Chipping Basics for Junior Golfers
The core setup and technique ideas that help young golfers get the ball rolling smoothly from just off the green.
Chipping is one of the most valuable skills a junior golfer can build, because it turns a missed green into a manageable up-and-down rather than an extra shot lost to frustration. Unlike the full swing, chipping rewards a simple, repeatable technique over power, which makes it a great skill for young players to master early and carry with confidence for the rest of their golf.
Choosing the right club
A common junior-friendly approach is to use one club - often a pitching wedge or a similar mid-wedge - for most greenside chips, at least while a child is learning the basic technique. Rather than switching clubs constantly, a young golfer can learn to change the length of the swing and where the ball sits in the stance to control trajectory and distance, which keeps the skill simple to learn and easy to trust under pressure.
A narrow, slightly open stance
For a basic chip, feet can be closer together than in a full swing, with weight favouring the front foot and the ball positioned back in the stance, roughly in line with the back foot or just forward of it. Hands should sit slightly ahead of the ball at address. This setup naturally encourages a descending strike, which is what produces clean, ball-first contact rather than a fat or thin shot.
Keep the stroke simple: chest and arms, not hands
The chipping motion works best as a small, controlled swing driven by the turning of the chest and shoulders, with the arms and club following along - similar in feel to a putting stroke but with a touch more wrist hinge on longer chips. Encourage kids to keep the backswing and follow-through roughly matched in length, since an equal-length stroke helps control both distance and strike quality far more reliably than trying to "help" the ball into the air.
Practising distance and trajectory
A simple and effective drill is to set up several targets at different distances from the practice green and have a child chip to each one, focusing on landing spot rather than exact distance to the hole. Because chip shots release and roll once they land, teaching a young golfer to pick a landing spot on the green and let the ball roll out is far more useful early on than trying to judge the total carry-plus-roll distance in one go.
Should a junior learn several different chip shots?
Not straight away. Mastering one simple, reliable chipping technique with one or two clubs is far more valuable for a beginner than trying to learn flop shots, bump-and-runs and every variation at once. Variety can be added gradually as a young golfer's fundamentals and confidence develop.