Setting Up a Golf Chipping Practice Area in Your Backyard


Chipping Golf

Practicing and improving chipping skills is challenging and frustrating at times. The dare hits hard when you’re trying to break your previous record, but regardless of skill level and goal, better chipping is the key to reaching that. Luckily, you don’t need to be on the golf course to do that, you can exercise it straight in your backyard.

To set up a backyard chipping golf practice, begin by picking a proper place to put up the driving surface. Next, buy the right practice net and place it in front of your driving range. Afterward, build a putting surface using putting mats. Lastly, buy a golf ball shagger to save energy.

Not all of us have the time to go to the club every day to practice and level up our chipping skills, but with a simple setup practice chipping the golf area at home, you can attain your ultimate goal.

In this article, we will tackle the importance of practicing chipping at home, the steps to put up a practice chipping golf area, and the several tips and drills you can work on straight in your backyard.

 

Why Is It Important to Practice Chipping in Your Backyard?

To get a better score in the next golf game, practice your chipping more often. Luckily, chipping is something you can practice in your backyard. All you have to do is hit the ball as hard as you can. It doesn’t matter where it ends up, focus on your stroke and the need to get the ball near your destined hole. Learning to hit your landing spot is the key to effective chipping. After all, a few short shots, like chips, secure the game.

Short shots are more necessary than power hits. Your backyard is an ideal place to work it out and perfect it. All professional golfers advise new gamers on the importance of practicing chipping at home to be better on the course.

 

4 Steps to Set Up Chipping Practice in Your Backyard

You can make a simple chipping golf practice area in your backyard with this quick-to-build, in a couple of afternoons, fun DIY project. Here’s what you need and how to do it:

  • Three 8/9 ft. alloy or steel pipes
  • Two L-Shape PVC pipe (to connect the net)
  • PVC heater and blowtorch
  • Saw
  • Marker
  • Cable ties
  • Scissor
  • T-square
  • Paint (optional)
  • Mat
  • Golf shag bag

 

Step 1: Finding a place to set up a driving surface

It’s important to plan well where to place your driving range. Picking the suitable spot and securing the area where you will drive your balls helps you analyze the trajectory of your ball as it flies off the net and keeps you from the harsh hit of the ricocheted ball.

You can set up a camera or video equipment to study and have multiple angles of your swings. 20’ x 30’ is the clearing approximate area and specs may vary.

After finalizing the location, remove the soil and fill it up with concrete gravels. Building it using a concrete slab under your mat is a great idea. Then, use a pitch roller to smoothen and flatten things up. Get a golf turf according to your pitch size and set it up. Now, you have a lush green golf pitch in your backyard that is ready for your chipping practice.

 

Step 2: Setting up a practice chipping net

After setting up your driving range, start making your practice chipping net. Choose a sturdy material for the poles, such as steel tubes, PVC pipes, or wood beams. This unit is big enough to use but light enough so one person can carry it.

  • Cut the pipe using a hacksaw or a reciprocating saw with a metal-cutting blade to make three 8/9 feet pipes.
  • Make two L-shaped connectors. Place the pipe and start bending the pipe with a blowtorch. Clicked the run-lock button in place, and pre-heated the metal pipe, slowly moving the flame along its length.
  • Keep blowing until it bends 90-degrees. To keep this angle, wrap the pipe around a paint can before cooling it.
  • After cooling the bends pipes, cut the parts into equal sizes. Then, begin dry-fitting the pieces together with plumbing-grade fittings, building from the ground up.
  • Paint the poles with any color if you couldn’t leave the original pipe shade.
  • Attach the net to the poles with cable tie cords that are about a foot long.

 

Choose a net that is strong enough to carry too excessive hits and that is slightly loose so that it can carry the force of the ball after hitting it without bouncing back.

The good thing about making your chipping practice net is that you have options to choose and upgrade it later on. Hence, it can be thrilling to make a project like this as you can save more money than when buying a ready-in-stock chipping net.

