In order to score well you must learn these important short game and to recover from off-target shots. In other words, great recovery shots are the result of well-made chip and pitch hits.
No matter how accurate and far you are able to hit the ball from the tee, without having skill at your short game, you will not enjoy the feeling of lowering your scores. It becomes a huge disadvantage. Your short game is what matters most. By having a decent chip or pitch, you can dominate the scoring zone (a 6' circle around the hole).
What Is The Difference Between The Chip & Pitch?
When playing golf, each game will be different and you may not always hit the ball onto the green with the standard amount of shots taken. Many times your ball will land somewhere within the range of a short iron shot from the green. This is the time when you have to decide if it is best to shoot a chip, or a pitch.
The Chip Shot: A chip shot is made when your ball lands within 5 to 10 feet from the putting surface. Basically, it is any shot that you make which is close to the green. Your goal when making a chip shot is simply to lag the ball as close to the hole as possible so that you have a very easy putt to make. Properly executed, a chip shot may go airborne for a very short distance, and lands on the green, rolling slowly towards the hole.
The Pitch Shot: A pitch shot is made when the ball is hit much further from the green. Although the chip and the pitch are hit from different distances, the objective is the same: you want your pitch shot to snuggle up as close to the hole as possible so that your next putt can be made easily from a short distance of just the few feet or less.
Pitch shots also come in handy when you must send the ball airborne over a hazard area or any other obstacle. The pitch will become airborne longer and hire than a chip shot, with a bit more backspin.