Knee Flex in Chipping: The Optimal Setup for Consistent Contact
In chipping, proper knee bend is essential for maintaining balance, stability, and a solid base that allows for clean, controlled contact with the ball. Too little flex makes your stance rigid and prone to topping shots, while excessive bending shifts your weight backward, leading to fat shots or skulling. The goal is a slight to moderate knee flex—typically around 20-30 degrees from straight legs—creating an athletic posture that mirrors fundamentals from top players like Scottie Scheffler.
Recommended Knee Bend Amount
- Slight flex at address: Bend your knees softly, as if you're about to sit on a high stool. Your knees should not lock straight but feel "soft" or loaded, providing mobility without slouching. This aligns with setup advice for pros: a relaxed spine, hip tilt forward, and slight knee bend for stability.
- Maintain flex through the swing: Keep the trail knee (right for right-handers) flexed during the backswing, similar to full-swing technique. This preserves coil and resistance, preventing swaying. On the downswing, both knees stay flexed to drive through impact with forward shaft lean.
- Neutral stance width: Position feet slightly narrower than shoulder-width with soft knees to enhance mobility for the compact chipping motion.
Why This Flex Matters for Chipping
A proper knee bend ensures:
- Low point control: Hit the ball first, then turf, by centering your weight over the ball.
- Balance and repeatability: Maintain spine angle through impact, avoiding early extension or loss of posture.
- Versatility for shots: Ideal for chip-and-runs (low shots that run out like putts) or standard chips, adapting to lies like upslope by matching spine tilt to the ground.
Step-by-Step Setup for Perfect Knee Flex
- Grip and ball position: Light grip, ball back in stance (off right instep for low chips).
- Feet and posture: Narrow stance, weight 50-50 or slightly favoring trail side. Flex knees slightly, tilt from hips, arms hanging naturally.
- Knee check: Kneecaps should point slightly outward, not inward. Feel athletic, ready to move.
- Mirror test: Side view—knees bent but butt not too low; shoulders level.
Common Mistakes and Fixes
- Straight knees: Causes thin shots. Fix: Practice with feet together (step drill variation) to feel hip drive and knee flex.
- Too much bend: Swaying or chunking. Fix: Compact backswing to lead arm parallel, focusing on posture maintenance.
- Losing flex at impact: Straightening leads to mishits. Fix: Impact bag drill for compression with forward shaft lean and stable knees.
Drills to Groove the Right Flex
- Feet-together chips: Builds balance; step toward target on downswing to engage hip rotation and knee stability.
- Knee freeze drill: Setup with proper flex, chip while keeping trail knee flexed—no straightening allowed.
- Tee gate drill: Place tees outside ball path; focus on low point with soft knees for crisp contact.
Key Takeaway: Aim for soft, athletic knee flex (20-30 degrees) at address and maintain it dynamically through the chip. This setup promotes stability, proper weight shift, and reliable ball-then-turf contact, transforming your short game. Master this, and you'll save more pars around the greens with confidence.