How to Set Up a Small Chipping Practice Area at Home

Keep Sharp Golf September 26, 2026

A small chipping area starts with the shot you can accommodate. Before choosing a target or setting a timer, look at the space available for your club, the ball’s path and a missed shot. A suitable backyard or garage can offer a place for short practice, but the presence of a net alone does not make an area ready for golf.

This guide pairs a small target net with a compact hitting mat, then gives you three drills for a ten-minute session. The aim is to choose a target, make controlled attempts and keep a simple record you can use next time.

Understand what your setup includes

The Keep Sharp Golf Short Game Starter Kit contains one small pop-up chipping net with three targets and one 30 × 60 cm hitting mat. You supply your own club and suitable practice balls.

The mat provides a compact ball-striking surface. Stand beside it on stable footing; it is not a full stance mat. The net is a target for short chipping practice, not a full-swing net for drivers or powerful iron shots. Neither item establishes a universal room size or guarantees that missed balls will be contained.

Choose the space before choosing the shot

Assemble and position your equipment before starting the ten-minute routine, following the equipment instructions. Check the surface, equipment condition and stability. Allow clearance for the complete movement of your club, not just the space occupied by the mat.

Look beyond the target. Windows, cars, doors, neighbors, people and pets must be outside the potential shot and miss area. A garage needs an appropriate arrangement for both club clearance and ball containment; a backyard needs a suitable boundary and permitted use. Do not rely on this small target net as the only protection for things a missed shot could reach.

Use a ball type supported by your equipment instructions and suited to the whole setup. Foam practice balls can be a cautious choice for a suitable short-chip session, but “foam” does not certify compatibility or make an unsuitable space safe. If you cannot confirm the setup, choose our no-ball home practice routine instead.

Your ten-minute plan

0:00–2:00: make final checks and choose a target.
2:00–4:00: repeat one target.
4:00–6:00: call your target before each attempt.
6:00–9:00: reset between chips.
9:00–10:00: record the session.

The timer organizes the session; it is not a reason to rush a swing or retrieve balls quickly. Pause whenever the area needs attention. Fewer considered attempts are enough for a useful practice note.

Minutes 0–2: check and choose

Confirm that the area remains clear and the equipment is positioned as intended. Select one target zone that you can reach with a gentle, short chip within the space available. Keep your club, ball type and starting position consistent for the first drill.

Have a notebook or phone ready outside the hitting area. Make two columns: attempts and intended-target hits. Count a hit when the ball reaches the target zone you selected. A ball reaching a different target zone is still an attempt.

Drill 1, minutes 2–4: one target, one record

Use the same target zone for each attempt. Before chipping, look at the target and settle into your usual comfortable setup. Make a short, controlled motion, then watch where the ball goes. Record attempts and target hits without changing your starting position after every miss.

Notice broad patterns such as misses to one side or above the chosen target. Write down what happened rather than guessing at a technical cause. If you need instruction on contact or technique, bring that observation to a golf coach.

Drill 2, minutes 4–6: call the target

Choose your intended target zone before each attempt and say it aloud or note it. Change targets only when another target can be reached with an appropriate short chip and the same suitable clearance. You do not need to use all three targets or attempt a high shot.

Keep separate counts if you switch targets. If only one target suits your setup, stay with it and practice making the decision before you address the ball. The task is to choose an intention before the shot.

Drill 3, minutes 6–9: reset after every chip

Choose one suitable target again. After each attempt, step away, observe the result and start a fresh sequence: choose, set up, chip. Keep your tally, but also note whether you completed the reset.

Retrieve balls only when play has stopped. Finish this block at the same comfortable pace even if an earlier attempt missed. Avoid extending the swing to chase a target that your space cannot accommodate.

Minute 9–10: make the score useful

Record attempts, intended-target hits, ball type, club and starting position. Compare later sessions using the same conditions. Your tally describes this target exercise; it does not measure how a ball would roll across a real green or predict your score on the course.

A version without buying a net

At a permitted outdoor practice area with adequate room and a suitable landing surface, use a towel you already own as a landing target. Count first landings on the towel instead of hits on the net target. Keep that record separate because the task is different. The towel marks a target; it does not stop a missed ball.