What Club For Chipping?

[akronswitness]

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

[tthomasgolfer605]

Are you referring to out of the rough or a fairway lie? Both require different approaches. 

[akronswitness]

8 minutes ago, tthomasgolfer605 said:

Are you referring to out of the rough or a fairway lie? Both require different approaches. 

Mostly out of the rough right off the green. Im a 14 handicap so I have to chip from 5-15 feet off the green on a ton of my 3rd shots because I dont hit the green on my approach. The ball is almost always in the rough off the right, left or back of the green.

 

It just feels like constantly hitting 58 degree flop shots from 5 feet off the green is hurting me more than its helping. I used to be a lot better at it but I noticed the pros dont hit the ball super high on chips from just off the green. The just like pitch it up on there and have it roll a bunch. No idea what club they use to do that but it sure isnt a high degree wedge. 

 

 

Edited July 6, 2021 by akronswitness

[scooterhd2]

Typically going to hit a 60. And have no problem hitting low shots that check. 

[SNIPERBBB]

Mostly my 54 as it has the most bounce.  Unless I need to hit a super flop, I can do it all with my 54

[akronswitness]

9 minutes ago, scooterhd2 said:

Typically going to hit a 60. And have no problem hitting low shots that check. 

How do you hit a low shot with a 60 degree wedge?

[tthomasgolfer605]

13 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

Mostly out of the rough right off the green. Im a 14 handicap so I have to chip from 5-15 feet off the green on a ton of my 3rd shots because I dont hit the green on my approach. The ball is almost always in the rough off the right, left or back of the green.

 

It just feels like constantly hitting 58 degree flop shots from 5 feet off the green is hurting me more than its helping. I used to be a lot better at it but I noticed the pros dont hit the ball super high on chips from just off the green. The just like pitch it up on there and have it roll a bunch. No idea what club they use to do that but it sure isnt a high degree wedge. 

 

 

You basically answered your own question. Pros aren't hitting flop shots unless absolutely necessary. Do you know how to chip or pitch from just off the green?

 

[chipa]

When I'm close to the green and the rough isn't too think I'll use a P or S with a putting stroke. If it's thick you have to hit down on it generally.

[scooterhd2]

6 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

How do you hit a low shot with a 60 degree wedge?

 

 

 

[akronswitness]

17 minutes ago, tthomasgolfer605 said:

You basically answered your own question. Pros aren't hitting flop shots unless absolutely necessary. Do you know how to chip or pitch from just off the green?

 

I struggle a ton with loft. I hit my shots extremely high because of my swing so keeping the ball 'down' has always been hard for me. Especially with a wedge. The only way I could keep it down from just off the green is by using a 7-8-9 iron and doing a bump and run. But a lot of the times thats not feasible depending how much rough you have to clear.

 

Lets just say when Im in the trees, I have to use a 3-wood and smack the ball across the ground to get through the trees because even when I put the ball back in my stance, close a 4 iron face--Ill still hit it 20 feet in the air on a punch shot.

Edited July 6, 2021 by akronswitness

[akronswitness]

12 minutes ago, scooterhd2 said:

 

 

 

 

Its so hard not to break your wrists when your doing that 'putting stroke' thing lol I apparently just need more practice

[Cwebb]

Go out for a practice session and use nothing but lower lofted clubs for chipping.  Lofts between about 44-28*.

 

Think of it as "putting with loft".  Set yourself up for a slight descending strike with a putting like motion.  This is a chip, not a pitch.  The idea is to only carry the ball as far as you need to, in order to get over the edge of the green...and let it roll the rest of the way like a putt.  Trying to take extra spin and "check" out of the equation.

 

Once you get a feel for it, you'll not only get them consistetnly closer to the hole, but will also start holing more chips

[juststeve]

Depends on the lie, the distance to the spot I want to land the ball and how far it is from there to the pin.

 

Steve

[Krt22]

If I am not short sided, 50* wedge most of the time.

[Zitlow]

Foot wedge. 

[Three_Jack]

I think its easier to get really good with hitting a 60 degree everywhere and then learning how to play a bump and run with a 50 or so degree.

 

It's a lot easier to play shots out of deeper rough with more loft. Hard to bump and run from another other than a good lie.

[tthomasgolfer605]

54 minutes ago, Zitlow said:

Foot wedge. 

You're on fire lately! 😂

[tthomasgolfer605]

1 hour ago, akronswitness said:

I struggle a ton with loft. I hit my shots extremely high because of my swing so keeping the ball 'down' has always been hard for me. Especially with a wedge. The only way I could keep it down from just off the green is by using a 7-8-9 iron and doing a bump and run. But a lot of the times thats not feasible depending how much rough you have to clear.

 

Lets just say when Im in the trees, I have to use a 3-wood and smack the ball across the ground to get through the trees because even when I put the ball back in my stance, close a 4 iron face--Ill still hit it 20 feet in the air on a punch shot.

Sounds like you have an adding loft problem with all your clubs. Have any swing videos?

[Precis1on]

Check out some of Monte's videos on the short game, highly recommend. Loft and bounce can be your friends. Clubhead acceleration control (how fast you accelerate) is also important. 

[akronswitness]

7 minutes ago, tthomasgolfer605 said:

Sounds like you have an adding loft problem with all your clubs. Have any swing videos?

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.

 

[Zitlow]

22 minutes ago, tthomasgolfer605 said:

You're on fire lately! 😂

 

Mr. Havercamp, "Oh golly, I'm hot today!"

