The number of golfers who don’t understand the difference between chipping and pitching is shocking. They use the terms interchangeably and wonder why their short game is inconsistent. These are fundamentally different shots with different techniques, different trajectories, and different applications.

Getting this right transformed my scoring. Once I understood which shot to use when and how to execute each properly, I saved 3-4 shots per round just from better decisions around the green.

The Fundamental Difference

Chipping is low trajectory with more roll than flight. The ball spends most of its journey rolling on the green, not in the air. Think one part air, two parts ground.

Pitching is high trajectory with more flight than roll. The ball carries most of the distance through the air and stops relatively quickly after landing. Two parts air, one part ground.

The technique for each is different because you’re trying to create different ball flights and different spin rates. Using a chipping technique on a pitch shot, or vice versa, is why so many short game shots come up inconsistent.

When to Chip

Chip when you’ve got green to work with between you and the hole. If there’s 20 feet of green surface and the pin is 30 feet away, chipping is usually the percentage play.

When the lie is tight or slightly bare, chipping is safer. You’re making a descending blow with limited hand action, so you can still execute from difficult lies where a pitch might catch thin or heavy.

Into the wind, chipping keeps the ball under the breeze and gives you more predictable results. High pitches balloon in wind and become nearly impossible to control.

On firm, fast greens, the lower trajectory of a chip gives you more control over total distance. Pitches that land on firm surfaces can bounce unpredictably.

When to Pitch

Pitch when there’s little green to work with. If you’ve got to carry a bunker and the pin is just over it, you need a high, soft landing pitch shot.

When the lie is fluffy or sitting up in light rough, pitching works better. You can slide the club under the ball and generate the loft and spin needed to control the shot.

When you need to stop the ball quickly on a downslope or when the pin is close to the edge you’re hitting toward, pitch height and spin become essential.

Over hazards or obstacles where you can’t afford to catch it thin and run it through the green, pitching provides more margin for error in trajectory.

Chipping Technique

Ball position is back in your stance - middle to back foot. This creates the descending strike and reduces loft, which is what you want for a low runner.

Hands are ahead of the ball at address and impact. Forward shaft lean delofts the club and encourages ball-first contact.

Weight favors your front foot - maybe 60-70% on the lead side. This helps maintain the descending angle and prevents hanging back.

The swing is arms and shoulders with very quiet hands and wrists. You’re making a putting-style motion with a more lofted club, not adding manipulation through the hitting area.

Follow through is low and short. You’re not trying to create height, so there’s no reason for a big, high finish.

Pitching Technique

Ball position is middle to slightly forward of middle. You need to catch it cleanly but with the natural loft of the club, not delofted.

Hands are roughly level with the ball, or just slightly ahead. You’re not trying to add loft, but you’re also not aggressively delofting like with a chip.

Weight distribution is more even, or even favoring the back foot slightly on very soft pitches. This helps create the upward angle of attack that generates height.

The swing uses more wrist hinge and follows a more “normal” swing path. You’re making a mini version of your full swing, including some hand action through impact.

Follow through is higher and fuller. The club releases naturally and the finish is proportional to the length of backswing - bigger swing for longer pitches.

Club Selection for Chipping

I use anything from a 7-iron through to sand wedge for chips, depending on how much green I have to work with.

More green to the hole means less loft. If I’ve got 40 feet of green, I might chip with an 8-iron or 9-iron, letting the ball run most of the way.

Less green means more loft. With only 10 feet of green before the hole, I’m using a gap or sand wedge to get the ball landing sooner with less roll.

The key is finding 2-3 clubs you’re comfortable chipping with and learning their ratios of flight to roll. I know my sand wedge chips roughly 30% flight and 70% roll. My 9-iron is about 20% flight and 80% roll.

Club Selection for Pitching

Pitching typically uses your most lofted clubs - gap wedge, sand wedge, or lob wedge. The specific choice depends on how high and how far.

For a 40-yard pitch over a bunker, I’ll use a sand wedge with a controlled half-swing. For a 60-yard pitch, it might be a gap wedge with a three-quarter swing.

The lob wedge is for specific situations - very short pitches that need to stop quickly, or when you need maximum height with minimum distance. It’s not a general-purpose pitching club for most players.

Common Chipping Mistakes

Trying to help the ball up by scooping at impact. This is the cardinal sin of chipping - it leads to thin and fat shots and completely inconsistent contact.

Using too much wrist action. Quiet hands are crucial for consistent chipping. Any flipping or early release kills the descending strike you need.

Ball position too far forward. This encourages the scooping motion and catches the ball on the upswing, leading to thin contact.

Trying to manufacture spin. Chips aren’t meant to spin back - they’re meant to roll predictably. Accept this and pick the right club for the situation.

Common Pitching Mistakes

Quitting on the shot through impact. Fear of going too far leads to deceleration, which leads to fat and inconsistent contact.

Too much leg action. Pitching is a hands and arms shot with quiet lower body. Excessive movement from the legs throws off timing and distance control.

Wrong club for the distance. Using a lob wedge for a 50-yard pitch means you’re making an aggressive, full swing with a club designed for touch shots. Use less loft and make a controlled swing.

Not committing to the shot. Indecision between a chip and a pitch leads to a hybrid attempt that combines the worst of both techniques.

Practice Drills for Chipping

The towel drill - place a towel just behind the ball and practice making contact ball-first without hitting the towel. This teaches the descending strike.

One-handed chipping with your lead hand only. This eliminates any scooping motion from the trail hand and teaches proper body rotation through the shot.

Land-it drill - pick a landing spot 2-3 feet onto the green and practice hitting that spot consistently. This builds the distance control that makes chipping reliable.

Practice Drills for Pitching

Distance ladder - hit pitches at 20, 30, 40, and 50 yards, learning how much swing creates how much distance with each wedge.

Gate drill - set up alignment sticks or clubs creating a gate just past impact, forcing you to swing through the ball rather than quitting.

Trajectory drill - hit the same distance pitch with different trajectories (low, medium, high) to learn how to manipulate height through setup and swing changes.

Making the Right Decision

When you’re standing over a short game shot, the first question is “how much green do I have to work with?” That usually determines chip versus pitch immediately.

Factor in lie quality. Perfect lies give you more options. Poor lies favor chipping because the technique is more forgiving.

Consider the conditions. Firm, fast greens favor chips. Soft, slow greens allow pitches to be more aggressive.

Think about your strengths. If you’re confident with one shot type and shaky with the other, lean toward your strength unless the situation absolutely demands the other.

Building Short Game Confidence

Confidence in short game comes from knowing you have reliable techniques for different situations. If you can chip and pitch competently, you’ve got answers for most around-green scenarios.

Most golfers would score better by using chips more often and pitches less often. The chip is a higher-percentage shot that’s easier to execute and more forgiving of poor contact.

But you need both in your arsenal. The situations where pitching is the only realistic option come up regularly, and if you can’t execute a pitch, you’re going to make bogey or worse.

Practice both shots separately. Don’t just hit generic “wedge shots” - deliberately practice chipping technique and pitching technique as distinct skills.

The short game separates mid-handicappers from low-handicappers more than any other single skill. Dial in your chipping and pitching, understand when to use each, and watch your scores drop without changing anything about your long game.