We've all been there...great shot off the tee, perfect position in the fairway, great second shot and the ball lands 10 feet from the front edge of the green. As you approach the green you realize that the last time you made a chip, the ball careened across the putting surface at lightening speed, and ended up 10 feet past on the other side!

Of course, the come back chip was much better than the first. It's always better than the first chip...that's one of the hidden rules of golf! Rule 99-1a: If player A chips a ball off the green on the first chip, he/she will have a near perfect shot on the second chip thereby provoking player B to say..."why didn't you do that the first time?"

Well, you can improve your first chip percentage by a simple little brush, and I don't mean a paint brush!

When executing your chip shot, you want to brush the club along the grass. It's that simple! We tend to look up before the club has made contact with the ball, therefore pulling the club up and away from the ground at impact. When this occurs, the leading edge of the club hits the lower 1/3rd or the middle of the ball and that causes the skulled shot that races across the green.

Before you make your shot, take a few practice swings and let the club brush along the grass. Keep your eyes on the grass as the club swings through and keep your eyes there as you hold the finish position of the shot. The longer you keep your eyes on the grass, the more likely you will get a good brush. Make sure that you do enough practice swings to ensure good contact with the grass. After 4 or 5 good brushes, step up to the ball and make your chip. Remember to keep your eyes on the spot where the club brushed even after the ball is gone! You have just executed the perfect chip shot! The ball has gone up in the air, landed on the green and rolled to the hole!

If you practice your brush strokes you'll be sure to paint a lower score on that score card!