Six-time Major champion and short-game expert Phil Mickelson has outlined an accessible drill alongside three key setup tips that can instantly improve chipping.
The 45-time PGA Tour event winner, now a LIV Golfer, is renowned for his quality around the greens with lofty wedges in hand.
Mickelson claims most players chip poorly due to failing to nail the basics that will promote consistency.
The 55-year-old stressed that good chipping stems from the setup, not from trying to ‘help’ the ball into the air.
Mickelson explained: “There are three things you have to do when you chip, and most amateurs do none of them.
“When you have 60 degrees of loft (in your wedge), you have to keep the leading edge down to get through the golf ball.”
Key setup point 1: ‘Put your weight forward.’
The first key setup point, according to the left-hander, is the golfer’s weight distribution.
He stated, “Put your weight forward. Having your weight forward helps drive the club down into the ground.”
When highlighting the advantage of having your weight forward, Mickelson admitted: “Most people chip with their weight back.”
Weighting the back encourages the club to rise early and can often lead to too frequent thinned chip shots from poor ball contact.
Key setup point 2: ‘Hands ahead of the club.’
His second key setup tip is hand position, with Mickelson explaining: “You have to have your hands ahead of the club.
“You cannot have your hands back, because once the club passes your arm, the leading edge is coming up.
“The bounce is being added, and the ball is going to hit the ground, blade right into the ball, or the club will hit the ground first.”
Key setup point 3: ‘Decide if you are going to go low or high.’
The third setup consideration is the position of the ball, which must match the shot trajectory you are trying to achieve.
Mickelson explained the final setup point: “You have to decide if you are going to go low or high.
“If you go low, you are going to have the ball of your back foot, and if you are going high, it is going to go off your front foot.
“What you will not do is put the ball in the middle of your stance.”
The seasoned tour professional has seen it all and warned that a middle stance chip setup is a recipe for disaster.
It won’t provide enough forward lean to keep it low and not enough flight to loft it high.
Having this setup causes amateurs to try and force loft with their hands, which more often than not causes amateurs to make contact with the leading edge rather than getting underneath the golf ball.
Weight forward, hands ahead, and appropriate ball position are Mickelson’s biggest tips for greater swing accuracy.
Phil Mickelson’s one-handed chipping drill
To put all into practice and train the motion, he recommends a simple and accessible one-arm chipping drill.
Mickelson highlighted what the drill will expose: “Chip one-handed. If your hands are back, the club will be loose and floppy.
“But if you set up with your weight forward and your hands ahead, the club will naturally want to go down and through, underneath the ball.
“It will take no effort, but you have to set up properly.”
It’s about starting a position where good contact becomes almost automatic.
By practising with one hand, players can feel the correct downward strike and avoid the urge to manipulate their swing with the hands for more loft.
READ MORE: Bryson DeChambeau’s easy swing drill helps gain yards and hit longer
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