Chipping practices in the comfort of your home have more benefits than you think. Average amateur players make about six to eight chip shots in a single round of golf.
So, you do need to improve your chipping if you are struggling. I think the best thing you could do is practice a lot and not waste your time on the course!
But how do you practice chipping at home? The quick answer to this question is: Pick the best club for you and do our tips below!
We give you more tips on how to practice chipping at home!
Indoor Home Chipping Drills
Prepare Wiffle balls (or ping pong balls), a chipping net, a golf club, a chipping mat, and space enough for the drill: The other gadgets you need (if any) will be in each drill. Below are the 20-plus ways how to practice chipping at home.
1. Rudimentary Chipping
The usual chip uses a wedge with a 52- or 56-degree loft. A pitching wedge or a sand wedge are both ideal, but you can also use a lob wedge. You can pick the club comfortable for you and the one you always use. A basic chip shot allows you to play the ball center and get your weight forward.
In this stance, your left shoulder is over your left foot (for right-handed). Do the chip shots as many as you can until you become used to it. A good Wiffle ball count is 50 per session. This is the best chipping drill for beginners.
2. Shot One-hop Stop Chip
A lob wedge (60-degree) is ideal for this drill. Stand in your usual stance but with your hands ahead. Aim for 20-30 yards of distance. Hit the ball on a regular chip shot with a low flight that spins to a stop.
3. Bump and Run
The bump & run chipping drill is best suited to large backyard spaces using a 7- or 8-iron. The ideal hit with this drill is between 80 and 100 balls per session. You can use actual golf balls. This drill is hitting the ball in a putting motion.
4. Bump and Run/Do the Putt
A large carpeted surface is ideal for this drill. You can do the bump and run above and make a putt. Practice a lot of this drill by playing 18 holes and discovering time and again how you perform.
5. Indoor Target Hole-out Workout
In this drill, your target hole is the hole on your chipping net. Using a chipping mat as your turf, try to hole out at least three times before shifting to the next drill.
6. Target Hole-Out Indoor with Unlike Wedges
Use wedges with different lofts when doing this drill. Each club wedge gives you the trajectory you need in chipping different distances. Do the hole-out (like above) using your unlike wedges at least three times for each club.
7. Ladder Towel Drill
Using three small towels, place them on the ground five yards apart. The first towel should be at least five yards from your ball. Your goal is to chip the balls sequentially and land each ball on every towel.
8. Match play Chip Drill
The match play chip concerns practicing the shot with your friends or golf buddies: You can compare or match shot styles and discovers what works more effectively for chip shots. This activity is also a good golf diversion during snowy months in groups.
9. Different Clubs Drill
Short games in golf are very crucial. Your performance in this game decides almost 70% of your score. Using different clubs hitting the same chip-shot is one way of expanding your skill in chipping. It will improve your strokes, distance control, and feel.
10. Chip-a-Coin Chip Drill
Chipping shots using coins may be too hard: But through time, hitting an actual ball becomes effortless! Put coins at the top of the chipping mat and chip them using your golf club. The coins train you to hit golf balls with precision.
11. One-leg Balance Golf Exercise
You hit chip shots balancing on two legs with most of the body weight on your front foot. Once you become out-balanced when hitting a chip, you might end up with a blade chip shot.
To avoid this, do the one-leg balance golf drill while standing on your left or right foot. The exercise will help keep your weight on the front foot during impact.
12. Mental Routine Practice
Muscle memory is a great tool for enhancing performance in real-time and in drills. Try to figure out the shot you desire, and visualize where you want the ball to land.
13. Closed Eyes Chip Drill
Low-handicap golfers will benefit the most once they master chipping with their eyes closed. If you are an aspiring golfer eager to pursue the game, try chipping the ball with both eyes closed.
14. Hula-Hoop Chip Drill
Try to chip a shot with the ball landing inside a regular children’s hula hoop (28 inches in diameter). Lay a hula hoop on the ground and set your balls with a 5-yard interval (5 balls are ideal).
The first ball should be five yards away from the center of the hoop. Chip the first ball and land it inside the circle. If you fail one, repeat from the beginning.
15. “Y” or Triangle Chip Drill
Many professional golfers are using the Y or triangle chip drill more frequently.
To do this: stand with your feet closer to each other while aligning the body left of the target (right-handed). Let your front foot carry the majority of your weight. A triangle or a Y-shape will form between your arms and chest. Keep this shape throughout when you do the chip shot.
Read more: Best Golf Balls for 95-100mph Swing Speed.
Outdoor Home Chipping Drills
1. One-Hand Chipping Drills
The one-hand chip drill is ideal if you have little space in your backyard. You can use a wedge or a 9-iron, but not fairway woods. Take your usual stance but ensure you have plenty of legroom when swinging. The ball should be in the center posture.
Grip the club with your lead hand but keep the club end close to your arm. Hit the ball with a smooth swinging motion when contacting the ball.
2. Juggling
The 60-degree club wedge is ideal to use on this drill. Although juggling may not improve your chipping skill, it may develop ball control through the club face. Juggle a golf ball on the club face of your club. The longer you maintain uninterrupted juggling, the better.
Watch this video to give you a complete idea about the juggling drill:
3. Longer Shots
Use Wiffle balls in doing this drill. Try to chip shots as far as 30 to 60 yards in your backyard. Taking longer shots as a practice drill teaches you how to control the club’s face and range.
4. Flop Shots
The flop shots are the specialty of many pro golfers. Using Wiffle balls, try to make flop shots (or lob shots) by opening the club face up. It is a better shot when you have little green to work with.
5. Par 18 Chipping Game
In playing this drill, golfers pick nine sites in the putting green and chip the ball in a specified hole: then, try putting each golf ball. Every hole is a Par 2; the aim is to complete the nine holes in 18 strokes.
6. Trail-Hand Release Chipping Drill
Take your chipping club while the ball is on the rough off the green. Target a specific hole while keeping your stance slim.
Your weight should lean more toward your lead foot while the ball is slightly at the rear center. Carry out your usual chip shot, but before the club face contacts the ball, drop your lead hand off the club grip.
7. Slam Dunk Chipping Drill
Amateur players love this drill! Pick a spot on the green for about 15 to 30 yards. Try to slam dunk as many balls as you can direct toward the cup (without touching the green).
8. 10 x 10 Chipping Drill
Get a yardage tracer and label off 10-yard spans from 10 to 100 yards. Execute chip shots with these intervals starting at the first 10-yard distance. This drill gives you an idea of what swing is generated in every 10-yard interval.
How Can I Improve My Chipping At Home?
Practicing golf chipping at home is one of the least expensive ways in achieving the proper posture in chip shots. One way of improving your golf chipping at home is doing at least half of our tips routinely. But if you can do all of them regularly, you have a better chance you become an expert.
Conclusion
Short games in golf are crucial: this play comprises about 70% of your score in a single round. Your score is decided by how skillful you are on short game shots you deliver. Knowing how to practice chipping at home counts a lot!
The stay-at-home chipping drill is cheap but effective once you hit the course. It is one of the best you can do indoors when the weather is not friendly as it should be. Practicing chipping in your backyard develops your skills without spending much.
Matt Stevens is the founder of Golfrough.com. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf since he was four years old. Having experienced every high and low golf has to offer, his writing helps the average golfer avoid the mistakes he has made in 28-years on the course.