An uphill chip or pitch shot presents a great opportunity to get the ball close, or even hole out. But too many times, golfers leave the ball short of the cup – and sometimes don’t make the green at all.

We often complicate this relatively easy shot. The most common mistake is trying to execute a perfect pitch which lands between the fringe and the hole. This requires crisp contact, precise distance control and proper trajectory to get the right roll – tough to pull off any time, but especially when an uphill lie adds loft to your club. In these situations, fat shots are the norm rather than the exception.

Instead of playing the shot with a wedge, take a less lofted club like a 6- or 7-iron and run the ball onto the green. The technique is simple:

• Grip down and play the ball just behind the center of your stance.
• Tilt your body to match the slope, with a slight lean toward the target.
• Choose a landing spot short of the green, keeping in mind that the low loft will produce a shot that rolls quite a bit.
• Make a sweeping, arms-and-shoulders motion, with very little wrist action.

You may not knock it within tap-in range every time, but you’ll execute more consistently and rarely, if ever, chunk it and come up short of the green.