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Ball striking on chip shots is extremely important for not only getting the ball close to the targets but even hitting greens in some cases. Many a player has hit a thin shot which has shot across the green leaving another chip back where confidence as a result will be extremely low.

The worst shot in golf has to be the fat shot when a player catches too much grass before the ball and it doesnt advance anywhere near to the target, causing the player to have to repeat the shot again.

This makes chipping one of the most important areas of the game. It is otherwise known as the scoring zone because it can make or break a round of golf.

To hit a good chip shot which delivers height, spin and control, the player must strike the ball well every time, and to do this, the set up fundamentals are vital.

To hit a chip shot from around the greens, no further than 30 yards, the grip needs to be the same as any other shot, preferably as neutral as possible. Some players find more control with gripping down on the club so this is worth a try. The stance needs to be narrowed to inside waist width with the feet pointing slightly towards the target and open in relation to the target. This will encourage a shorter back swing and a longer follow through to prevent deceleration.

The ball position should be placed centrally in the stance as this is where the bottom of the players swing arc should be to encourage a descending blow on the ball to create spin and height.

The players body weight should be approximately 65%-35% favoring the left foot with the hands pushed slightly ahead of the ball to promote the downward blow into the ball. Try these set up pointers with your pitching wedge, sand wedge, lob wedge and 7 iron and note the differing ball flights and distances created. Use this on the course for much better and consistent results around the green.

When the ball is placed further back in the stance, the ball striking can be badly affected due to the steepened angle of attack as the bodys weight is much further to the left side than the right. Any good strikes that are created will come out lower and with less back spin due to the de-lofted club at impact therefore creating more roll once on the green.

Standing closer to the ball means the posture will be badly affected. The shoulders will become rounded causing a lack of body rotation resulting in an all arms swing which in terms of swing path and angle of attack can become very inconsistent.

Players that keep their weight on the back foot to get under the ball will develop a scooping motion through impact which in effect can lead to more thin shots rather than high shots. When this technique is tried it can be executed very well, but its consistency is extremely low and should only be tried in extreme circumstances.