keep your weight on the left side at impact. Amateurs often position themselves behind the ball or lean back as they swing down, which causes them to hit the ball too fat or too thin.

Where should you place the ball for a standard chip shot?

In the back half of the stance, with your weight on your left side and your hands pushed forward.

What exercise does Butch Harmon use?

A club cover placed 20 to 30 centimeters behind the ball. You have to chip without touching it, which requires placing the ball farther back and leaning to the left.

Why do you need to accelerate on a chip?

When the hands and arms slow down on the downswing, the clubhead gets ahead of the hands and makes contact behind the ball. A downward swing that accelerates prevents this fat shot.

Learn More

All “Chipping” videos →Find the lesson that's right for youAll videos on “Wedge Play = Pitching and Chipping” →Find the lesson that's right for you Justin Thomas's chip shot: the “nippy”The “nippy,” a low chip that stops on the second bounce: the ball is played back, the face is shielded by the body, and the three-ball drill (high, medium, low). Ball Climbing Up the Wedge Face: 3 Shots by MorikawaToo much loft at impact causes the ball to rise off the clubface: Morikawa demonstrates how to avoid this with a 40-yard wedge shot, a lob, and an uphill pitch. High-Hands Chip off the Toe: Tiger and SchefflerTiger and Scheffler first assess the lie: if the ball is sitting well, a high chip off the bounce; if the ball is buried, a low chip with hands high, the toe down, and a hook. Butch HarmonAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Butch Harmon). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.

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