When selecting a chipping net, the major things to consider are price, size, portability, and durability. Below are some of our recommended chipping nets.

  • Net Return

A net return is built with sturdy construction and is one of the best golf practice nets since it can hold impact up to 200 mph without changing its position. This net saves you from buying a shag bag or separate feeder, has a 250,000+ short life span, and guarantees a netball return.

  • RukkNet

It is one of the least expensive kinds of nets, compared to the net return. It has a double net system that is easier to set up and fold than the larger Net Return.

  • Callaway Tri-Ball

This net is budget-friendly although it is not as powerfully built as the Rukknet and Net Return. Callaway Tri-Ball features a cover-up to three different sizes and has a unique shape that allows for practice from a driver to a wedge.

 

Step 3: Setting up a putting surface

Now is the time to build your putting surface. You can either choose to make a square or a rectangular frame, depending on your needs. 2×4 foot makes a perfect size for chipping, specifically if you have limited space.

  • Lay out the mat and place the platform down to measure the right size using a T-Square. Note that the mat has to be plush.
  • Outline and measure the right size for your mat. You can use scissors and a knife to cut out the chipping area. You can also wear leather gloves and a metal T-Square to ensure that you safely cut out the perfect piece you needed.

Now, you have a decent chipping golf practice facility straight in your backyard. You can practice all the necessary drills here easily, right behind your home, and bring out a better game in the course.

 

Step 4: Buy a golf ball shagger

When you need to practice your chipping shots, you need a piece of equipment to make things a lot easier to pick up and store the golf balls you use during practice. The main purpose of your backyard chipping practice area is to allow yourself to work on your chipping skills and hit a lot of balls, but since you’re only hitting a couple of yards into a net, a golf ball shagger is a wise idea.

Additionally, your golf ball shag bag will pick up your golf balls once you’re done practicing. Thus, you’ll save time, energy, and save yourself from back pain due to bending over and scooping up all those balls.

How much will a backyard sport court cost me? Click to read the article!

 

Chipping Tips and Drills You Can Practice in Your Backyard

Not everyone can hit for miles. However, everyone can play a short game. All it takes is practice. Follow the chipping tips and drills below and see the results on your scorecard after your next game.

  • Y or triangle chipping drill

The first thing to do when practicing the Y or Triangle chipping drill is to focus and create a minuscule Y shape with your shaft and arms holding tight on the club. To do so, put 60-70% of your body weight on your front foot and let your upper body do all the work when swinging, while your arms and wrists are silent.

Also, ensure that you are creating a downward blow to the ball and let the club swing into the air. This simple chipping tip helps transport the ball over. This short chip makes a lower and controlled chip shot, saving your strokes around the green.

This chip drill is easy to master and is one of the basics. Just remember to always keep your weight on the front foot and create a movement using your upper body.

  • The hula hoop chipping drill

Once you mastered how to hit a chip shot, you can focus on direction and distance. Hula hoop chipping drill is great pitching and chipping drill you can practice at home, driving range, or even at a local park.

To set up, get and place the hula hoop on the ground, make a circle shape using a string with a similar circumference to that of the hula hoop. Start setting up the golf balls with the one closest to the hoop. Eight balls for five-forty yards with a five-yard gap.

Start to chip each ball, starting with the one closest to the hoop, and every time you hit the spot, move next to the other furthest ball. If you miss, start from the top again until you get the eight balls in all the hoops.

This kind of drill helps you utilize different types of chip shots. Check the distance once you throw a swing before you repeat from the top again. That way, you can track your progress and get yourself into the game, especially when you’re trying to clear the stages for the first time.

  • Trial hand release chipping drill

The trial hand release drill is very simple to execute. You’ll only need to be in your typical chipping stance.

According to Butch Harmon’s observation, “yips” is a state of extreme nervousness that causes a golfer to miss an easy putt and is caused by your lead hand — your left hand if you are a right-handed golfer. This stops the impact and leaves the trail hand flipping.

