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Chipping clubs

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Vmixture

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With a week off work ahead I've decided that I really want to work hard on my shots from around the green.

I'm a member at Peterborough Milton golf club which I love, but with small greens hitting GIR is very difficult and more often than not I'm faced with a chip which is usually within 10 yards of the putting surface. I've tried to narrow things from this distance down to 3 clubs, a 7 iron when I have the luxury of getting the ball rolling, a PW when the lie isn't suitable for the 7 and a 60 degree lob when I need to fly over something.

Just wondering how people on here take on this part of the game and the strategy they use. Would it be better to just use the one club (lob) that could be used in any scenario or is it better to have a choice?

Obviously just using one club will improve my game and feel with it but I do like to get the ball down and rolling more often than not.

So... one club and have a different set up for each scenario or several clubs depending on the shot faced?

Advice welcome :)
 
Vmixture said:
With a week off work ahead I've decided that I really want to work hard on my shots from around the green.

I'm a member at Peterborough Milton golf club which I love, but with small greens hitting GIR is very difficult and more often than not I'm faced with a chip which is usually within 10 yards of the putting surface. I've tried to narrow things from this distance down to 3 clubs, a 7 iron when I have the luxury of getting the ball rolling, a PW when the lie isn't suitable for the 7 and a 60 degree lob when I need to fly over something.

Just wondering how people on here take on this part of the game and the strategy they use. Would it be better to just use the one club (lob) that could be used in any scenario or is it better to have a choice?

Obviously just using one club will improve my game and feel with it but I do like to get the ball down and rolling more often than not.

So... one club and have a different set up for each scenario or several clubs depending on the shot faced?

Advice welcome :)
Click to expand...
I, like you used to use s variety of clubs for chipping and pitching. Due to inconsistent strikes I have started using my 60* for all my chips/pitches. So basically anything from around 60yds to greenside gets the same club. It has made me more consistent and also more inventive and versatile. It takes away the question of club selection, so I can get on with visualising the shot/landing spot etc. It won't be for everyone but it seems to work for me.
 
I have a choice between 5 clubs for 5 different shots when chipping.

8/7 iron bump and run, hybrid, 52* and 56* chips.

My chipping is pretty standard, ball on back foot, hands resting on leading leg at address, weight mostly on leading side, hit down on the ball with a a back and forth stroke.

Key focuses are:

-Absolutely zero body/hip movement, this keeps from hitting off the toe and losing control/spin.
-Hit the ball out the middle of the face
-Keep weight on left side
-Keep it as simple as possible!
-Light grip, "light" swing for backspin.
-ACCELERATE THROUGH THE BALL!
-Knowing when to chip and when to pitch! This was key to stopping mid shot deceleration!

I aim for the first flat bit of green between me and the flag, accounting for break, pick my landing spot and choose the club that will roll out to the hole.

My 56* bites very quickly especially if there is any slope so thats for landing spots close to the hole.
52* bites less but still checks, this is for medium roll out, which is a majority of chips.
7/8 bump and run is for green length chips where I need to ball to get on the surface quick as there is no flat spot to land on about halfway or closer.
Hybrid chip for those tricky lies.

It takes a bit of practice to learn the roll out but this method leads to the least number of duffed, fatted or thinned chips for me. I have tried many methods but I keep going back to this because it just WORKS!

I get up and down more times than I should, mastering this basic shot and learning the roll out has taken shots off my game. I used to chip this way at my best but in search of something magic I did stray, I am back here again and its working the magic I was seeking. The only difference? I am not trying to hit the ball off the toe and I have ZERO body/hip movement, these were the magic elements!


If you are outside chipping distance hit a pitch, this has a smidge of body movement and a different ball position, key is always to hit a chip when set up for one, never try and swap between the two without totally stepping away and even picking a different club (you probably need to anyway).
 
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I tend to use PW of I want to fly the ball Halfway and roll out and 8 iron if I want to bet it rolling faster. I am open to use any club however depending on lie, distance from hole and what is in front of me. A bump with a hybrid from the fringe is another fave
 
I use anything from my 58° to my 7 iron depending on the shot and how easy it is to get to the putting surface. Generally try to pitch a yard or so on the green and let it run from there. Sometimes you need to fly further and run less so knowing how the ball will react with a variety of clubs from a variety of lies/distances will, in my opinion, serve you better long term.
Having said that I know of some very good players who use 1 club for all chipping regardless of lie/distance.
So its a question of practising and sticking to a method that works.
 
