Do you/would you use a chipper

[Crazyface]

No, I wouldn't use a chipper, but I wouldn't use a 58 degree wedge around the green either.

I once played with a guy who had a 70 degree wedge. He used it around the green for almost every shot, even from 4 feet off the green with a flat shot to the flag. I thought I had seen some horrific short game efforts in my golf career but I saw some new stuff that day. He was a really wealthy guy, the rest of his kit was no expense spared but he really loved this piece of [redacted]. On the 10th or 11th, one of my playing partners said to me "I am tempted to grab that club and toss it in the pond. It would be doing him a massive favour".

I'd have told him, I can't help myself. Lofted clubs are great to use, but not for every shot around the green.

 

[Jamesbrown]

No. I imagine it’s a fantastic bit of kit that works more consistently than an iron or wedge.
Until it’s not a fashion faux pas, I will continue to struggle and occasionally throw in a flopdopolus with my 58 for good measure.

 

[phillarrow]

I agree with the sentiments that an 8 iron basically does the same job, so it's a waste of a space in the bag, but I can also imagine that the heavier head and wider sole would be really useful in lots of circumstances - especially wet, muddy lies, or even dry, sandy lies.
Since returning to golf, my short game sucks and I'm just not confident with my chipping. I will seriously consider a chipper if this aspect of my game hasn't improved significantly over the course of this year. And if I do get one, I will carry it with pride and dignity!

 

[Newtonuti]

If I was in my later years just after a fun round then maybe, but I'm at the age where I want to try and master golf so absolutely not.

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Absolutely not.

 

[Steve Wilkes]

I still think it a perception thing, when they first came out they were cheap and guys were mocked if using one.
This thread has hit the nail on the head. Why use one when a 7 iron does the same job. But
Why buy a rescue when a 4 iron does the same job, because Pros are seen using them and the price of them looks good in the bag

 

[Deleted member 18121]

Just for some context ... I'm not a bad chipper, not the best but not bad. But when you watch how easy it makes certain shots look.... Surely it's got to be worth a go.

I might pull the trigger.

 

[Orikoru]

I still think it a perception thing, when they first came out they were cheap and guys were mocked if using one.
This thread has hit the nail on the head. Why use one when a 7 iron does the same job. But
Why buy a rescue when a 4 iron does the same job, because Pros are seen using them and the price of them looks good in the bag

It really, really doesn't.

 

[bobmac]

Why buy a rescue when a 4 iron does the same job,

Would you have a 4 iron and a rescue in the bag at the same time?

 

[Voyager EMH]

Do they have hybrids and long irons in their bag?

I will have a Cobra 16d hybrid and a Ping G10 3-iron in my bag tomorrow.
The hybrid is, to me, a 4-wood alternative rather than a long-iron alternative.

 

[Steve Wilkes]

Most bad chippers around the green don't accelerate through the ball, so fluff it or come up short. Imagine how hard you have to hit a 60ft putt, but left with a 20 yard chip will swing slower, so a chipmaster might not help that much

 

[bobmac]

I will have a Cobra 16d hybrid and a Ping G10 3-iron in my bag tomorrow.
The hybrid is, to me, a 4-wood alternative rather than a long-iron alternative.

Dando inferred that some golfers have replaced their long irons with hybrids, I was asking him to confirm that.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Dando inferred that some golfers have replaced their long irons with hybrids, I was asking him to confirm that.

I'm pleased to see you haven't put me on ignore.
Anyway, yes, I think that is what most amateurs have done. I'm the strange one. That much is clearly obvious.

 

[Steve Wilkes]

It really, really doesn't.

I agree, to some it doesn't, to some a chipper doesn't do the same as a 7 iron but it doesn't.
I carry two 7 irons, as there is no way I could chip around the green with bricks on the end of a stick the club's are now, ive got a 1987 Spalding Tour Edition 7 iron from a set I had then and use it for every shot around the green, because it's a blade club I can chip and run or open it up for flopping over bunkers

 

[Steve Wilkes]

I will have a Cobra 16d hybrid and a Ping G10 3-iron in my bag tomorrow.
The hybrid is, to me, a 4-wood alternative rather than a long-iron alternative.

If guys laughed at you for using an hybrid like they would if you used a chipper , the hybrid would be in the garage, and you would carry on trying to hit a long iron

 

[Orikoru]

Most bad chippers around the green don't accelerate through the ball, so fluff it or come up short. Imagine how hard you have to hit a 60ft putt, but left with a 20 yard chip will swing slower, so a chipmaster might not help that much

Playing with my cousin on Monday, it was frustrating watching him around the greens. He kept using a high-lofted wedge and almost trying to flop it on - flipping his wrists up at impact as well to make it even worse. He hit quite a few duffs. I did suggest he tries keeping his wrists a bit more set, but I'm no pro so why should he listen to me I guess.

 

[Springveldt]

I don't see the issue with it and if it helped me get the ball closer to the hole I'd use it.

I normally use my 50º wedge around the greens and there aren't any great run offs at our place, it's mostly a flat chip. Sometimes I'll chunk one that will run too far, sometimes I'll nip one perfectly that checks up too quickly. If I knew a chipper would give me better results I'd happily switch to one.

Currently my chipping is ok but if I ever got to the stage where I started to get bothered by a lie or started getting second thoughts over chips I'd have no issue putting a chipper in the bag instead of a wedge.

 

[Steve Wilkes]

Playing with my cousin on Monday, it was frustrating watching him around the greens. He kept using a high-lofted wedge and almost trying to flop it on - flipping his wrists up at impact as well to make it even worse. He hit quite a few duffs. I did suggest he tries keeping his wrists a bit more set, but I'm no pro so why should he listen to me I guess.

I know what you mean, although I'm a fairly low handicap, I find it impossible to teach my short game to others, they see me hit a 7 iron chip and run stone dead 3 or 4 times but still persists with getting the sand iron out when on the fringe of the green duffing it or blading it across the green, it needs the pros to start using chippers to convince them, I seen high-handicappers starting to use their 3 wood for chipping out of the fluffy lies around the green because they've seen it on the TV

 

[Springveldt]

Most bad chippers around the green don't accelerate through the ball, so fluff it or come up short. Imagine how hard you have to hit a 60ft putt, but left with a 20 yard chip will swing slower, so a chipmaster might not help that much

Have you seen the size of the sole on that one Crossfield was using? It would be nearly impossible to fluff it, it's never going to dig in.

 

[Orikoru]

I know what you mean, although I'm a fairly low handicap, I find it impossible to teach my short game to others, they see me hit a 7 iron chip and run stone dead 3 or 4 times but still persists with getting the sand iron out when on the fringe of the green duffing it or blading it across the green, it needs the pros to start using chippers to convince them, I seen high-handicappers starting to use their 3 wood for chipping out of the fluffy lies around the green because they've seen it on the TV

I do something similar actually, if I'm only a couple of feet off the green but in scrappy grass, I putt it on with my 27° hybrid. It's starting to work well and I even holed one a few weeks ago. That's one where a chipper would work very well too of course. But you'll still see people getting the 58° out for them. So hard to get that right whereas bumping it with a hybrid, or chipper, so simple.