What Club For Chipping?

[Buzzkill]

 

Edited July 7, 2021 by Buzzkill

[llewol007]

I use a Pw or a 54 degree wedge from that far out. Rule of thumb is to have the ball in the air in the shortest amount of time as to control distance versus flying a ball an not knowing how much the ball will spin and throw off distance. 

[akronswitness]

12 hours ago, llewol007 said:

I use a Pw or a 54 degree wedge from that far out. Rule of thumb is to have the ball in the air in the shortest amount of time as to control distance versus flying a ball an not knowing how much the ball will spin and throw off distance. 

 

Thats exactly what a instructional video I saw said--which is why I posed the original question. They said one of the biggest mistakes amature golfers make is keeping the ball in the air too long. More time the ball is in the air, the harder the shot is and control. Thats why they said unless you are a really really good golfer that has a lot of practice/experience to keep the ball low around the greens and utilize the bump/run whereever you can.

 

However, I often find myself outside of bump/run range by a few feet. Probably 10-20 feet off the green in the rough from a missed approach shot. Im constantly using the highest loft I have (58) but its just so hard to control the distance on a 58 wedge that I often get the ball on the green, its just nowhere close to the pin and Im still 2-putting. I just didnt know if maybe a lower loft or even a 9-iron from that range would be easier to hit lower and give you more control so I can actually start putting my chips within 1-putting range.

 

I would also assume a lot of this is just because of practice, but my issue is time. I dont have a ton of time to go out and practice nonstop so I rely on fixing my issues on the course when I go. Plus, no driving range around me has chipping greens. Just putting greens. I would love to just have a bucket of balls from 20 feet off the green and practice for an hour but I cant find the opportunity to do that anywhere.

Edited July 7, 2021 by akronswitness

[Krt22]

17 hours ago, akronswitness said:

I don't but I know that I go extremely vertical in my backswing and play the ball off my front foot. I feel like a lot of the loft issue is from not transferring my weight to my front foot in downswing. I keep my weight back and back shoulder down and 'pick' the ball a ton. No divots.

 

It adds a ton of loft to my shots and I sky everything. Even chips shots.

 

Playing a lower lofted club may help a bit, but your distance control issues are likely mostly related to your technique as it makes consistent contact on the face hard. Low on the face and its 20 ft past, high on the face and its 20 feet short.

[RichieHunt]

I use the Rule of 12 concept.
 

 

 

Generally I end up using a 52* or 56*.  I rarely have more than a 9-iron.  But I've found this generally works quite well.  Not only because it's pretty darn accurate in terms of how far the ball will travel, but it shortens the distance to your carry spot and you don't have to control the spin as well like you would if you were hitting a SW and carrying it a further distance.  

 

And a quicker way to calculate The Rule of 12 is to simply pace off the carry distance and then pace the total roll distance and divide the two (i.e. 12 paces roll distance / 6 paces carry distance = 2.  12-2 = 10 = PW)

 

 

 

RH

Edited July 7, 2021 by RichieHunt

[KevCannon]

Simple drill that might help- grip the club with only your lead hand (slightly lower down grip), put roughly 60-70% of weight on front foot, ball middle stance or slightly back, keeping your left arm kind of rigid- think of bringing club back using your lead lat/shoulder, then turn through the ball at your target using same lead lat/shoulder. Every once in a while I will do this as it helps me regain the feeling i am looking for. Very little hand and arm manipulation like Stricker’s move. You can even put 90% of pressure on lead foot if it helps you more. 

[getitdaily]

I never flop unless I have to. Get the ball on the ground and running as quickly as possible. 

 

I'm also a big advocate of only using the clubs you practice with. I never practice chipping with my 50 so I never pull it in course. All.of my practice time is with my 54-60. So those are all I ever use. Only time I deviate is if I have a long (50 feet+) pitch that is all run out. I will.pull pw for that shot. But I have that shot once every 10 rounds.

[bigolherschel]

On 7/7/2021 at 10:07 AM, akronswitness said:

 

Thats exactly what a instructional video I saw said--which is why I posed the original question. They said one of the biggest mistakes amature golfers make is keeping the ball in the air too long. More time the ball is in the air, the harder the shot is and control. Thats why they said unless you are a really really good golfer that has a lot of practice/experience to keep the ball low around the greens and utilize the bump/run whereever you can.

