When, Why, and How to Vary Your Chipping Trajectory

Trajectory is something most golfers think about as it relates to their full shots.

When you send the ball flying hundreds of yards in the air toward a target, it’s helpful to be able to manage the trajectory of its flight. For example, when playing into the wind, you may want to use a lower trajectory to get as much distance as possible out of the shot.

But did you know that trajectory is an important concept on chip shots, as well?

Controlling the height of your chip shots will open up more options around the greens, ultimately allowing you to get up and down more frequently. And, as an added bonus, learning to vary your chipping trajectory is much easier than doing the same thing with your full swing, so you stand to see results faster in this area.

So let’s get to work!

When Would You Want to Alter the Trajectory of a Chip Shot?

Most golfers have what they would consider to be a “standard” chip shot. This is the shot you use when you are facing a basic chip shot. In this scenario, you have a decent lie, you have enough green to work with, and there are no significant slopes to consider.

When you are fortunate enough to face a pretty simple chip, you can go with your standard shot, whatever that looks like in your game.

But, as you know, not all chip shots are simple. Often, you’ll find yourself facing a more complicated task, with one or more factors conspiring to make it difficult to get the ball close to the hold.

The list below highlights a few possible examples of why you might need to use a different trajectory to reach the target:

• You have a poor lie, and it will be easier to hit a lower shot than trying to get the ball up off the ground.
• There is a major slope between your ball and the hole, and you want to carry that slope to take one variable out of play.
• You have limited room between your ball and the hole, so you need to hit the shot a little higher to stop it quicker.
• Firm or soft green conditions are making it difficult to use your standard trajectory effectively.

The list above could go on and on. There are countless different types of situations you can encounter on the golf course, which is why it’s so important to have a variety of shots at your disposal.

Embed from Getty Images

The Basics of Changing Your Chipping Trajectory

The trajectory of your full shots is influenced not only by the launch angle of the shot, but also the spin rate. While there is still spin on chip shots, that spin is not going to have a meaningful impact on the trajectory of this short shot – so your trajectory will be entirely determined by launch angle.

In other words, if you want to be able to manipulate the trajectory of your chips, you need to know how to manipulate your launch angle effectively.

The simplest way to change the trajectory of a chip shot is to change the club you use.

All other things being equal, using a club with less loft is going to produce a lower chip, where a club with more loft will send the ball higher into the air.

If you normally chip with a gap wedge, for example, you could hit lower shots with a pitching wedge or higher shots with a sand wedge.

Making Technical Adjustments

Changing your club selection is a good starting point for altering your trajectory, but that isn’t always going to get you the results you need.

Sometimes, it will be necessary to change your technique. This is a skill that takes plenty of practice to develop, but the basics are explained below:

#1 Adjust Your Ball Position

This is the best starting point for moving your trajectory up or down on chip shots. If you want to hit a particular chip shot a little higher than usual, move the ball up in your stance. Or, if you want to hit it lower, move the ball back.

This is simple enough in theory, but you’ll need to practice so you can be confident in your ability to make solid contact.

#2 Alter the Angle of the Face

You are not required to stick with the standard loft on your wedges when hitting a chip shot. Sure, the club might have “56*” stamped on the sole, but that loft is only accurate when the club is in a square position.

To hit the shot higher or lower, just open or close the face at address a little bit. Again, practice is required, especially when it comes to hitting those higher shots with an open face.

Those are the two main methods for creating the precise launch angle that you need to handle a specific chip shot. As you spend time practicing your chipping technique, be sure to play around with these two variables to gain experience and get a feel for how they impact the flight of the ball.

Embed from Getty Images

The Role of Spin in Chipping

We talked earlier about how the spin you put on your chip shots is not going to significantly change how the ball flies through the air. That’s true, but spin still plays an important role in chipping.

When the ball lands on the green, the spin rate will impact how it reacts and how much it bounces and rolls toward the hole. Spin control is a topic that deserves its own article but remember to keep this factor in mind when planning out any chip shot.

If you only take one thing away from this article, let it be this point – you need to practice your chipping.

Too many golfers skip out on chipping practice in favor of pounding drivers and rolling putts. By committing to some focused time working on this part of your game, you will be getting a big leg up on the competition. Whether you are dialing in your trajectory control or working on some other piece of the puzzle, improving your chipping is always time well spent.