Which club do you grab when your ball is sitting just off the green? Do you always chip with the same one? Using the same club from a variety of distances off the green has a big drawback: You have to change the force of your stroke from soft for short chips to hard for long ones. A more reliable way to get the ball up and down is by varying the club rather than the force of the stroke.
Think of the chip shot as a long approach putt, the main objective being to get the ball on the green as soon as possible and running it up to the hole. If the ball rests a few feet from the surface -- so there's little fringe to fly over -- a low-lofted club such as a 4- or 5-iron will do the trick. Use a more lofted club as you move farther from the green. Using different clubs lets you make the same stroke, with little variation in force, for more consistent results.
The chipping motion should resemble your putting stroke in the amount of arm, shoulder and wrist movement. The one significant difference is the stance: Set up narrow and open for the chip, with the ball centered between the feet and your hands even with or slightly ahead of it. For crisp contact, keep your hands ahead of the clubhead through impact.
