So... Who chips the "new" way?

[Jimbooo]

Up till now, I've always chipped in the "traditional" way... open narrow stance, hands forward, ball back, weight on left side, etc. I've usually gotten a fairly consistent strike but suffered with different amounts of check or roll once the ball lands and so never got as consistently close to the pin as I'd have liked.

I went for a short-game lesson a couple of days ago and my pro told me that a lot of the guys on tour now use the bounce of the clubs much more, instead of the leading edge when chipping. He lined me up with a square (quite wide) stance, put the ball and hands directly beneath my sternum and got me hitting chips with my 58*, making sure I brushed the sole of the club against the turf instead of the leading edge.

I tried it and it felt surprisingly good. His rational is that much more consistent carry distances can be gauged and consistent rollout to the pin when the ball lands. We tried clubs from a 58 wedge down to a 5 iron. Even on the bad shots where I hit them slightly fat or thin I virtually "got away with it" because I didn't strike the ground with the leading edge - I don't think I duffed any of them.

So... is this really the "new" way of chipping? Or is my pro trying to lead me down the wrong path? Any one else chip like this?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It looks very similar to the Linear method I've been using since last summer. GM Top 25 pro Gary Smith is a big advocate and the pro I was using said it would help as it took the leading edge out of play and that would cut down the fats in particular. It is working well (relatively given my short game) for me

 

[Oddsocks]

im with you on this jimboo, my old pro watched me hitting balls on the range, and commentd everything looked ok but my chipping was useless, he had recently been on a course with some other pros where they were teaching this method.

Hes theory is even if you catch is fat, the bounce still slides allowing a margin of error without it beeing a total duff. im working on it in stages, and if im honest at the moment im somewhere inbetween the old method and this new bounce method.. once ive got total confidence of not blading the odd one, i will take it to the course, maybe a final lesson to brush up but the basics in principle seem alot more logical.

 

[Junior]

Glad it works for you. I'd be sculling it all day.

 

[Oddsocks]

it taks some work junior as it feels alien, but once you gain a bit of faith with it then it works, i reckon another couple of 100 balls and it will be honed.

 

[Val]

This is the way I've began chipping after reading Bob Vokeys piece in GM and watching Luke Donald's masterclass, it focuses on using the bounce of the club more apparently, I've never been that good at chipping so I'm happy to try something else.

 

[stef92]

This is always the way I used to chip… because I was so obsessed with trying to lob the ball up in the air I have done this for about 8 years…

 

[CMAC]

instinctive golf teach this and it feels a revelation

 

[Oddsocks]

who......

 

[moogie]

Ive always played the ball back in stance and tried to 'fizz' it in low with some check
But after sending my 12 year old son for lessons, he is being taught the above method.
And as stated by Valentino, had seen Luke Donald with this method, and Ive decided that Im goin to give this a try this season and see how it goes.
Lots of wedge makers are stressing more and more how important bounce is, and how you have to learn to understand it and USE it

 

[Airlie_Andy]

It looks very similar to the Linear method I've been using since last summer. GM Top 25 pro Gary Smith is a big advocate and the pro I was using said it would help as it took the leading edge out of play and that would cut down the fats in particular. It is working well (relatively given my short game) for me

I've started using the linear method for my bunker play and love it. Used to really struggle to get the ball out but no problem at all with this method.

 

[CMAC]

[video=youtube_share;7FUUVov4HMw]http://youtu.be/7FUUVov4HMw[/video]

 

[CMAC]

[video=youtube_share;ETO0SvEBXts]http://youtu.be/ETO0SvEBXts[/video]

 

[Crow]

Stan Utley teaches along these lines in his book "The art of the short game", though he differentiates between chipping and pitching, where pitching uses more of the bounce.

I'm a big Stan fan and his method has improved my short game play no end.

 

[richart]

Not me, I like to get the ball landing just on the green and running out. At least I know I will get somewhere near. Played with a five handicap that was trying to pitch like Donald, but he seemed to be swinging the club back too far, and decelerating as he hit the ball. Nearly every chip was chunked, except for the ones he thinned. Seems to me your margin of error is so small. Can't imagine Seve chipping that way, and he had the best short game I ever saw.

 

[Junior]

it taks some work junior as it feels alien, but once you gain a bit of faith with it then it works, i reckon another couple of 100 balls and it will be honed.

Good stuff. There has to be mileage in what your doing as all the pro's (apart from when they play links) seem to use sand/lob wedges around the green.

Do you open the face of the wedge so it sits on the bounce of the club, or do you aim it square on? with the front edge of the club on the ground ?

 

[Oddsocks]

Good stuff. There has to be mileage in what your doing as all the pro's (apart from when they play links) seem to use sand/lob wedges around the green.

Do you open the face of the wedge so it sits on the bounce of the club, or do you aim it square on? with the front edge of the club on the ground ?

the way i was shown you can do either, its been a few weeks since ive been drilling it on th rang, but you could square it up for a cleaner contact, or open it up for a higher flight, just pay attention to the postion of the fac as you play about, as if you open the face it will go slightly right, and likewise if you close it slightly left, its getting used to it and its launch angles thats holding me back from taking it to the course, but general distance control and strike quality is more consistent.

 

[USER1999]

My coach has me doing this. I have always chipped off the back foot, and am very good at it. He has explained that in doing this, there is zero margin for error, and that in moving it forwards, and coming in shallower, it will be better yet. I am starting to get the hang of it now. Still struggling to punch one low though. It will come.

 

[Jimbooo]

Not me, I like to get the ball landing just on the green and running out. At least I know I will get somewhere near. Played with a five handicap that was trying to pitch like Donald, but he seemed to be swinging the club back too far, and decelerating as he hit the ball. Nearly every chip was chunked, except for the ones he thinned. Seems to me your margin of error is so small. Can't imagine Seve chipping that way, and he had the best short game I ever saw.

I like to get it landing on the green and running out too... and I was doing this with a 5 iron, but not in the traditional ball back hands forward. It worked great and felt as though the roll out would be the same every time. My problem with the old method was finding it hard to judge the exact amount of check spin I'd get - this neutral approach kind of eliminates that.

The only thing is you need a bit of confidence, especially with the shorter shots where you can't get much backswing, and you do have to accelerate through the shot. I think a bit more practice though and it'll start to come.

 

[Junior]

the way i was shown you can do either, its been a few weeks since ive been drilling it on th rang, but you could square it up for a cleaner contact, or open it up for a higher flight, just pay attention to the postion of the fac as you play about, as if you open the face it will go slightly right, and likewise if you close it slightly left, its getting used to it and its launch angles thats holding me back from taking it to the course, but general distance control and strike quality is more consistent.

Cheers, will give it a shot.