This is a very common occurrence for all golfers when they go from long game to short game. A lot of the same swing moves in terms of swing path and body action will show up in both areas. Therefore often when fixing your long game, the short game can also improve.
One of the biggest examples is when someone hooks the ball. The person who generally hooks the ball will often have a closed clubface during the backswing and then as a result will tend to re-direct the path to travel in a more right direction through the hitting area. Along with the path going more in a right direction, it also causes the body to slide more than turn as it tries to compensate. This obviously limits hip rotation through the ball.
Now for someone who has this action, the chipping technique often follows the same exact same pattern. The clubface gets closed and then re-routes on the downswing causing the hands to drive forward with the upper half often hanging back. This can cause 'thin' shots and 'fat' shots. Now as mentioned previously with chipping and pitching we really want to feel a release of the club. When the clubface is closed it will be very hard to release properly.
What you need to do to fix this which will be what you need to do to fix your long game also is to feel as though the path is coming straight back with the clubface opening. Then on the way through you want to feel the body turning with the weight moving onto the front foot. This will feel like you're hitting a 'cut' shot but in fact the path and the clubface will come through neutral. When you do this correctly you will find that you are able to easily release the club (pointing the handle to your left hip after impact) as the path is now moving more left.
If you'd like any further help in helping your chipping just contact myself on David Waters Golf.
