Stop Chunking & Blading Chips: 4 Technique Fixes for Tour-Level Contact (Scottsdale golf lessons)
Stop Chunking & Blading Chips — Scottsdale golf lessons
Thesis
Chunked and bladed chips are not mysterious. They come from predictable technical errors that move the low point behind the ball, force you to "save" the strike, or create an unpredictable club face at impact. Fix four precise mechanics — a station to control the takeaway, trail-arm width and hinge, shoulder tilt and pressure, and the move through impact (slide then push up and rotate) — and you will see measurable improvement from day one.
Hi. My name is coach Erik Schjolberg, owner of EJS Golf located in Scottsdale, AZ. I teach Scottsdale Golf Lessons from an indoor and outdoor bay at McCormick Ranch and online golf lessons. My priority is immediate impact-first improvement: ball first then turf, predictable start line, controlled shaft lean, and rotation. These are not feel-based aphorisms. They are cause-and-effect relationships. If you control low point and face, the lie stops being an excuse.
The problem: why chunking and blading persist
Most golfers assume chipping failures are "feel" problems. They blame the grass, the lie, the club, or tension in their hands. That usually masks one or more technique failures that consistently move the low point behind the ball or alter the club face angle through impact. A low point behind the ball forces the leading edge to dig. Excessive hinge or a narrow arc creates an unpredictable bottom that you try to save with your hands. Tilted shoulders or a fake "weight left" shifts the relationship between your body and the turf so the club bottoms out in the wrong place. If you want reliable chips, you must control where the club bottoms out and how the club face arrives at impact.
The four fixes I use with every student
1. The station: a simple, repeatable low point guard
Place a spare club or alignment stick across the turf in front of your feet as a station. The club you use as a station is not a gimmick. It creates a hard external constraint: your working club must not come back inside behind hand height on the takeaway. If it does, rotation and hinge will often put the club behind the ball on the descent and move your low point back.
How to set the station:
Lay an alignment stick or spare club on the ground parallel to your intended target line, just forward of your feet and slightly outside your hands at address.
Take the club back along your forearms so the working club stays outside or roughly parallel to the station at hand height.
Stop the takeaway sooner than you think; the goal is a wide arc rather than a deep hinged wrist move.
What the station enforces: predictable start line and a takeaway path that keeps the club head outside your hands. When the club is outside, the natural rotation brings the club down to a low point in front of the ball. When the club travels too far in behind, rotation tends to drop the club behind the ball and the low point moves rearward.
Early internal link: If you want my drills compiled, download the free drills guide at https://ejsgolf.com/my-drills. It contains the station setup images and step-by-step progressions I use in my Scottsdale golf lessons.
2. Arc width and the trail arm — keep it wide and relatively straight
One consistent error I see is excessive trail-arm hinge and a narrow swing arc. Golfers with a bent trail arm create a compact, wrist-dominated takeaway that stores hinge high. That hinge must be released before impact, which forces timing into a very small window. When the window is missed, horrid strikes follow: thin chips, blades, or chunks.
Mechanics to install a wide arc:
Keep the trail arm as straight as comfortably possible on the takeaway. Imagine the arc of a large circle rather than the fold of a wrist-centric flick.
Flare the front foot slightly to make rotation easier and to encourage turning toward the target through impact.
Use the station to feel the club staying outside — this naturally widens the arc and reduces late hinge extremes.
Why this works: a wide arc moves the radius of the swing out, so small changes at the hands create smaller changes at the club head. The club bottoms out later and more predictably, making ball-first contact repeatable.
3. Tilt, weight, and the false "weight left" myth
Another big cause of backwards low point is how golfers try to "get weight left." They often push their hips toward the target and allow their upper body to tilt backward. That tilting moves the low point rearward by changing the arc's geometry. The result: the club hits the ground before the ball, creating a chunk.
Here's what I teach instead:
Set your shoulders more level at address — not dramatically leaned away from the target.
Slide pressure slightly forward during your motion, then push up through impact. You will feel upward movement, not a body collapse down through the ball.
Embrace a slightly awkward feeling initially. Level shoulders and a forward slide position the center of mass so the club can bottom out in front of the ball every time.
Notice the distinction: I'm not saying "stay down." The best chippers move up through impact — they slide pressure forward then push up while rotating. That upward push reduces the tendency to dig and aligns the club face into a consistent strike.
4. The move through impact: slide forward, then push up and rotate
Great chippers share the same motion through impact. They create a small forward slide of pressure toward the target, then actively push up and rotate so the club bottoms out slightly in front of the ball. This sequence creates ball-first then turf contact with controlled shaft lean and predictable start line.
Practical checkpoints for this motion:
Feel your center of mass move slightly toward the target before impact — a slide, not a reach.
At impact, push up through your legs and rotate your torso toward the target. The club face should be turning into the shot rather than being flicked at the ball.
Observe shaft lean: the handle will be slightly ahead of the ball at impact for a controlled, compressing strike rather than a scooped one.
The result is measurable: more spin when conditions allow, softer landings, and a predictable launch and landing zone. Even on wet grass or sitting balls in a small divot, controlling low point lets you adapt — you can add loft or height, but you will still strike ball first then turf.
