Your first point of call is to get some perspective. Chances are your chipping isn’t even on your golf radar – that you’re more worried about your full swing and maybe your putting.

What you might want to do is spend a few minutes with the local pro or a young gun. Pick someone who is dynamite around the green and compare your game to theirs. I love doing this with clients as it shows them how awful their chipping actually is. A good player can consistently get the ball close to the hole – while a poor chipper will duff, skull and shank these shots. This realisation may be enough for you to devote more time to your chipping practice and give you a good yardstick to aim for.

Even if you improve your chipping slightly, you’ll see a reduction in your score. It may even be the easiest and fastest way to improve your score. The issue for many golfers is that chipping practice is nowhere near as sexy as the full swing. For this reason it is neglected.

Please note: I don’t see myself as an expert. Chipping used to be a terrible part of my game. But I’ve gotten better and now can chip better than most amateur players. A good professional would make me look very average.

Next: Your Chip Shot