Chipping Under Pressure

By August 1, 2018Tips & Tutorials
chipping drills

Getting up and down at crucial times in a round of golf can make all the difference come the final score.  However, dealing with the pressure of a chip shot when you need to make an up and down can be tough.  Today we have some tips and drills which will help when chipping under pressure.

Distance control is very important when it comes to chipping.  You can gain confidence by practicing using a box around the hole.  On the practice green, position four tees to mark a box around the hole.  You do not have to push the tees into the green, simply place them on the green.

Take 5 balls off the green and practice chipping them and getting them to stop inside the box.  Award yourself 1 point if the ball finishes inside the box but short of the hole, 2 points if you are inside the box but beyond the hole and 3 points if you manage to find the hole.

The reason for scoring more points if the ball travels just past the hole is because this makes it easier to putt on your next shot.

You can also create two rings around the hole using your tees.  The first ring must be 3ft away from the hole and the second ring 6ft away from the hole.

Using this set-up, you can try four different types of shot and score 1 point for stopping the ball inside the 6ft ring, 2 points for stopping the ball inside the 3ft ring and 3 points for getting it in the hole.

Try playing a bunker shot from between 30 and 40 yards, a chip shot from between 20 and 30 yards, a flop-shot from the edge of the green and a chip and run.

You can take 3 balls with you to each location and award yourself points for each shot before making a total for the 3 balls.  Make a note of which shots score highly and which need improvement.  You can then spend more time practicing the shots which you are struggling with and improve them ready for your next round.

To make things interesting and add more pressure, why not ask some friends to take part?  You could set up a monthly competition using the above criteria and award a small prize to the winner.  Doing this adds to the pressure of the shots and will help you cope when playing them under real pressure on the golf course.