Honestly, I was useless at chipping before this. Total beginner stuff, ya know? Always just kicked it straight or watched it fly way too high. Decided today was the day to figure it out properly using that three-step guide I found. Here’s how it went down.
My Starting Point: Basically Zero
Grabbed my old soccer ball from the garage – dusty but okay. Went out back. First few tries? Hilariously bad. Either scuffed it along the ground like a pathetic pass or absolutely rocketed it over the fence into the neighbor’s yard (oops, sorry Mrs. Jenkins!). Felt kinda stupid. Needed a plan.
Breaking Down the Three Steps
Okay, remembered the guide said three simple steps. Focused on them one by one:
- Plant the Foot: Stepped beside the ball with my left foot (I kick right). Made sure it wasn’t too close or too far back. Honestly, felt weird standing like that, kinda unbalanced at first.
- Strike Under the Ball: This was the tricky bit. Locked my ankle, kept it stiff. Focused on hitting the ball right underneath its bottom, not in the middle like usual. Used the spot near my big toe. Forgot to lean back on the first few goes – still sending rockets.
- Follow Through Sharp: Guide said follow through short, not long. Instinct was to swing my leg all the way around like a madman. Instead, tried to just flick my ankle and stop my foot quickly after hitting under the ball. Took conscious effort!
The Messy Learning Curve
It wasn’t instant magic. Nope. Went back to step one, then two, then three. Messed up step two constantly.
- Hit it too low? Ball barely left the grass.
- Hit it too high? Skyball again!
- Forgot to lean back? Bye-bye ball.
- Swing too long? Low line drive.
Felt like juggling, but worse. Kept at it though. Made myself do step one over and over just planting my foot properly. Then focused just on that ankle lock and hitting under. Didn’t worry where the ball went yet.
Feeling the Chip (Finally!)
After maybe 15 minutes of pure frustration and sore feet… one finally felt different. I planted solidly, got my ankle stiff, smacked right under the ball with a sharp flick, leaned back a tiny bit, and stopped my foot quickly.
The ball didn’t rocket. It didn’t crawl. It lifted, just like those videos! Flew in a nice little arc, landed soft. Nothing fancy, only went maybe 10 yards, but dude, it was a proper chip. Felt amazing.
Getting Consistent (Sort Of)
That first good one was like unlocking a cheat code. It finally clicked why the three steps mattered. Still shanked plenty, no lie. But maybe half the time now? Ball would loft decently, land somewhat where I was kinda aiming (instead of next door).
The big difference? Hitting under the ball with a locked ankle and that sharp stop. And leaning back slightly when I struck it. That combo was magic.
Honestly, that “easy” three-step guide? It works, but “easy” depends on how many balls you kick into next-door gardens first. Took sweat and sore ankles. But man, when that first chip actually lifted and came back down? Felt so worth it. Just gotta go out there and do the dang steps.
