Hitting chip shots and pitch shots are very important to lowering your scores. First let me explain the difference between the two shots. 

A chip shot is used when you are right off the edge of the green in higher grass where you can’t putt. 

A pitch shot is used when you are a little further away from the green.  Most pitches are from five yards off the green to about 60 yards from the green. 

I have seen players putt through the higher grass. It usually doesn’t end well. They try it because they’re not confident in their chipping abilities. 

A chip shot is an extended putt. It must be executed that way. Some players also use one club for all chip shots. Wrong. 

The idea is to get the ball on the green as soon as possible allowing the ball to roll towards the hole like a putt. It’s a much easier method. 

If you have a 40-foot putt, the ball starts rolling in the very first foot away from the putter.  Add 5 feet back up on to the higher grass and you still want the ball to roll the second it hits the green. That shot should be hit with an 8 or 9 iron not a pitching wedge or sand wedge. 

Play the ball back in your stance and just hit it like you would putt it. No wrist hinge at all. The loft of the iron will get the ball over the grass onto the green. 

As you get farther away from the green you can start using higher lofted clubs. A 20-yard shot to that same pin 40 feet from the edge of the green now becomes a pitch shot. Now you need a higher lofted club so the ball can go over the 20 yards of grass.

Practice your chipping and pitching and watch your scores drop.

Last week in the Betting on Golf column I bet on Patrick Cantlay to finish top 30 and to win $3 each to win a possible $39. I figured on winning the top 30 bet easily based on Cantlay’s past history at this event. He ended up tied for 4th, so I won that bet but lost the win bet, breaking even for those bets. This is why you don’t bet just to win. This week I think Rickie Fowler is the man. Also think Justin Thomas looks like he is ready to come out of his slump. Bet wisely.