Copyright 2006 David Nevogt

My name is Bobby Eldridge and I'm going to give you three golf teaching tools that you can use to stop your chipping woes completely.

The golf teaching tool is conventional way of chipping the golf ball. You could use a 5 iron, a 7 iron and a 9 iron to chip with. I like doing this, 5 for the long chip shots, 7 for the medium chip shots, and 9 for the short chip shots.

Let me tell you the method and how easy it is to use. If you have a small chip shot, use your 9 iron and put the ball in the middle of your stance, put a little weight on your left leg, and push the handle over to your left leg. From there, make an arm swing with a little chop of the club head.

Now, if your shot has to go to a little further, take a 7 iron. Don't change the golf swing; same golf swing, same method, but choose a golf club that will send the ball a little further.

Using this club will probably get the golf ball to go back up towards the pin. Again, ball in the middle of your stance, weight left, handle left, arm swing. And, it will go a little bit further.

Now, let's just say that you had to hit a golf shot where the ball had to go all the way to the back of the green. Now you're going to use a 5 iron. Here it is, ball in the middle of the stance, weight left and handle left; same golf swing, an arm swing with a chop. And that 5 iron will send the ball a lot further. That's a great golf teaching tool that should help you going forward.

Now, you may struggle with your short chip shots. And if the grass is mowed down, don't ever hesitate to putt the ball.

Do everything the same that you normally do when you putt a golf ball. The only challenge is, is that sometimes it comes out of the rough, bouncing a little bit, or when the fairway is mowed and it's not perfect like the putting green.

Now here's the last golf teaching tool for you. You may struggle with your conventional chip shots and you don't like to putt the golf ball. So, why don't you try this utility wood? This is the 3 iron. The difference is, is that it's built like a wood. So the bottom of it, the sole plate, is a little bit longer and it'll stop you from stubbing the golf ball.

So, here it is. Approach it just like a putt and grip it like a putter, stand to it like a putt, and stroke it like a putter. And if you do that, the golf ball will take off and head to the hole. And that's when you use a utility golf club.

I hope this gives you some insight into making your short game a little easier when you're in and around the fringe. Don't forget to putt, use a flat-faced club like a putter, try your 3 wood, try your 4 wood, and lastly, do the conventional way, and I guarantee you that will help you.