Playing a chip shot from the fringe of a green versus putting through the fringe can be a little confusing for the average golfer. A lot of golfers choose to putt for the fear of not being able to control the distance of a chip shot around a green, and lets not talk about choking a chip shot. More often than not the confidence lies in the ability to putt the ball. When do you decide to chip instead of putt?

A quick review of some your options will help in the decision process. The circumstances have to be right to putt the ball. Here are some golf tips to consider and several situations to help your decision on choosing to chip the golf ball rather than electing to putt.

You may want to chip in these circumstances.

(1) Wet grass or thick grass.

The moisture or thickness of the grass is going to slow up the ball considerably, therefore weight of putt has to be determined to get it through the grass, and once you get it rolling on the green, the weight of putt it took you to get it through the fringe may not be enough or too much distance for the golf hole. In this circumstance there is too much weight control to consider.

(2) A very wet or slow green.

Chipping the golf ball will take a lot of moisture out of play, and a slow green forces you to swing harder with a putter to get the golf ball up to the hole, when the art of putting should call for a soft touch.

(3) Long grass and uphill to the hole.

You have to hit it harder to get it through the grass with a putter and up to the hole. Eliminate the chance of getting the golf ball caught up in the grass by chipping out and over.

(4) Over 7 feet of grass between golf ball and start of green, and hole is beyond center of green.

Chipping over the grass will eliminate slowing the golf ball up if you have a lot of green to work with.

(5) Hole is beyond center of green and more than 20 feet.

The odds are higher on getting the golf ball beyond 20 feet with a chipper versus a putter.

(6) Sprinkler system directly in front of line to golf hole or other obstacle that will affect the roll of golf ball.

Eliminate possible deflection of golf ball by chipping over the obstacle.

(7) Too much rolling terrain in the first 1/3 distance to the hole.

Taking most of the rolling green out of play by chipping over will give you a lot less rolling green to read unless you are very good at reading greens.

You have the ultimate decision on your ability to play any one of these golf club selections in these circumstances, but there is a good reason to think about these circumstances before you choose the club. I hope some of these golf tips will help in your decision process, and your goal to save strokes.