Evaluate your situation
Just like most shots, you need to consider lots of factors and make an educated decision. Keeping the ball on the ground is usually the safest route, but you’ll need to check for potential obstacles that could make chipping a better option. These are three good questions to ask yourself:

1) Can you get a putter on the ball?
If there is long grass behind your ball your putter might get caught up, so in this situation consider “putting” it with a fairway wood that can slide through the grass or try chipping it with a downward blow.

2) Is there much fringe to go through?
If you have less than six feet of fringe to go through you’ve got the green light to putt, but the more fringe you’re facing the more difficult it is to decide how hard to hit your putt, which is where practising can help.

3) How smooth is the fringe?
Look closely at the grass between you and the green for any big slopes, pitchmarks, sprinklers or anything else that could cause your ball to bounce or slow down. Look at the grain too. If the grass is growing towards you it’ll be slower, while if it’s growing away from you it will roll faster and more smoothly.

Finally, you’ll need to calculate how much speed to give your putt so that it’s firm enough to get through the fringe and then reach the hole. Having a few extra practice swings to get a good feel is highly advisable.