The Eyes Closed Chipping Drill to Master Chipping Swing Tempo
Have you ever stood over your ball about to hit a chip shot and got really nervous? You start thinking about what if I chunk this chip shot?
Then when you perform your chipping motion, you speed up the downswing, deviating from your normal, smooth tempo. This rushed tempo ends up giving it too much power and the ball lands past your ideal landing spot, rolling well past the hole.
Sound familiar?
Today’s chipping drill will help you maintain smooth tempo, avoiding the temptation to rush it from nerves. You’ll feel better contact on your chips and reduce the skulls and chunks.
Chipping Drill Instructions:
- Position the golf ball off your rear foot
- Place most of your weight on the front foot (75%)
- Choke down on your wedge a several inches (stand closer than normal to compensate)
- Lean the shaft forward so your hands start ahead of the ball (use wrist hinge to set the club)
- Close your eyes
- Make a short chipping stroke and hit the ball
- Analyze the feel / feedback from chipping with your eyes closed before opening your eyes
This drill is effective because it takes away your vision from the chip shot. Instead, it relies purely on your fundamentals and forces you to trust your fundamental chipping stroke.
Normally, with your eyes open you get scared looking at the ball and change your stroke last second, not trusting it. With your eyes closed, you’ll be less inclined to go off visual sight and more off feel.
Hit 50 chips per day with your eyes closed and you’ll be amazed at the feel you develop as well as the quality ball striking. You’ll see a reduction in blades, skulls, chunks and you’ll feel less urge to rush your swing tempo in the short chipping motion.
If you can master chipping with your eyes closed then you’ll feel much more confident stepping up to a chip shot on a golf course during your round and doing it with your eyes open again. Recall the feel and trust the chipping stroke.
Other Recommended Chipping Drills:
For more, see our full list of the 25 best chipping drills or click on an individual article below we’ve linked.
Golf Practice Plans:
Try our step by step golf training plans that give you daily practice routines to complete. Each practice routine has putting drills, chipping drills, and golf swing drills for the driving range. Learn more about each.
