Chip and run video

Golf Monthly Top 25 coach Andrew Reynolds explains the basics of the chip and run shot to help you get up and down more often.

Try and implement some of these chip and run tips if you waste a lot of shots around the greens, and you rely too heavily on high pitches when there's nothing to negotiate.

Many golfers automatically reach for the wedge whenever they’re off the green, even if they have nothing to go over.

But if you’re on the fringe or apron, you’ll dramatically improve your up-and-down percentage with the simple, yet highly effective chip and run.

With a pitch, you’re looking to retain loft on the clubface to flop the ball up and stop it quickly. With the chip and run, though, you’re just trying to carry the ball over the remaining fringe then roll it up to the flag like a putt.

To do this, take out a club with less loft – a 7-iron, for example – and set the ball in the middle of your stance, with more weight on your left side, and your hands ahead of the ball.

Take the club away with virtually no wrist break, then allow the hands to gently roll over through impact to deliver the low-running top-spinner you’re after.

It may lack the glamour of the checking pitch, but I guarantee it will save you shots every round once you’ve mastered it.

 Top tips

• You'll immediately improve you're up-and-down percentage from around the greens if you rely more on a simple chip and run shot.
• Unlike with a pitch where you're looking to retain the loft on the clubface to get the ball up and stop it quickly, a chip and run involves carrying the ball just onto the green to get it rolling like a putt as quickly as possible.
• In order to achieve this, use a club with less loft, play the ball in the middle of your stance and set your hands ahead of the ball.