This simple short game technique changed the way I chip forever

Golfers will work themselves into all manner of odd positions around the green in order to feel some semblance of normality when chipping.

Making clean contact with the wedges is the part of the game that perhaps looks most simple when the pros do it, yet presents endless problems to the average golfer. Only when putting do we get quite as in our own heads, and it's no real surprise just how many online coaches out there style themselves as short game gurus.

Thankfully, there's actually a formula for chipping that, in the vast majority of cases, makes this ever so delicate of shots far simpler than we've come to expect from a lifetime of skulls and chunk shots. And according to Adam Keogh, Head Professional at The National Golf Centre at Woodhall Spa - home of England Golf it all has to do with how we putt.

"If you think about the club we most often use to make solid contact on tight lies, it's the putter," says Keogh. "So transferring as much technique as possible from the way we putt into how we chip makes a lot of sense. 

If this sounds familiar, it may be because a video of Tommy Fleetwood spreading the same wisdom went viral last year. This isn't a co-incidence, as Keogh and Fleetwood share a coach.

"We're thinking about: how much can we essentially just replace the putter with the wedge and use the same stroke," continues Keogh.

Finding your stance

Consistent chips start with a consistent set-up, and thankfully this approach takes a lot of thought out of the equation.

"This means that starting with the stance, we're setting up essentially as we would to putt with a couple of small tweaks," says Keogh. What we want is a putter-style stance, with the feet roughly shoulder width apart and feeling natural. Grip slightly down on the club, as if you were holding a putter-length club.

The key difference, of course, is that with a putter you don't want to hit the ground, whereas with the wedge we want just a little bit of that connection with the ground to make sure we're striking beneath the equator of the ball.

"From here, what I want to see is a lean slightly ahead over my leading foot, so my head sits over that shoe. This will tip the arc of your stroke into the ground naturally, meaning you don't have to exaggerate manipulating the club to get the ball in the air."

Making the shot

From here, the easiest technique is to make your stroke as putter-like as possible, hitting with the same firmness as you would a long putt from the fringe of the green and allowing your chest to turn naturally towards your target.

"Every time I do this, I feel like I'm using what's appropriate for the situation rather than overthinking it. I'm using the appropriate action, I'm using the appropriate loft and strike. 

"Most importantly, I feel that there's a calmness as I'm not overthinking the way I'm thinking or lofting the club."