 

However, I often find myself outside of bump/run range by a few feet. Probably 10-20 feet off the green in the rough from a missed approach shot. Im constantly using the highest loft I have (58) but its just so hard to control the distance on a 58 wedge that I often get the ball on the green, its just nowhere close to the pin and Im still 2-putting. I just didnt know if maybe a lower loft or even a 9-iron from that range would be easier to hit lower and give you more control so I can actually start putting my chips within 1-putting range.

 

I would also assume a lot of this is just because of practice, but my issue is time. I dont have a ton of time to go out and practice nonstop so I rely on fixing my issues on the course when I go. Plus, no driving range around me has chipping greens. Just putting greens. I would love to just have a bucket of balls from 20 feet off the green and practice for an hour but I cant find the opportunity to do that anywhere.

Found this thread on google - what club are you chipping with now (a year and a half later)? I think I’ve struck gold with a 46 degree PW. I was always using a 58 or 54 with terrible results. 

[Zitlow]

Mashie niblick. 

[mikpga]

On 7/6/2021 at 2:05 PM, akronswitness said:

What club do you use when you are 5-10 feet off the green? For the longest time I instinctively grab my 58 degree wedge and 'flop' a lot of shots trying to get near the pin with minimal roll--but Im finding it more and more difficult to get the right distance. This results in me either leaving a ton of chips 10-15 feet short of the pin or far too long the other direction.

 

I ask this because I watched a recent event and noticed when all the pros are right off the green in the rough, they dont put a ton of loft on the ball, everything almost looks like a bump and run and the ball only gets 2-3 feet off the ground when they chip. What type of club do you use for these shots? Should I not be using a 58 degree from that distance? I tried using a 8 iron for chipping recently but I often send the ball rolling 20ft past the hole because it jumps off the club face so quick.

 

Should I be using my 50 degree? closed face to reduce loft? Maybe my 54 instead to keep it down more? I dont know, Im not sure what wedge I have in my bag that I can keep the ball from skying into the air

Many options once you understand the task of a chip…

[akronswitness]

On 6/9/2022 at 10:08 AM, bigolherschel said:

Found this thread on google - what club are you chipping with now (a year and a half later)? I think I’ve struck gold with a 46 degree PW. I was always using a 58 or 54 with terrible results. 

 

If I have some green to work with I use my 50* wedge and lean the shaft forward to close the face more. I have felt like that helps me keep my arms straight and better sweeping contact. If I dont have a lot of green, I use my 58* with a normal shaft angle and try and pop it up in the air higher (this still is super inconsistent and leads to more blades/chunks)

 

My brain cannot compute using a putter stroke with a wedge. I hate when people tell me that lol Its so much easier said than done and I always feel like Im not going to get enough on the ball with a putter stroke w/ a wedge

Edited June 14, 2022 by akronswitness

[akronswitness]

On 6/9/2022 at 2:49 PM, mikpga said:

Many options once you understand the task of a chip…

 

yeah but thats the problem lol each option is a different skillset which requires time to master. The B&R isnt the same swing as a flop shot which isnt the same as hitting out of deep rough which isnt the same as a tight lie. There are many different techniques of chipping and being good at just 1 isnt enough to save you.

 

Chipping I feel like is easily, far and away the hardest part about golf. Hitting consistent good drives off the tee isnt nearly as hard as consistently putting your ball in 1-putt range from just off the green.

[mikpga]

4 hours ago, akronswitness said:

 

yeah but thats the problem lol each option is a different skillset which requires time to master. The B&R isnt the same swing as a flop shot which isnt the same as hitting out of deep rough which isnt the same as a tight lie. There are many different techniques of chipping and being good at just 1 isnt enough to save you.

 

Chipping I feel like is easily, far and away the hardest part about golf. Hitting consistent good drives off the tee isnt nearly as hard as consistently putting your ball in 1-putt range from just off the green.

understanding the task…

 

a flop shot is NOT a chip shot…

[bluedot]

The one that gets the ball rolling asap. 
 

The reason we putt on a green instead of chipping is because roll is easier to judge and control than carry.  So why that all of a sudden NOT be true when I’m chipping?
 

(If this seems like it might be a plug for a Rule of 12 approach to chipping, it is.)

