Chipping wrist action

Keith Williams talks through the chipping wrist action and has some advice for chipping from the rough which will help you get up and down from the thick stuff more often.

Thick greenside rough is a feature you’ll find on many modern golf courses, so you need to develop a technique and the right chipping wrist action that will help you play from here with some degree of control.

A good way to think about it is to start by setting up in the same way you would if you were hitting a bunker shot.

So, widen your stance to lower your centre of gravity, aim your body slightly left of the target and open the face of your wedge as much as possible – this is the only way to gain control. Start the swing by setting your wrists quickly.

Also, crucially, your wrists should be slightly cupped in this position - your left wrist will bend back on itself a fraction - which will accentuate the loft and, importantly, the bounce, to get the club moving through the thick grass.

From here, all you need to do is commit to the shot, drive the clubhead through impact, and the ball should pop up with plenty of height and control. Remember that the ball will roll out more from here than a tighetr lie so try to factor that in while you are mapping out the shot.  Take some time to practise this shot, you’ll find it’s a handy option on modern tracks.

Read more top short game tips

Top tips

•  Start by setting up the same way you would if you were going to hit a greenside bunker shot.
• Widen your stance in order to lower your centre of gravity.
• Aim your body slightly left of the target.
• Open the face of your wedge as much as possible.
• Start the swing by setting your wrists quickly.
• Your wrists should be slightly cupped in order to accentuate the loft and utilise the bounce through the thick grass.
• Commit to the shot, drive the clubhead through the grass at impact, and the ball should pop up with sufficient height and control.