Tie it back to impact: why these fixes matter
Everything I teach funnels into a single truth at impact: ball first then turf, with the club face square to the intended start line and a low point positioned in front of the ball. The station controls path and start; the wide arc and straighter trail arm reduce late wrist release variability; level shoulders prevent backward low point movement; the forward slide and upward push through impact guarantee the club finishes its shallow descent ahead of the ball.
When those pieces are installed, shaft lean becomes predictable and compression returns. That is how you stop chunking and blading immediately — not by chasing "feel" but by changing measurable geometry and sequence.
Progression and drills (matching what I show and use)
These are the exact progressions I use during lessons. They match the station and motion I described — no exotic props, just repeatable constraints and small, measurable goals.
Station-only repetitions: Set the alignment stick as described and hit short chips 5–8 feet. The only goal is the club stays outside your hands on the takeaway and the low point moves forward. Start with half swings.
Wide arc, trail-arm cue: Without the station, practice the wide arc with a straighter trail arm. 10 swings focusing on the radius of the swing and a flared front foot.
Level shoulders and slide: Take 8–12 chips where you deliberately set your shoulders level and practice a small slide toward the target before impact, then push up and rotate. Watch for a small divot in front of the ball or no divot on very short shots.
Controlled challenge shots: Play the same chip from a slightly sitting ball (shallow divot) and a wet lie. Keep the same motion; the technique lets you adjust height and spin without changing the low point relationship.
Divot test: If you can hit the shot out of a small divot and still produce a soft landing, your low point and sequence are working. I demonstrate this often — it proves fairways and lies are manageable when technique controls low point.
Common mistakes I see and how to fix them
These are the exact faults I see on my lesson tee and how to correct them without guessing:
Club coming behind on the takeaway: Causes the low point to move back. Fix: station; keep club outside hands and stop rotation earlier on the takeaway.
Trail arm too bent and excessive hinge: Creates a small timing window and inconsistent release. Fix: widen arc and keep the trail arm straighter on the backswing.
Shoulders tilted back with hips forward: The fake weight-left. Fix: level shoulders and slide pressure forward; then push up and rotate.
Trying to "stay down" through impact: Results in trapping the club. Fix: move up through impact by pushing and rotating — the best chippers move upward.
Blaming lie or wet grass: While conditions matter, most failures are technique. Use the same low point and face control and adapt loft/trajectory accordingly.
Short practice plan — one week
Train this six days in a row for 15 minutes each session. Start every session with the station (5 minutes) — 20 half swings focusing on takeaway. Second block (5 minutes): wide-arc repetitions without the station focusing on trail-arm position and flared front foot. Final block (5 minutes): face the target, practice the forward slide then push up and rotate through impact, ending with three challenge chips from slightly sitting balls or wet areas. On day three, film your impact from down-the-line to confirm shaft lean and low point. Repeat and adjust.
Mid-post link: For more context and follow-up articles on low point and impact, see my longer posts at https://ejsgolf.com/blog.
Matching techniques to matchups
Not every golfer uses identical micro-movements. My coaching is matchup-based: how the club face is delivered, your grip, and your body shape determine small adjustments. The four fixes above are universal constraints that improve low point control across matchups, but I will adapt specifics to each student. That is part of what I teach both in person in Scottsdale and online. If you want a deeper, personalized pathway, consider booking lessons at https://ejsgolf.com/book-now.
Measurement and verification
How do you know you improved? Look for these measurable outcomes:
Smaller or no divot on short chips; when you do take turf, the divot should start in front of the ball.
More consistent landing zone (ball lands where you expect, not hopping or splatting).
Controlled shaft lean at impact with a predictable start line.
Reduced chunk and thin frequency in the session data or on video.
If you want help measuring these outcomes remotely, send me a short on-course or range video: I offer online lessons that work with video analysis and coaching. Learn more at https://ejsgolf.com/online-golf-lessons.
Closing
Stop treating chips as mystical. Install the station to protect the takeaway, widen the arc with a straighter trail arm, level your shoulders to prevent rearward low point movement, and execute the slide-push-rotate sequence through impact. These are not feel exercises; they are biomechanical principles that produce consistent ball-first strikes and reliable landings. Follow the progression for a week and you will see measurable change.
Near-CTA link: Grab the free drills guide to lock these patterns into your routine at https://ejsgolf.com/my-drills.
FAQs (3–5)
Q: Can I use the station on tight lies and wet grass?
A: Yes. The station controls the takeaway and path, which is useful across lies. On wet grass you may need slightly more loft and a softer swing, but the low point control remains identical: ball first then turf.
Q: Will keeping the trail arm straighter reduce power on longer chip shots?
A: For the short game you want control not raw power. A wider arc gives better radius and consistent contact. Any minor loss of club head speed is offset by vastly improved strike consistency and predictability.
Q: I was told to "stay down" — is that wrong?
A: The "stay down" cue often traps the club and forces you to hit down through impact. The better cue is to slide forward, then push up and rotate — the result is a shallow, ball-first contact that feels like moving up, not collapsing.
Q: How soon will I see improvement?
A: If you practice the station and the three sequence checkpoints for a few sessions, most players see measurable improvement from day one. That is the philosophy I use for Scottsdale golf lessons and online coaching: get better now.
Wrapping it up
If you want the drills that lock these four fixes into your game, download the free Drills Guide at https://ejsgolf.com/my-drills. For personalized attention and data-driven feedback in Scottsdale, book a lesson at https://ejsgolf.com/book-now and let’s make your short game reliable under pressure.
