You want: To be able to make chips "hop and stop" like a Tour player, but the ability to create that kind of spin takes perfect technique and hours of practice.
The easy and effective alternative: Learn to hit low-, mid- and high-trajectory chips with one basic chipping motion and control distance with the loft of the club and the length of your swing.
The Low Chip
Setup
Use your PW, settle into a narrow (feet inside the shoulders) stance and position the ball off your back foot. Lean the shaft forward to get your hands ahead of the clubhead.
Swing
90 percent upper body, 10 percent lower. Make your normal chipping stroke by turning your shoulders and keeping your hands ahead of the clubhead all the way to the finish. Allow your hands to pass your left leg with little lower-body motion and stop them just outside your left hip. The dynamics of this swing reduce the effective loft of the clubface and produce a lower-trajectory shot.
The mid chip
Setup
Use your SW, settle into a shoulder-wide stance and position the ball between your heels. Make sure your left wrist is flat and facing toward the target.
Swing
50 percent upper body, 50 percent lower. Balance the movement of your upper and lower body to create an impact loft that exactly matches the loft of your sand wedge. Take the club back to waist height with a few degrees of wrist hinge. Then turn your lower body through the ball and keep your left wrist firm. Follow through to waist height, with your hips and chest facing slightly right of target.
The high chip
Setup
Use your LW, plant your feet just outside your shoulders and make sure your clubshaft lies perfectly vertical (hands above ball).
Swing
50 percent upper body, 50 percent lower. Don't baby this shot — take the club to above waist height and add more wrist hinge (about 30 degrees). From there, focus on making a balanced swing on both sides of the ball and stopping your motion when your hands reach your shoulders. The increased swing motion and increased loft at address produce the extra height you're looking for.
