Learning how to hit consistent chips can be the key for amateur golfers to decrease their handicap at a rapid rate.
According to Shot Scope data, the average 10 handicap golfer hits a green in regulation only 32% of the time. That means on around 12 holes per round, they will miss the green and likely be forced to hit a chip shot from off the putting surface.
So turning those chip-ons and two-putts into consistent up and downs will see the average golfer’s score come down quickly.
And who better to learn from than Patrick Reed! Reed has given out a number of golf tips to amateur golfers, and his short game advice is gold dust for amateurs coming from one of the most consistent around-the-green players in the sport over the last decade.
Reed, who won LIV Dallas this season on his way to a seventh-place finish on the tour, has simple drills for amateur golfers to work on their short game.
Patrick Reed shares the ‘best drill’ he’s ever done for his chipping
Reed said the secret to good chipping is consistent ball contact, and that comes from the arms and shoulders, not the hands.
He shared how he trains his body to stay connected when chipping, controlling how his club face meets the ball.
Speaking on the 4Aces GC’s YouTube channel, Reed said, “The best drill that I ever did, short game wise, was I put a towel between both arms, so it kind of allows my body to move and keeps the club out in front.
“A lot of people, when they get chipping, they don’t move their shoulders, and it gets kind of armsy, and it’s hard to control angle to attack, it’s hard to control how hard you hit it.
“So it’s almost like I get my shoulders kind of set where I’m a little more in front of the ball, so it’s a descending blow onto the golf ball. Then from here it’s just kind of more of a putting stroke.
“The only way you’re going to control the flight and spin is by making solid contact every time, hitting the ball first before ground. If you get behind it and hit any grass, sometimes it will slip up, sometimes it will shoot forward. And the key is basically solid contact.”
Patrick Reed says where a lot of amateur golfers go wrong with their chipping
Reed constantly preaches the importance of avoiding excessive hand use when chipping and has even provided another drill to prevent that mistake.
This time, he focused on the feet instead of the chest and shoulders, and explained how taking the lower body out of the golf swing can prevent the mistake he sees a lot of amateur golfers make.
Reed said, “A lot of people when they chip, they don’t move their chest, and it’s all arms. So if you’re not moving your chest, what happens is the club then will pass and flip up.
“So dropping the foot back, it eliminates the lower body, and using the arms, you’re able to kind of keep the chest moving so the club stays in front and stays square, so you’re not adding loft.”
Gary Player said keeping the ball low is key to consistent chipping for amateurs. Keeping the club face square means it’s less likely an average player will blade it over the green.
All of this advice should do wonders for developing a more reliable game around the green.
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