Chipping Drill #8: Trajectory Control with Your Wedge
Controlling the trajectory of your chip shot plays a huge factor in how much your chip shots roll out which is key to controlling the total distance of a chip shot.
This chipping drill will train you to hit different types of trajectory chips so you can pull off any shot in any scenario you may face on the golf course.
First, what are the 3 types of trajectories?
3 Types of Chipping Trajectory
Higher trajectory chips pop up high into the air and come down softer due to more backspin on the golf ball. This also means the ball won’t roll forward as much upon landing so you’ll need to land the ball closer to the hole to account for the less roll out.
Mid-trajectory chips are middle level ball flight about waist to shoulder high. These will usually have more roll out but it can vary on how far you are chipping the ball. Chipping farther away from you will give the ball more power to roll more upon landing. You may need to flight it down more on longer chips to get it rolling sooner.
Low trajectory chips will have the most roll because they don’t have as much backspin. Upon landing, they’ll usually roll out a longer distance than they flew through the air. Landing the ball before the half way point between you and the hole is usually most common for low trajectory chip shots.
Also Read: 13 Golf Chipping Tips Every Beginner Should Read
The Chair – Chipping Drill
All you need for this chipping drill is a chair. The chair has 3 parts to it: the back, the seat, and the underneath space below the seat bottom.
You can practice this drill at home since it would look weird carrying a chair around on a golf course.
Instructions:
- Place a chair 6 feet away from you
- Chip a golf ball at it trying to hit the seat
- Now move backwards 6 more feet and try to hit the seat again
- Move back another 6-12 feet and chip again
- Your trajectory will have to change as you move distances
- Practice with different clubs and learn their trajectories
- Repeat the drill but this time hitting the back of the chair
- Repeat the drill again but chipping balls to land in the under neath space below the chair seat
This chipping drill is effective because you get to practice hitting different trajectory shots from different distances to get the ball to hit a certain part of the chair.
For example, a low trajectory chip won’t always work like when you need to hit the back of the chair. You’ll naturally have to raise up your trajectory to hit this area. As you move further away from the chair, you’ll also have to raise your chipping trajectory to fly it farther and still hit the back of the chair.
Practice moving the ball different positions in your stance to change trajectory. Moving it further back will lower the chipping trajectory and moving forward can raise it to produce higher lofted golf shots.
It’s also a good idea to get your baseline chip shot so you have an idea of what is normal for your particular club of choice. As you change clubs, repeat the baseline test to see trajectory for each type of club.
Baseline Chipping Test
Start about 6 feet away from the chair and hit a chip shot towards it with your normal chipping wedge you use most frequently.
Analyze where this initial chip shot hits the chair as this will be your baseline for your chipping trajectory.
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.
