We may know that we should be making a smooth, balanced swing, but when we step up to the ball, our body often does something entirely different.
This is particularly true when it comes to the motion of our lower body and trailing side during the chip shot.
Contrary to what many beginners have been told, the proper feel and motion is actually to move forward and up through impact – not to try and “stay back” or “keep your weight centered.”
Let me explain further and provide you with a simple chipping tip that can make a dramatic difference in your short game consistency.
The Myth of “Staying Back”
One of the most common pieces of advice given to beginning golfers is to “keep your weight back” or “stay down” through the chip shot.
The thinking behind this is that it will help you make solid, crisp contact by preventing you from coming too far over the top.
However, this often leads to more problems than it solves.
When you consciously try to hold your weight back or keep your body down, a few things can happen:
- Your swing becomes overly passive and decelerating, robbing you of power and consistency.
- Your body gets “stuck” in a static, immobile position, limiting your ability to rotate and release the club properly.
- You end up hitting thin, skulled or chunked shots due to the lack of dynamic movement.
Instead, what you want to feel is a sense of moving forward and up through impact.
This active, aggressive lower body motion is the key to making clean, solid contact time and time again.
The “Push” Chipping Tip
So, here’s a simple tip: On your chipping swing, consciously feel like you’re pushing off your trailing foot and allowing your trailing shoulder to make a concerted “push” toward the target.
As you swing back, focus on maintaining your spine angle and balance.
Then, as you start down, feel an energetic push off your right foot (for right–handers).
This should create a sensation of your trailing shoulder and upper body moving aggressively toward the ball and target.
Keep that pushing, forward motion going all the way through impact.
Don’t let your body get “stuck” or try to hold back.
Instead, make a conscious effort to keep moving your mass over toward your lead foot as you strike the ball.
This simple “push” feel will do wonders for your chipping technique in a few key ways:
- It encourages an active, fluid release of the club head for better distance control.
- It helps you maintain balance and stability throughout the swing for more consistent contact.
- It engages your larger muscle groups, taking stress off your hands and wrists.
The end result is crisper, more reliable chip shots that fly your target distance and land softly on the green.
Drill Work to Ingrain the “Push”
To really get the feel of this “push” motion embedded in your chipping swing, try these drill ideas:
- Chipping with your eyes closed – Focus on the sensation of your trailing shoulder and foot driving toward the target.
- Chipping with your weight on your lead foot – This exaggerated position will force you to keep moving forward.
- Placing an alignment stick behind your back – Use it to monitor your trailing shoulder turn and keep it moving forward.
- Hitting half–speed shots – Slow your swing down to hone in on the proper sequencing and body motion.
Commit to practicing these drills regularly and soon that “push” feel will become second nature.
Your chipping will become smoother, more consistent and way less stressful.
So, the next time you step up to a delicate chip shot, forget about “staying back” or “keeping your weight centered.”
Instead, focus on that powerful, forward–moving push through impact.