 

Edited July 6, 2021 by Zitlow

[Barfolomew]

Either 52 or 60 for all chips

 

Obviously 52 for low stuff, 60 for higher stuff..... very simple

 

Used to use 8 iron or PW but trained my self off them to just use 52 or 60 only...... that way all my practice time gets poured into only 2 clubs so better with em

 

"Beware the man with 1 gun" Maybe that means 1 day I'll drop the 52 too and just use the 60 lol

[Pepperturbo]

From 5-10 feet off the green I typically use 58' LW, but that depends on the green and how far the pin is from the green edge and my ball.  I may use 52' if I need the ball to run a-ways and cover undulations.  Also, depends on the turf between my ball and green edge, and green condition between the green edge and pin, it's either a square or slightly open little chip LW.   A big swing is not needed, presuming the ball is properly struck with the sweet spot of the club face.

 

Depending on a person's age, chipping is similar to shooting an 8" target at 600 meters, without practice it's a perishable skill.  The ball jumps into the air when the user is apprehensive about how hard to strike the ball in the first place. 

Edited July 6, 2021 by Pepperturbo

[Moonlightgrm]

Chipping from the fairway, I use my 47* PW. Chipping out of the rough is a different animal. Depending on the lie, it could be my PW, 52* GW, or my 56* SW. in fact, from the rough, I may not be chipping. I may be pitching the ball. My definition of a chip: ball back in my stance, weight on the front foot, golf ball comes off the club face low and starts rolling quickly. My definition of a pitch: weight evenly distributed, slide the club under the golf ball, flight the ball ~80% of the distance to the target.

[ChipNRun]

1 hour ago, Cwebb said:

Think of it as "putting with loft".

 

First, our definitions: a chip-and-run shot is a shot from near green than comes off low and runs out quite a bit.

 

My current method: I use a 7i, ball centered in stance with weight forward and slight forward shaft lean, a fairly erect stance. Grip strong to prevent (me at least) from cutting at ball. Lead club back and through with left hand - don't break left wrist.

 

Chip-and-run assumes fairly good lie, not too shaggy, and I can get ball on green's surface quickly. (If grass is a little shaggier, I may go with pitching wedge to make sure ball doesn't stick in grass before coming out. 

 

Other shot if grass fairly deep and pin is close is a 58* cut shot - not lob shot. True chip-and-run needs 10 feet to stabilize after landing. 

[dlygrisse]

It depends on several things.

1.  the lie, hard pan, deep rough, light rough or fairway?

2.  the slope I am hitting off of, uphill or downhill?

3.  the distance to the pin

4.  the speed of the green

5.  the slope of the green

6.  the wind

7.  My mood.  

 

could be a putter, a 8 iron, a fairway wood, a PW, GW, SW or LW. 

 

From the description of the OP's post I would recommend a SW or a 58 with a square-ish face.  Don't flop it, just aim right at it and brush the grass with the bounce on the club, it should come out medium height and bounce one or twice then trickle to a stop.  It's probably the basic pitch shot you saw the pros play in this instance.  Montes video on Use the Bounce is probably what you are looking for.  

 

 

Edited July 6, 2021 by dlygrisse

[aenemated]

I've recently gone back to using my PW for most "standard" greenside chips and pitches. 56° is pretty much only pulled for greenside bunkers and 60° when I really have to just drop it dead somewhere. 

[Cwebb]

1 hour ago, ChipNRun said:

 

First, our definitions: a chip-and-run shot is a shot from near green than comes off low and runs out quite a bit.

 

My current method: I use a 7i, ball centered in stance with weight forward and slight forward shaft lean, a fairly erect stance. Grip strong to prevent (me at least) from cutting at ball. Lead club back and through with left hand - don't break left wrist.

 

Chip-and-run assumes fairly good lie, not too shaggy, and I can get ball on green's surface quickly. (If grass is a little shaggier, I may go with pitching wedge to make sure ball doesn't stick in grass before coming out. 

 

Other shot if grass fairly deep and pin is close is a 58* cut shot - not lob shot. True chip-and-run needs 10 feet to stabilize after landing. 

Some good thoughts.  Not sure why you would limit yourself to just using a 7 iron or a PW for a chip and run?  What about your 8 and 9 iron?  If you need to carry your chip just a little further than what your 7i provides, an 8 or 9 is a good choice.

 

Regarding a  "fairly good lie".  With enough low cut turf to work with, a chip and run can actually be the easiest play from a less than ideal lie

[ChipNRun]

20 minutes ago, Cwebb said:

Not sure why you would limit yourself to just using a 7 iron or a PW for a chip and run?

 

It's a question of thresholds. If a 7i loft is iffy, a PW will definitely pop the ball up and onto the green. Quibbling over 8i or 9i as in-between is a time waster... get put on clock for slow play... the world ends... you know the rest.

23 minutes ago, Cwebb said:

 With enough low cut turf to work with, a chip and run...

 

Low-cut turf pretty well corresponds with a good lie. The one exception: moon-crater lies around the green on fungusy low spots of course during summer. In this case, a little bump with a 4H is the way to go. It runs out low, and the flat sole of H avoids snagging or bouncing up off the turf.

[tthomasgolfer605]

3 hours ago, Zitlow said:

 

Mr. Havercamp, "Oh golly, I'm hot today!"

 

Mrs. Havercamp's trackman numbers. Distance 4 yards. Clubhead speed .5 MPH. Ball speed 2 MPH. Path. 45 degrees in to out. Face 45 degrees open. Angle of attack looks pretty neutral. Hell of a shallowing move though.