How To Practise Chipping Under Pressure

Adding some focus to your practice will help you find a better touch around the greens

How To Practise Chipping Under Pressure

Golf Monthly Top 25 coach John Jacobs shows some superb drills to help you improve your pressure chipping to help you make vital up-and-downs for lower scores.

1 Take the test

Getting up and down when you need to will be the difference between a good score and a mediocre one, so try taking the following test.

Create two rings around the hole using tee pegs – one 3ft away from the hole, the other 6ft.

Now hit the following shots: a 40-yard bunker shot, a 30-yard pitch, a greenside flop shot and a chip-and-run.

You get one point for each ball that finishes inside the 6ft ring, two points inside 3ft and four points for holing out.

Take this test regularly and try to beat your personal best to add some pressure to your practice.

2 Box Test

This will help your distance control.

You should be aiming to get your chips past the hole to give you a chance of holing out, and if you miss, you'll see the line for the putt.

Create a box around the hole, using tee pegs to mark the corners short of the hole and alignment sticks to mark the corners past it.

Now hit five shots from just off the green.

You get one point if the ball finishes inside the box but short, two points inside the box but past and three if you hole out.

Using alignment sticks will help your depth perception.

3 Move Away Drill

You might think that touch is a natural attribute, but you can certainly develop it in practice.

Create a semi-circle of tees around the hole and then place five balls, each one 5ft further from the hole than the one before.

You get three points for each ball that finishes inside the semi-circle and four points if you hole out.

This will help you make those subtle changes in speed you need to be a great chipper.

Do it three times in one practice session and you should see a rapid improvement.

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4 Notebook

One of the most important items for any golfer is a notepad.

This is where you can track your improvements and jot down some notes.

Running through these tests once and month and then noting down the scores will create all-important pressure.

You can also note down other drills you might think be useful and refresh your practice.

This will really help you make the most of your precious time and avoid those aimless sessions that do more harm than good.

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Checklist:

• Regularly test yourself in practice to improve your touch
• Aim to get your chips past the hole for a chance of holing out
• Write down your results and aim to beat your score

Shot on location at Las Colinas Golf and Country Club, Spain