Lay a golf towel on the green to visualise your ideal landing spot and build consistent short-game distance control.
Set-up: A towel laid on the green as a landing spot for chips and pitches.
The protocol
How to practise it
This set-up uses a golf towel placed on the green as a visual landing target for chipping and pitching.
Place your towel on the green Position a golf towel on the green at the precise spot where you want your chip to land so that it rolls out to the target.
Set up ten yards away Step back roughly ten yards from the towel on the turf with a set of ten golf balls.
Chip ten balls to the landing spot Play each shot aiming to land directly on the towel, keeping score of how many out of ten balls hit the target.
Adjust the landing zone size for beginners If you are newer to the game, lay down a larger towel to create a bigger landing target while developing your touch.
Common mistakes
What goes wrong
Using a target area that is too small when starting out Use a larger towel or landing area if you are newer to chipping to build confidence and touch.
Misjudging how the ball rolls out after landing Observe where the ball stops relative to your target and shift the towel position if your landing spot does not yield the right roll-out.
3 coaches
The coaches who teach this version
Each linked at the second they start.
The Lads: Jason Day's Favorite Chipping Drill (from 0:30). A landing drill where the golfer attempts to land 10 consecutive balls onto a towel placed at a specific landing spot to improve distance control.
Paige Spiranac: My COMPLETE Guide to Chipping (from 15:19). Place a towel on the green at your desired landing spot to improve landing accuracy and visualization of how the ball rolls out.
How far away should I place the towel when chipping?
The Lads recommend setting up roughly ten yards away from the towel when practicing this drill. You can adjust your distance once you establish your baseline landing accuracy.
What size towel should I use for landing spot drills?
A standard golf towel works well for most golfers. The Lads suggest using a larger towel if you are newer to the game so you have a wider target area.
How do I know if my landing spot is in the right place?
Paige Spiranac notes that your chosen landing spot should allow the ball to roll out smoothly to the hole. If your ball lands on the towel but finishes short or long, adjust the towel's position on the green.