How do you chip/pitch in winter?

[Orikoru]

This is just off the back of the winter scoring thread where nobody seems to struggle as much as I do.

How do you chip and pitch in winter? This seems to be what kills me the most. 50-70 yard pitching is decent in summer, but in the winter I'll catch it a fraction fat and it just completely kills the club and duffs it. Chipping around the greens as well, I seem to hit mud or knife it. 50° seems to be the worst culprit, it's a CBX with bounce and forgiveness, but in winter it's useless for me for some reason.

Do you use less loft in winter or more? Or just the same as always? I use to think it was safer to keep it low and kind of bump it out, but then I run the risk of it not actually running far enough and stopping short of the green. Wonder if it's better to take more loft than normal and hit it harder? Or is it best to just start using my hybrid as a chipper and accept anything that's on the green as a decent shot?

Whatever I try seems to just be pot luck. I feel like I have a decent short game in summer, but it hibernates for the winter!

 

[Beezerk]

Just as bad as in the summer usually

 

[jim8flog]

The same as I do in summer.

 

[jim8flog]

Are you trying to take it cleanly or are you trying to hit with a divot after the ball?

 

[3 jabber]

Keep the shaft vertical, no forward lean and the ball in the middle of your stance. Use the bounce, stop the club digging in. Control the speed/distance with body rotation.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Will depend on the green in front

In summer the greens a little firmer and you get a bit more run so will look to drop the ball shorter - in the winter then a bit further up the green

But the technique is no different

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Slightly back in the stance and fully commit. Take the face full of mud . It's hard to do, my brain tries to force me to pick it off the surface but I have to try to ignore that.

The last few weeks, I have walked off the course with trousers mud sprayed from the knee down. That's winter golf.

 

[sjw]

I'm suffering a little bit at the moment with catching shots a tiny bit fat. I'm trying to use the bounce but obviously not quite getting it right, so I need work. In a way though, it's a learning exercise and it's showing me something that is probably hidden in the summer.

 

[louise_a]

We play off mats so no mud

 

[nickjdavis]

Positively.

Its even more important in winter to be positive with your stroke. Take silly knife like low bounce clubs like 60 or 64 degree wedges out of your bag....in soft conditions pretty much nothing more than 56 degrees is needed.

Chip with an 8 or 9 iron. Descending blow so as to take the soft earth out of play.

Commit to fuller wedge shots from 50-70 yards.

 

[Orikoru]

Are you trying to take it cleanly or are you trying to hit with a divot after the ball?

What I'm trying to do and what I end up doing are probably not the same thing. I'm not someone that usually takes divots with any shots anyway. I just want to strike the ball first and not the ground.

Slightly back in the stance and fully commit. Take the face full of mud . It's hard to do, my brain tries to force me to pick it off the surface but I have to try to ignore that.

The last few weeks, I have walked off the course with trousers mud sprayed from the knee down. That's winter golf.

Mmm, I think last winter I was putting it a little further back in the stance to try make sure I hit ball first. Sometimes the shot gets a bit 'punchy' like that, but if it works I'll take it.

I'm suffering a little bit at the moment with catching shots a tiny bit fat. I'm trying to use the bounce but obviously not quite getting it right, so I need work. In a way though, it's a learning exercise and it's showing me something that is probably hidden in the summer.

Yeah, it's definitely the slightly fat once you get away with in summer and not in winter.

Positively.

Its even more important in winter to be positive with your stroke. Take silly knife like low bounce clubs like 60 or 64 degree wedges out of your bag....in soft conditions pretty much nothing more than 56 degrees is needed.

Chip with an 8 or 9 iron. Descending blow so as to take the soft earth out of play.

Commit to fuller wedge shots from 50-70 yards.

I never chip with 60 anyway, highest loft I would use is 54 when I need some height to get over a bunker or a ridge. Weirdly the 54 seems to work better than 50 at times. My normal chipping club in summer is PW, which is 41 degrees so not far off chipping with a 9 iron really.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I would also add, I'm more aggressive in winter as the ball doesn't run that much. That helps me to commit more as well, no trying to be cute with a shot.

 

[RichA]

Always stuck with high bounce lower lofted wedges in winter at the old club. But the new place keeps a fringe of pretty lush grass about 3 inches long around the backs and sides of the green that can only be chopped through effectively with a low bounce 60°, which I'm finding quite challenging.

 

[Springveldt]

I don't really do anything different, I just hit them a bit harder to take into account less roll. On pitch shots you just have to commit and accept there is going to be mud flying.

 

[patricks148]

Get yourself a mat, clean perfect lie every time

 

[Voyager EMH]

I find it no easier or harder over all, but with a bit of swings and roundabouts.
Cleaning and placing helps.
Greens are better condition in the summer.
As @Arthur Wedge says - technique is the same - I picture the shot - where I want the ball to land - and then play that shot.
I use any iron from 30° to 58° to play chip shots. For what I call pitching shots I will use any iron from 38° to 58°.
Just depends on what shot I have pictured and where I want the ball to land.

 

[BunkerPlayer]

I'm suffering a little bit at the moment with catching shots a tiny bit fat. I'm trying to use the bounce but obviously not quite getting it right, so I need work. In a way though, it's a learning exercise and it's showing me something that is probably hidden in the summer.

This is what I immediately thought, might be that you just get away with it abit more in the summer mate. I'm obviously no expert but would imagine it comes down to contact and if you can work on a drill that improves strike you might get better results?

I've paid abit more attention to the Dan Grieve stuff, I wouldn't say I have adopted his method 100% but my biggest feel is my right tricep staying attached to my body has really made a difference. Well worth a read of his book but I think the methods are all on youtube or social media if you scroll through his page.

 

[chrisd]

This is what I immediately thought, might be that you just get away with it abit more in the summer mate. I'm obviously no expert but would imagine it comes down to contact and if you can work on a drill that improves strike you might get better results?

I've paid abit more attention to the Dan Grieve stuff, I wouldn't say I have adopted his method 100% but my biggest feel is my right tricep staying attached to my body has really made a difference. Well worth a read of his book but I think the methods are all on youtube or social media if you scroll through his page.

I do as much as I can the Dan Grieve method. I found it worked very well since springtime when I first played some golf with my mates nephew from the USA, and he used it to great effect. I watched the videos and found it surprisingly easy, once I was committed to it. I'm not sure how it's going to go in the muddy clag on our clay based course but I'll definitely try it.

 

[Orikoru]

I was also chipping well after reading Dan Grieve's book early this year and watching his content. Perhaps I just need a refresher.

 

[sjw]

Ditto for DG's book. I've had a little read through it but not got as far as the golfing IQ section - which is probably very relevant at this time of year regarding choosing a shot based on the lie