[Krt22]

18 hours ago, akronswitness said:

 

If I have some green to work with I use my 50* wedge and lean the shaft forward to close the face more. I have felt like that helps me keep my arms straight and better sweeping contact. If I dont have a lot of green, I use my 58* with a normal shaft angle and try and pop it up in the air higher (this still is super inconsistent and leads to more blades/chunks)

 

My brain cannot compute using a putter stroke with a wedge. I hate when people tell me that lol Its so much easier said than done and I always feel like Im not going to get enough on the ball with a putter stroke w/ a wedge

Strange technique. The point of using less loft  is to get it coming out low...without having to lean the shaft and exposing the leading edge.

[Golfah]

I always used a 58/60 no matter what the lie/distance.  Would use manipulation to keep it low/high etc.

 

Played with a mini-tour player a couple weeks ago and it opened my mind to the mistake I was making with this approach.  I was floored by his proximity to the hole using a 54 degree wedge.

 

Determined to change I started working with my 56 and I see early potential.  Now I started getting used to dialing down the strike, the 60 seems very reckless by comparison.

[596]

To the OP, you have to be careful when you watch the pro tourneys on TV.  You can't do what they do, and I'm not talking athletics.  I'm talking green speeds and pin placements.  They need to hit a different shot then you would since the greens they play each week are much faster than 99% of anything you'll see on your courses.  If they chip an 8 iron it's going to run a mile.  So they use a more lofted club, hit a lower chip with it and it'll spin more, cutting the distance it'll roll.  If I did that I'd come up 20 feet short on every chip, since our greens are a ton slower,  unless I hit it much harder, and then control and distance can suffer.  

 

You need to find a loft that gives you the distance you want with "your" chipping swing.  You have to play "your" game not "their" game.  They are different.

[akronswitness]

4 hours ago, Krt22 said:

Strange technique. The point of using less loft  is to get it coming out low...without having to lean the shaft and exposing the leading edge.

 

True but even chipping using a 9i the problem is that I get too 'wristy' and thats what causes more mishits. Its not the loft of the club thats the problem, its the swinging motion and making clean contact on the chip thats the hard part. Keeping your arms locked like a putting motion is only good if you are a foot or two off the green. If your 10ft+ off the green, you have to get your wrists involved for distance.

Thats where I found leaning the shaft forward helps me keep my arms locked but also allows me to actually get more 'umph' on the ball to clear a 10-20ft space of rough onto the green.

[Precis1on]

23 hours ago, akronswitness said:

 

yeah but thats the problem lol each option is a different skillset which requires time to master. The B&R isnt the same swing as a flop shot which isnt the same as hitting out of deep rough which isnt the same as a tight lie. There are many different techniques of chipping and being good at just 1 isnt enough to save you.

 

Chipping I feel like is easily, far and away the hardest part about golf. Hitting consistent good drives off the tee isnt nearly as hard as consistently putting your ball in 1-putt range from just off the green.

 

I use the same technique for all of those scenarios. Rough and tight lies are no different. 

 

It's actually the easiest part of golf (to get into an acceptable range of skill at), you're just making it too hard because of your expectation. Your expectation that everything should be in 1 putt range is the wrong expectation. 20 ft is fine if it removes the risk of a double. 

Edited June 15, 2022 by Precis1on

[Barfolomew]

like to use a 52 or 60 only

 

I'll go 52 unless forced to use 60.... 52 has higher chance of clean contact 🐄

[RmoorePE]

I got a couple strokes off of my handicap, by committing to one chipping club all the time. My 54 degree. I'm never going to be good, but I can always get it on the green and some days I chip really well, most days I am missing 6-10' par putts. I'm okay with it.

 

With lots of green to work with, back foot, stiff wrists and tell myself to make a long aggressive putting stroke (which is totally a feel vs real thing, as my putting stroke is nothing like it). Pops forward and runs out.

 

Little green to work with, front foot, open face, aim left, stiff wrists and tell myself to make a long aggressive putting stroke. Pops up and dribbles.

 

It also depends on the course and green speed. On some crappy muni with greens they just plugged, sometimes you have to pitch it 80% of the way there, or it will stop well short. I use the same stroke, just add a touch of wrist hinge.

[Krt22]

3 hours ago, akronswitness said:

 

True but even chipping using a 9i the problem is that I get too 'wristy' and thats what causes more mishits. Its not the loft of the club thats the problem, its the swinging motion and making clean contact on the chip thats the hard part. Keeping your arms locked like a putting motion is only good if you are a foot or two off the green. If your 10ft+ off the green, you have to get your wrists involved for distance.