Every club from my 4H to my putter is a chipping club depending on the circumstance. The hybrid chip is a great shot if you practice it.
 
Thanks, both very informative replies although each end of the spectrum reached! I knew this wouldn't be easy but I very much appreciate both posts!
 
Its not about which club you take. Its about learning how each loft, bounce, lie, swing and results needed dictate the required shot.
The best piece of advice I'd give is take longer to make the decision on what shot and club you need to use around the greens. You won't pull off every shot around the green, so it's a matter of reducing the errors and making a chip and 2 putt at worst.
 
Imurg said:
Ive tried this a few times but I just don't seem to be able to not knock the ball miles...
Click to expand...

That's why you need to practice, it comes off the club face much faster than you would expect for a short shot but if you can master it it can be really useful
 
Wow, didn't expect so many replies so quickly, thanks guys.

Really seems (on replies so far) that its what you seem the most comfortable with, which is pretty understandable.

I just need to make a decision and stick with it I think.
 
Vmixture said:
I just need to make a decision and stick with it I think.
Click to expand...

Do try some different methods, some worked really well for me which were not the one I ended up with.

I tried linear, putting stroke, off the toe (to deaden strike), cutting across, close face etc. I watched endless youtube vids but in the end they were never reliable enough under pressure, all had their flaws as well as their benefits.

In the end I picked the one which I had less duffs and thins with and practiced that, once I got the technique the spin came along (it definatly was not there at first and I could not do any chip close to the green).

With just a few hours practice all that went away, other techniques gave me much more spin quicker but in the end there was little difference.

Just find the middle of the club with no body movement, weight on left side and hit down on it, so simple yet so effective! Its so effective I cannot chip with too high a loft as they have too much spin now!
 
ScienceBoy said:
Do try some different methods, some worked really well for me which were not the one I ended up with.

I tried linear, putting stroke, off the toe (to deaden strike), cutting across, close face etc. I watched endless youtube vids but in the end they were never reliable enough under pressure, all had their flaws as well as their benefits.

In the end I picked the one which I had less duffs and thins with and practiced that, once I got the technique the spin came along (it definatly was not there at first and I could not do any chip close to the green).

With just a few hours practice all that went away, other techniques gave me much more spin quicker but in the end there was little difference.

Just find the middle of the club with no body movement, weight on left side and hit down on it, so simple yet so effective! Its so effective I cannot chip with too high a loft as they have too much spin now!
Click to expand...
You do know, with chipping, the more shallow you come into the ball the greater the amount of spin created. You don't want to hit down with chips, pitching yes.
 
Lump said:
You do know, with chipping, the more shallow you come into the ball the greater the amount of spin created. You don't want to hit down with chips, pitching yes.
Click to expand...

I would say hitting down is a relative thing, I don't hit down like a pitch. You make a really good point and its key to ensure there is a clear distinction between chipping and pitching. So many times I have dropped at least one shot as my chipping and pitching became blurred and my body had no idea what to do!

With good technique I have found that balance between coming in too shallow and hitting thins and coming in shallow enough to use the bounce, I did not do this through any grip changes. I did try all sorts of grips and stuff that all just lead to inconcistency compared to a very simple chip shot.

So hit down yes, but not like a pitch! I get the spin from a light grip and a crisp centre hit.

The best thing about my current approach is its very VERY repeatable, all the other methods I tried just did not have that to the same level for me. Yes some had more spin on the best ones but even after lots of practice it was hard to judge.

Bobirdie said:
Have a look at this video http://youtu.be/DF5G24FFAP0

Worked well for me. I have tried the one club for everything the oast few years however i have had more success with this
Click to expand...

Yup thats pretty much it, why does chipping have to be more complicated than that?
 
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Depends on the lie but usually its my PW or 51* club with a good lie
Its important to feel like you can put the same swing in with the little chips and pitches so its good to stick to 1 or 2 clubs
 
I read the OP as meaning what club(s) to use rather than how to play a chip shot.

You have 2 choices:

1. Use 1 club for most shots and figure out where you need to land it.
2. See where is best to land it then figure out what club to use.

Personally I prefer #2 but nothing wrong with either way.

Depending on the situation I'll usually use 8i, PW, 54 or 58.

My only advice on playing the shot is that I think it's best to choose a landing area that is fairly level for a few feet around it.
For example, if I'm chipping up a green that has a tier in it, my landing spot won't be anywhere near the tier, purely because if I get it wrong by a few feet the ball will end up nowhere near where you want it to be.
 
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