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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | FEBRUARY 2023 | 17 Chipping To Landing Zones By Daniel Miller, Assistant Golf Professional Do you struggle with getting your chips to run and sit close to the hole? Are you frustrated with inconsistent shots and being faced with long putts after every chip? Chances are, you are not picking the correct landing zones for your shots and it is resulting in your short game headaches. To help you get on track and start on the glorious path of getting up and down more often, here is my short game activity for you. You are going to need two tees and three clubs out of your bag that you find yourself chipping with most of the time — yes, you should be chipping with different clubs. Don't be that golfer that only uses one club to chip. If you aren't used to chipping with multiple clubs, then I recommend you start with your sandwedge, pitching wedge and nine iron. To establish your landing zone, take your first tee and place it anywhere on the green in front of you and start chipping to it. Your goal is to land the golf ball next to that tee, thus establishing your landing zone. Once you get comfortable with the shot, pay attention to how far out your ball travels once it has hit the landing zone and take note of where the ball comes to rest. Once you see a pattern of where the ball rests, mark that spot with another tee and take a mental note of how far the distance is between your landing zone and where the ball rests. Once you are comfortable with the first club, move on to the second and third clubs and do the same exact things. You will notice that the ball comes off the club at a different loft and it rolls out differently depending on your club selection. You should be able to successfully choose a landing zone for all three of the clubs you selected if you wish to level up your short game. Here's our example: If your sandwedge lands on the green and rolls out about 10 feet consistently in practice, then when you go out to play and chip with your sandwedge, you can aim 10 feet short of the hole and the ball should end up only a few feet from the hole for an easy putt. You will find yourself no longer looking at the hole when you chip, you will be focused on a landing zone and reaping the benefits. Have fun and play well!