Thats where I found leaning the shaft forward helps me keep my arms locked but also allows me to actually get more 'umph' on the ball to clear a 10-20ft space of rough onto the green.

There is something else going on causing the issues then.

[UKGolfer86]

Assuming you have a decent lie, can get to the back of the ball unimpeded, not in deep rough or having to carry a bunker etc.

 

Figure out rough ratios of carry vs roll with your clubs.  For me PW is 1:1 (carry 10 feet it will roll 10 feet), 8i is 1:2 (carry 10 feet, roll 20 feet) etc.  Then all you need to do is figure out how far you need to carry it to get safely on the green and then how far to the pin.  if is 5 feet to carry onto the green and 12 feet to the pin, thats a bit over 1:2, so i would pick a landing spot about 1 foot onto the green and hit my 8i with a 1:2 ratio and get the ball rolling as soon as i can.  (all of these ratios assume a flat lie and flat green, adjust depending on slopes)

 

Its much easier to hit a landing spot 5 feet away with a 8I than it is to hit a landing spot 15 feet away with a lob wedge.

 

Think about throwing a ball, would it be easier to throw a small underhand to 5 feet and let it roll, or to throw it up vertically to land on a target 15 feet away?

 

Sure, people with high skill and loads of time to practice will be able to hit their 58 or 60 all the time with good results, but thats not you by what you said in your opening question.

[Barfolomew]

On 7/7/2021 at 7:46 AM, RichieHunt said:

I use the Rule of 12 concept.
 

 

 

Generally I end up using a 52* or 56*.  I rarely have more than a 9-iron.  But I've found this generally works quite well.  Not only because it's pretty darn accurate in terms of how far the ball will travel, but it shortens the distance to your carry spot and you don't have to control the spin as well like you would if you were hitting a SW and carrying it a further distance.  

 

And a quicker way to calculate The Rule of 12 is to simply pace off the carry distance and then pace the total roll distance and divide the two (i.e. 12 paces roll distance / 6 paces carry distance = 2.  12-2 = 10 = PW)

 

 

 

RH

 

Is it given that the power of the swing must be the same for all the clubs for this formula to work?  concept is very interesting... specially for beginners or bad chippers..... As soon as you add in real world changes it needs changes..... like really fast/slow green, downhill/uphill etc...

[DCCarpenter]

I was really bad at chipping , skulling the ball over the green or leaving everything way short. I’m not good at it now but I’ve gone from never getting up and down to managing it 2 or 3 times a round.
 

I don’t use a putting stroke often , if I am that close off the green and the grass is short I could just use a putter.
 

I just use a ball at back foot sweeping kind of short swing , adjust the power based on distance. There are some Larry Rinker videos on Instagram that are pretty good.
 

I always use a Vokey 52-08 if I don’t have any room to run on the green or a 9 iron (45 degree blade 9 iron , so a wedge for most folks) for all of my chipping and pitching up to 105 or so out. 

[naval2006]

My coach used to be a pro player until a few years ago and he always remarks that around the greens at pro tournaments the most popular shot is the putting motion with any club from 60 to 7 iron from any decent lie be it fairway or rough.  He says such a simple motion keeps consistent under the highest pressure. Well, when he’s in front of me by the chipping green he probably hesitates lol

[TwistedSister]

It would depend on the terrain and distance between the edge of the green and the hole.  My goal on a relatively level area between ball and hole is to get the ball on the ground ON THE GREEN  as soon as possible so it can roll like a putt.  If there is a sharp rise or slope I try to hit the club that will get me to the level area and then on the ground to roll like a putt.  I have and will use whatever club will do this.  My irons go from 5 iron to 61*.  I have and will use any or all to achieve the goal of getting the ball on the ground and rolling in a flatish area ASAP

[Redpro]

I watched "Wedgely Deadly" Wesley Bryan make 8 birdies at my club (Hurricane Creek in Anna, TX) when he Monday qualified for the Bryon Nelson.

 

He used a 56 sand wedge for everything.

 

I have copied this and used the same stance he did since that day. When the ball lands, I discovered it rolls straight with no side spin. 

 

Previously, I was using anything from a 7 iron to a hybrid for chipping. It drove me mental.