Chipping versus pitching

1

Chipping and pitching are in the same short-game family – so it’s still about keeping a ‘left side pivot’ and rotating the body. However, the difference comes in how you use your wrists.

2

In this situation, with the pin approximately 15-20 yards away, I want to get the ball on the ground and running towards the hole as soon as possible. I’m choosing a chip shot, so the ball is going to spend more time on the ground than it does in the air. Note how there is less wrist action in a chip. 3

With the flag now 35 yards away I’m choosing a pitch, in which the ball spends more time in the air than on the ground. The key difference between the two shots is the wrist action needed to create extra speed. To get the club back further you need a certain amount of wrist hinge, but not too much.

The wrists hinge far less in a chip shot

The chipping action with very little wrist hinge

More wrist hinge in a pitch shot