One of the major differences between the tour professionals and amateurs is their ability to scramble, and therefore shoot lower scores. Tour players hit the ball well from tee to green – but they still miss about a third of the greens. They do a lot of scrambling to shoot these low scores. Most of us face several chip shots in every round, and inconsistent chipping can lead to a lot of high scores.
The best advice I can give players who chip erratically is to use your lower body. In other words we are trying to play a mini golf swing allowing our right side to turn towards the target. Set up with an open stance, which is narrower than that of your golf swing, Your shoulders should be, setup square to the target with your weight favouring the left foot. Swing the clubhead back and though as though you are brushing the grass, whilst at the same time start the forward swing by moving your right knee towards the target.
As with putting, one must be able to get a good read on how the ball will roll once it hits the green. That’s one of the reasons you should pick a spot where you want the ball to land. A good drill is to place a wet towel (so that it is weighted) on the green about a third of the way to the hole. Try and chip the ball so it lands on the towel and rolls to the hole. The drill encourages you to keep the ball down and start it rolling as soon as possible. Set yourself a goal as to how many balls hit the towel and role towards the hole, and try to improve on it each time.