Chip Shot
A chip shot is a short, low-flying golf shot played from just off the green that rolls more than it flies. The aim is to land the ball on the putting surface and let it roll toward the hole like a putt.
What is a chip shot?
In the short game, a chip is the shot a golfer typically reaches for when the ball sits a few yards off the green with a clean path to the hole. The ball stays low, spends little time in the air, and finishes the journey by rolling along the putting surface. Most of the distance is roll, not carry.
It belongs to the family of shots known as the short game, which Wikipedia’s Glossary of Golf groups together as putting, chipping, pitching, and greenside bunker play. Within that family, the chip is the lowest-risk option because the swing is small and the ball stays close to the ground, where mishits cost less.
The shot exists across every level of golf, from a beginner trying to nudge the ball onto the green to a PGA Tour professional saving par. The Rules of Golf, jointly written by the USGA and R&A, treat it the same as any other stroke played outside a hazard.
How a chip shot works
Mechanically, a chip is the simplest way to move a ball a short distance through the air and onto a green. The ball flies briefly, lands a few feet onto the putting surface, then rolls out like a putt. The bulk of the work happens on the ground.
PGA Master Professional Dr. Alison Curdt, writing for PGA.com, describes the chip as a “one-lever” motion driven by the shoulders without a wrist hinge. That mechanic is what keeps the ball low and the shot predictable.
The clubs commonly used range from a sand wedge or pitching wedge for shorter chips with a bit more carry, down to an 8-iron, 9-iron, or even a 7-iron when the golfer wants the ball to release and roll farther. Lower-lofted clubs produce more roll. Higher-lofted clubs produce more carry and less roll.
Chip shot vs. pitch shot vs. flop shot
The most common reason golfers look up “chip shot” is because they have heard it used alongside pitch or flop and want to know which is which. The shots are cousins. They live in the same short-game neighborhood, and they all use lofted clubs, but the trajectory and the carry-to-roll ratio set them apart.
| Shot | Trajectory | Carry vs. roll | Typical club | Used when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chip | Low | Mostly roll | 7-iron to pitching wedge | Close to green, clean path, no obstacles |
| Pitch | Medium-high | Mostly carry | Sand wedge, gap wedge | Farther from green, or need to clear an obstacle |
| Flop | High | Almost no roll | Lob wedge (58–60°) | Need to clear a hazard with little green to work with |
The simplest way to keep them straight is the practical-golf rule of thumb: a chip rolls farther than it flies, a pitch flies farther than it rolls, and a flop barely rolls at all. PGA.com adds the technique distinction: a chip is a one-lever motion, while a pitch is a two-lever motion that adds the wrist hinge and trunk rotation needed to generate height and stopping power.
When to use a chip shot
A chip works best when three conditions line up. The ball sits within 30 yards on a clean lie. There is nothing in the way between the ball and the putting surface (no bunker, no thick rough, no water). And the pin position allows enough green to land the ball short and let it roll out.
If any of those break down, the chip stops being the right answer. A bunker in the line forces a higher-flying pitch. When a pin sits tucked just past a hazard with little green to work with behind it, a flop is the better choice. Brent Kelley notes for LiveAbout that when chipping is an option, most golfers are better off chipping than pitching: the smaller swing leaves less room for error.
Why chip shots matter in golf
Short-game shots make up a meaningful chunk of the strokes in any round. Mark Broadie’s strokes-gained framework, introduced in his book Every Shot Counts, treats shots from inside 30 yards as their own scoring category, separate from approach play and putting. The reason is simple: a sharp short game saves strokes, and chipping is the most common short-game shot a golfer faces.
The traditional measure is “scrambling” or “up and down” percentage, which tracks how often a player misses a green and still gets the ball into the hole in two more shots. Tour professionals scramble at around 59% on average, according to PGA Tour data summarized by The DIY Golfer, while typical amateur golfers come in below 50%. The gap between those numbers is largely a chipping gap.
Related Golf Terms
- Championship course — A course designed to host professional or major amateur tournaments.
- Pitch shot — A higher-flying short-game shot that carries more than it rolls.
- Chili dip — A mishit chip shot that barely advances the ball.
- Pitching wedge — A common club for chipping, typically 44–48 degrees of loft.
- Cavity back — An iron design with a hollowed-out back for increased forgiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a chip shot and a pitch shot?
A chip rolls farther than it flies, stays low, and is played close to the green. A pitch flies farther than it rolls, lands softer, and is played from farther out or when an obstacle stands between the ball and the green.
What club should I use for a chip shot?
Common choices are the pitching wedge, sand wedge, 9-iron, 8-iron, or 7-iron. Lower lofts produce more roll, higher lofts more carry. The right club depends on how much green sits between the landing spot and the hole.
Can you chip with a putter?
A putter can be used from the fringe or short grass just off the green when the surface is clean and even. Some golfers call this a Texas wedge. It is not a chip in the strict sense (no loft is involved), but it works for the same purpose.
What is the rule of 12 in chipping?
The rule of 12 is a club-selection formula attributed to Paul Runyan, a PGA professional from the 1930s and 1940s who developed it as a teaching tool. The idea is that 12 minus the ratio of roll-to-carry gives the iron number to use for a chip. It assumes a standard green speed and helps newer golfers pick a club rather than guess.
What is an up-and-down?
An up-and-down means a golfer holes out from off the green in two strokes: a chip (or pitch, or bunker shot) onto the green, followed by a single putt. It is the standard scoring outcome a chip is meant to set up.
Sources
- PGA of America. “The Difference Between a Chip Shot and Pitch Shot.” Accessed April 2026.
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary. “Chip shot.” Accessed April 2026.
- Wikipedia. “Glossary of golf.” Accessed April 2026.
- PGA Tour. “Around the Green Stats.” pgatour.com/stats. Accessed April 2026.
- Broadie, Mark. Every Shot Counts. Gotham Books, 2014.
- Kelley, Brent. “Explaining the Pitch Shot in Golf.” LiveAbout. Accessed April 2026.
- The DIY Golfer. “What is Strokes Gained Around the Green?” Accessed April 2026.
