By Eric Woods
Photo By USGA/Logan Whitton
When watching the world’s best players, it’s often the short game—not the long drives—that separates great golfers from everyone else. The photo of 2026 U.S. Women’s Open Champion Nelly Korda provide a perfect example of fundamentally sound chipping technique and offer valuable lessons for golfers of every skill level.
One of the first things you’ll notice is how much of Korda’s weight remains on her lead (left) side throughout the motion. This forward pressure allows the club to strike the ball before the turf, producing the crisp contact that every golfer is trying to achieve.
Just as important is the position of her hands. Notice that the clubhead never passes her hands through impact. Her left arm and the shaft work together as one unit, maintaining a square clubface through the hitting area. There is no flipping or scooping of the club to help the ball into the air.
This is one of the biggest mistakes amateur golfers make.
Many players try to generate power with their hands and wrists. As the hands become overly active, they flip the clubface closed through impact, causing inconsistent contact, heavy shots, thin shots, or chips that come off the face with little control.
Instead, Korda demonstrates what every golfer should strive for: quiet hands and active shoulders.
The motion is powered by the rotation of the shoulders while the arms and club move together as a connected unit. Because the hands remain passive, the loft of the club does the work, producing predictable trajectory, consistent distance control, and solid contact.
Another key takeaway is balance. From start to finish, Korda remains centered and stable. There is very little unnecessary body movement, allowing the club to return to the ball on the same path every time.
The next time you practice your chipping, focus on these simple fundamentals:
Keep your weight favoring your lead foot.
Let your shoulders control the motion.
Keep your hands soft and passive.
Maintain a square clubface through impact.
Allow your lead arm and the club to move together as one unit.
You don’t need extraordinary touch to become a better chipper—you need sound fundamentals. As Nelly Korda demonstrates, great technique creates consistency, and consistency is what saves strokes around the green.
Eric Woods
Golf Lab Academy Founder
2 Time Canadian Tour Leading Money Winner
Canadian Tour Low Stroke Average Winner
South American Leading Money Winner
Tour Member:
Asian Tour, Australian Tour, Canadian Tour, South African Tour, South American Tour
