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ChippingPuttingBunker shotWedge play = Pitching and Chipping Wedges Intermediate ⏱ 16 min 🇬🇧 Video in English, summarized

Tommy Fleetwood's Short Game: Chip, Bunker, and Long Putt

Rick Shiels asked Tommy Fleetwood for his top three tips around the green. His answer: a chip is just a putt with loft; when playing from a bunker, aim for the sand, not the ball; and prepare for a long putt by walking around the hole.

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Tommy Fleetwood
Tommy Fleetwood · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

11 minSame problemDeChambeau's Short Game Practice: Chips, Rough, BunkerBryson DeChambeau · Intermediate / Expert5 minSame problemChip shot from the thick rough—Adam Scott: Read the lieAdam Scott · Intermediate / Expert2 minFrom the same proTommy Fleetwood's Fairway Wood in 3 ThoughtsTommy Fleetwood · Intermediate

What the lesson shows

When chipping, Fleetwood puts into practice what he was taught as a child: Putt as much as you can, then keep “putting” by adding loft. The setup is similar to that of a putt: the ball is positioned between the center of your stance and your left heel, the club shaft rests against your left thigh, no wrist action, and the swing involves the arms and shoulders. To adjust the distance, he keeps the same motion and changes clubs: a lob wedge, pitching wedge, and 8-iron provide three different speeds and three landing points, without ever altering the club’s natural loft.

In the bunker, he sets up “stations”: a ball placed just behind the one he’s about to play serves as impact mark in the sand. Align your left heel, club shaft, and sternum along this line, shift your weight to the left, keep your face open (better too open than not open enough), and strike downward with the back of the sole, using a long swing rather than a small, forced motion. On a long putt, he spin around the hole and reads the slope where the putt is “facing you,” takes a single, realistic practice swing, and strikes the ball shortly after taking one last look, with the putter moving forward at a constant speed.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. First, take a putt, then place a ball next to it and make the exact same motion with a chip shot.
  2. Place the ball between the center of your stance and your left heel, with the club shaft resting against your left thigh.
  3. Swing with your arms and shoulders, without bending your wrists.
  4. Practice the same chip shot with a lob wedge, pitching wedge, and 8-iron to see where each ball lands and rolls.
  5. When playing from a bunker, place a ball just behind yours: that's your entry point into the sand.
  6. Align your left heel, club shaft, and sternum with this line, shift your weight to the left, keep your face open, and then swing down under the ball with a long swing.
  7. On the green, walk around the hole, read the putt from the downhill side, take a practice swing while looking at the hole, and then take your shot.

Key Takeaways

Chip: We putt as much as we can, then we putt with a more open club.
Same stance as when putting: ball toward the left heel, club against the left thigh, no wrist movement.
To adjust your shot, change clubs, not your swing: lob wedge, pitching wedge, 8-iron.
In a bunker, you aim at a mark in the sand, not the ball.
Left heel, arm, and sternum aligned with the mark; weight on the left.
Long putt: Align from the low side, take a practice swing, then strike the ball without hesitation.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Add grips to the chip, even though the putting putter doesn't have any.
  • Change the club's loft instead of changing clubs.
  • Position the ball in the bunker as if you were going to hit it directly.
  • Bounce the ball off the sand with a “flicky” motion instead of hitting it downward.
  • A short backswing that you then drive toward the ball.
  • Read a putt from one side only, without walking around the hole.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. A putt, then the same motion on a chip shot right next to it
  2. Three clubs, same chip, three locations
  3. Bunker: a marker ball behind the ball to be played
  4. Long putts: a practice swing, one last glance, then strike the ball

Your Questions

Which club does Tommy Fleetwood recommend for chipping?

He doesn't stick to a single club: he demonstrates the same chip with the lob wedge, the pitching wedge, and the 8-iron. Each club produces a different ball speed and landing point; it's up to you to decide which one is right for the shot. In his demonstration, the 8-iron turns out to be too fast.

Where should you position the club shaft for this “lofted putt” chip shot?

Against the left thigh, with the ball positioned between the center of the stance and the left heel. The rest of the motion follows his putting stroke: arms and shoulders, without using the wrists.

What is the purpose of the ball placed behind the ball in the bunker?

This is the mark where the club should make contact with the sand, about one ball back. Fleetwood aligns his left heel, club shaft, and sternum with this mark to strike the ball downward at that spot.

Where should you line up for a long putt?

The side where the putt is facing you—the lower side. He compares this to reading a book and recommends checking the slope as you walk toward the green or go to retrieve the flag.

Learn More

All “Chipping” videos →Find the lesson that's right for youAll “Putting” videos →Find the lesson that's right for youAll “Bunker Shot” videos →Find the lesson that's right for youAll videos on “Wedge Play = Pitching and Chipping” →Find the lesson that's right for you DeChambeau's Short Game Practice: Chips, Rough, BunkerHis typical practice session around the green: three basic chip shots, three shots from the rough handled differently, and in the bunker, controlling the point of impact on the clubface. Scheffler and McIlroy's Wedge Workshop: Chips and BunkersScheffler and McIlroy are looking for a “shallow” swing and a draw feel around the green, from a tight lie to the bunker, to make better contact with the ball. Chip shot from the thick rough—Adam Scott: Read the lieAdam Scott reads the lie by placing the club behind the ball, then plays either a standard bunker shot or a modified bunker shot with fixed wrists against the grain. Tommy FleetwoodAll of his lessons

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

* Amateur competitions with guidance from the pros