Chipping Lessons and Short-Game Coaching: Where to Start

Around the green, one thin shot through the back can make the next chip feel dangerous. Tell the coach whether the common problem is hitting behind the ball, catching it thin, choosing the wrong club or never knowing where to land it.

The lesson should recreate that ordinary situation rather than begin with an advanced shot you rarely need. Several attempts show whether the main issue is contact, setup or decision-making.

A small adjustment to stance, ball position and where the body is balanced can make the bottom of the swing more predictable. The movement is shorter than a full swing, but it still needs a clear starting point and a finish that does not collapse at the ball.

There is no value in adding several wrist or body instructions when one comfortable setup produces better contact. The coach can help you recognise what the successful attempt feels like so you can return to it alone.

A chip is easier to plan when you decide where the ball should land and how much green it has to roll across. A spot just over the fringe may suit a low-running shot; a pin behind a bunker may require more loft and a different margin for error.

Planning in that order turns the shot from “get it near the hole somehow” into a target you can see. It also helps the coach explain why a certain club is useful without making the choice feel arbitrary.

Golfers often search for a different technique for every lie. A beginner or nervous chipper usually benefits more from one reliable motion used with a sensible club. Once contact and rollout are predictable, changing clubs can create different trajectories without rebuilding the whole action.

That stock shot will not solve every situation, but it gives you a default. Confidence grows when an ordinary chip no longer feels like an improvised event.

Place a towel or make a small target area on the green and try to land several balls there. Notice both contact and rollout. Then move the target or change club while keeping the basic routine the same.

Finish by playing each ball from a different lie to a different hole. Repetition develops the motion; changing the problem develops the decision. Both matter when you take the shot onto the course.

If the problem is one recognisable chip, Ronnie’s £18 focused 30-minute tune-up may be enough to diagnose it and give you a drill. If chipping, pitching, bunkers and putting all feel uncertain, the £30 full hour creates room to prioritise them properly.

You do not need to choose perfectly before making contact. Describe the miss and Ronnie can recommend the smallest useful option.