Steve Stricker’s chipping advice which Will Zalatoris said was one of his ‘favourite things’ he’s ever seen

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For amateur golfers, a chip shot from a tight lie can often prove daunting, with a thin or duff very much on the cards.

And it’s a horrible feeling, right? You’ve just hit a great shot to the side of the green, completing the ‘hard part,’ yet you end up using more strokes over the next 10 to 20 yards than you did for the previous 350.

It’s an area where the tour pros really stand out. Instead of just looking to make good contact, those at the elite level think of holing their chips.

Consistency of strike is absolutely key and a massive reason why professionals save so many shots around the greens. For example, Matt Fitzpatrick uses a cross-hand grip to improve his ball-striking, and Will Zalatoris has now shared his ‘favourite’ piece of chipping advice, which Steve Stricker shared with him.

Steve Stricker’s chipping advice

Speaking in a recent social media clip, Zalatoris revealed a tip from Stricker, which helps improve chipping consistency from grainy Bermuda lies.

“One of my favourite things I’ve ever seen Stricker actually teach the guys is when I went to the Presidents Cup and he was helping JT with some of his chipping,” Zalatoris said.

“It was super grainy Bermuda, and he had him; he was like, ‘I want you to try and stand as close as you can to it, and he’s like, no, stand closer,’ and JT is like, ‘How am I meant to hit this ball?’. Stricker explained if you’re back into the grain and you’ve got it more square, it gives it more chance to dig. If you get your hands a little bit higher and use it more off the toe, the feeling is more off the toe, even though it’s not. Now you have less of a chance to dig.”

• READ MORE: Will Zalatoris has done something ahead of the 2025 PGA Tour season which Scottie Scheffler would never try

How often do PGA Tour professionals get up and down?

PGA Tour players will get up and down, on average, around 65% of the time. Of course, there’s going to be a significant disparity between those at the top and bottom of the tour statistics.

Nevertheless, the difference between the world’s best players and mid-handicap amateurs is vast. Players who regularly shoot in the 90s will only get up and down two times out of ten, and low-handicap players will rescue par around four times out of ten.

For those looking to reduce their round by a few shots, heading to the practice green with a wedge could prove more beneficial than hitting hundreds of balls on the driving range.

Clearly, it’s a key area where those at the elite level separate themselves.