Master Your Short Game with Jason Day’s 4 Club Chipping Drill & Short Game Tips
In this short game tutorial, PGA TOUR star Jason Day breaks down his approach to different chip shots, demonstrating how he assesses whether to use a 60°, 56°, pitching wedge, or 8 iron.
No matter what type of shot you’re facing, Day’s approach will help you sharpen your feel and improve decision making around the greens.
Start by Visualizing the Shot
Jason Day starts every chip shot by walking up to the green, reading the lie, slope, and general layout of the hole. In his words, he’s assessing what type of shot needs to happen. For the first shot, he's on a slight incline, hitting back into the grain.
What to Look for When Assessing Your Shot
Jason suggests to consider the following when visualizing what type of shot you need to hit:
- Is the lie sitting down or clean?
- Is the slope uphill or downhill?
- Which way is the grain going?
- Where do I want the ball to land and how much spin do I need?
Remember, the goal is to elevate the ball quickly and generate spin to stop it near the hole, without trying to help it in the air.
“Trying to potentially evaluate or help it up is not the play. It’s just going to hit the grain and I could potentially hit behind the ball. That’s what causes flubs or fats and shots that pull up really quick,” said Day.
Jason Day’s Four Club Chipping Drill
One of Day’s go-to games in practice is a 4-club chipping drill that involves hitting the same shot with a 60-degree wedge, 56-degree wedge, 52-degree wedge, and 8 iron to learn what works best for certain shots, not just what feels most familiar.
How Jason’s Drill Helps Your Short Game
Most golfers automatically reach for a 60° wedge, even when it may not be the best option. This drill teaches you:
- How different clubs react to the same shot
- Which club offers the safest, most consistent results
- How to match shot type to your personal chipping style
“After you play this drill, where you are hitting a 60°, 56°, 52°, or 8 iron, you soon learn that 60° may not be the correct wedge for me.”
Mistakes You Can Correct Using Day’s Chipping Drill
Even skilled golfers fall into bad habits around the green. From poor club choices to overusing wrist action, these mistakes lead to fat or thin chips and inconsistent distance control. Jason Day’s 4 club drill helps you identify and correct these issues through smarter practice and club selection.
Mistake 1 - Ignoring Lie and Slope
Day starts by reading the lie, slope, and grain, something most amateurs skip. This step improves club choice and reduces mishits.
Mistake 2 - Always Defaulting to a Lob Wedge
A lot of golfers grab a 60° without taking time to actually evaluate the shot. The 4 Club Drill forces you to experiment and find more forgiving options.
Mistake 3 - Poor Ball Position
Positioning the golf ball too far forward or back leads to fat or thin contact. Practicing the same shot with different clubs helps reinforce where to position the ball for clean contact.
Mistake 4 - Helping the Ball Into the Air
Trying to scoop the ball to gain lift is a common habit. Day emphasizes letting the club do the work.
60° Lob Wedge
Best for elevation, tight lies, or when you need to stop the ball fast. Jason ranked this club as the second best overall for the specific shot he needed to hit.
- Landed close to target
- Slightly more rollout than intended
56° Sand Wedge
Best for slight elevation needs with more control and forgiveness.
- Came out lower
- Landed just on the green
- Less spin needed to stop it
“The 56 was ultimately the best. It comes out a little bit lower and I can land it just two to three paces on the green and know the grain’s not gonna chew it and bite it and it’s not going to pull up short.”
52° Gap Wedge
Best for flatter chips or long running shots, but this club requires you to take a lot of different factors into consideration when trying to land an accurate shot.
- First shot went over
- Second shot came up short
- Too much guesswork required
“You’re asking too much of the shot and trying to overplay it,” according to Day.
8-Iron
Best for low running chips from fringe or short fairway lies
- Required multiple bounces up the slope
- More variables: grain, bounce, fairway friction
- Better length control than expected
“Other than direction, it might’ve been a better chip than the 60°,” noted Day.
The good news is that you don’t need Tour level skill to benefit from this drill. Simply grab four golf clubs: 60°, 56°, 52°, and 8-iron, and start experimenting from different lies and green side positions.
Drill Instructions:
- Pick one location around the green
- Hit one ball with each club
- Analyze the resulting shot, including carry distance, rollout, and consistency
- Repeat from different lies and slopes
Over time you’ll develop a go to club for each scenario, allowing you to be confident in your ability to choose the right club for every type of close shot.
Success around the greens isn’t just about mechanics, it’s about making smart choices and continual improvement. With the right tools and tailored instruction from PGA pros like Jason Day, you can develop a short game that consistently saves strokes.
Visit your local PGA TOUR Superstore for all the gear you need to improve your short game, or book a lesson with one of our certified instructors to improve your short game.
For help choosing the right club, check out our Iron and Wedge Buying Guides to learn everything you should consider before making a club selection.