Landing Spot Chipping Drill
Stop aiming at the hole and start chipping to a landing spot, letting the ball release and roll out like a putt. Great chippers control where the ball first lands and let the green do the rest — this is the single biggest mindset shift around the green.
Setup
Drop a towel or a hat on the green about three to four feet onto the putting surface, just past the fringe, as your landing target. Stand off the green in light rough or fringe with 8–10 balls and a wedge.
Step by step
- Set up with a narrow, slightly open stance, the ball back of center, your weight favoring the lead foot, and your hands slightly ahead of the ball.
- Make a putting-style stroke with the shoulders — minimal wrist hinge — and try to land each ball on the towel.
- Watch how the ball lands soft and then releases toward the hole; your only job is the landing spot.
- Once you can hit the towel consistently, swap to a less-lofted club (like a 9-iron) and notice the ball rolls out farther from the same landing spot.
- Then move the towel closer or farther and re-calibrate — same landing-spot thinking, different total distance.
Reps / time
Land 7 of 10 balls on the towel with the wedge, then repeat with one more club. About 12 minutes.
Coaching cue
Common mistake: trying to scoop or lift the ball into the air with a flick of the wrists, which causes thin 'skull' shots across the green and chunked shots that come up short. Instead, keep your hands ahead of the clubhead through impact and let the loft of the face lift the ball — strike down slightly and brush the grass. Trust the club; you don't have to help it up.
A beginner refresher only — not professional instruction.