Instead of making the club do the work, golfers try to let the ball into the air. That happens because it trains the golfer’s body not to allow you to physically do the typical golfer chips.

To avoid “yips,” try this trial hand-release chipping drill. Here’s how it works. Prepare to chip by taking your normal Y-stance, and put 60-70% of your weight on your front foot. Make a usual stroke, and before the impact, release your trail hand while letting your lead arm swing towards the target.

  • The coin chipping drill

Is today a rainy day and you want to improve your chipping skills? We got you covered with this coin chipping drill you can practice in your living room. Challenge yourself to chip a coin to make solid contact with your chip shots and improve your downward strike. After training and practicing this coin chipping drill, hitting a golf ball is an easy task.

Simply scatter a few coins on your carpet with a cup in the middle. Try to swing the coins cleanly to the air and try your best to get them in the cup, strategically. Although, when doing this, avoid using your golf club for coins as that may cause small dents on its face, instead use an old wedge.

This chipping drill is effective because chipping with a coin will help you make clean contact with your chip shots and make chipping more effortless. Besides, it forces you to have pinpoint accuracy and stay down through the chips and wedges.

  • Slam dunk chipping drill

Looking for a fun way to improve your chipping skills? A Slam Dunk chipping drill is a fun and exciting way to practice when you’re done with your round of golf and is best when playing with your friends.

It is easy to execute. All you should do is try to slam dunk the golf ball straight to the cup. Choose an interval from 10-30 yards away, and try to slam dunk as many chipping shots as you can into the cup without touching the green.

It may not be many when you start, but with a lot of practice, this chipping drill will really improve your game in a fun way and will improve your hitting and pitching exact distances.

  • 10 x 10 Chipping drill

10×10 chipping drill is one of the most important drills you can practice. When you play golf, you try to hit the pin between 10 yards or closer than that. When you head off to the driving range, work your drive and stay focused on your chipping drills.

Here’s how to do a 10×10 Chipping Drill; Find a yard marker. You can use sticks or other marking materials, and start marking off 10-yard distances from 10-100 yards. You should practice your chipping shot at these exact distances.

By doing this, it is easier for you to find out which swing produces a distance between 10-100 yards in the 10-yard intervals. The biggest thing you can do when you want to improve your strokes and score is to learn the individual swings you have produced in your every shot from 10-100 yards.

Golf is played in 120 yards and in. However, you should start focusing on your short game and forget how long you hit your drives. This drill will improve your dialing of distances from 10-100 yards, so you can stick the ball close, make birdies, and soon enough, you’ll start gaining scores.

  • Play par twos chipping drill

Playing golf makes your practice fresh and teaches you to perform under pressure. The Play Par Two Chipping drill is one of the best chipping tips to use in your training routine. It will help you work on scoring around the green.

When playing this great chipping game, choose nine various spots around the putting green and chip golf balls to a specific hole varying from distances and angles. For each hole that corresponds to Par 2, your goal is to complete the nine holes in the 18 chipping shots. This will work out your chipping and putting in your short game.

You can do this drill once a week to keep track of your scores and improve your chipping skills. It also gives aspiring golfers a quick assessment of their short game and improves their gameplay.

To help you hit the ball consistently and improve your chipping in the golf game, remember the following essential tips. It’s easy to find a ball with a shorter club. Stand about 9-iron nearer to the ball, for when standing away from the ball, more circles will be made by your club and it is difficult to make a solid hit on your ball.

Make your club stable and not stiff by reducing wrist movement or motion. It will help you achieve solid contact when you chip. Besides, always keep your legs nice and steady. It’s important to keep less movement in your knees and hand action when you position yourself and start leaning your club towards the ball.

 

Conclusion

The best way to improve at chipping is to practice and practice again until you hit your goals. Even the best golfers in the world miss their shots, but they still manage to get good scores because they spend a lot of time working on their chipping.

Pick the drills that address your biggest shortcomings, keep practicing, and reap the rewards afterward.

Recent Posts