With what club do you chip?

[Tommy Williamsen]

So it seems everyone is saying, "I have my own way of doing things and it works for me."

[Ken Moum]

So it seems everyone is saying, "I have my own way of doing things and it works for me."

I think that's only true if you look at in a very narrow way.


I see two basic schools of thought.


One is like the way Mickleson, and virtually every Tour pro, chips. Using a very lofted club and hitting it low, often as low as possible.


The other approach is the often-touted idea of using many different clubs.


While there are certainly some variations within those two schools, they are much smaller than the difference between the schools.


Both methods do work darned well. I have chosen the high-loft version for one reason. Every time I tried, or watched someone else try, to hit a chip out of a cuppy lie with a 7 iron or the like it results in thin or fat shots. If your hands are ahead enough to get to the ball, you need the loft.


And since I have gotten pretty good at that, I couldn't see a reason to use a different method for other chips.

[Wade Whitehead]

Sorry, duplicate post.

[Wade Whitehead]

So it seems everyone is saying, "I have my own way of doing things and it works for me."

I think is also depends on the maintenance meld at whatever course you're playing.

One local course has "frog hair" fringe, then rough, around every green.  Most guys there play a shot with a wedge that rolls out (carrying it ~25% of the way to the hole).  There aren't many other choices.

A course with shorter grass around the greens offers more choices.  If the lie is tight enough, a sand wedge becomes a difficult play.

An old friend says #2 is his favorite course in the world because, if he plays well, he knows he'll hit at least twelve of the clubs in his bag.  I remember him sharing this during a round and another player saying "You should play The Old Course.  You'll hit at least twelve different clubs just on shots around the greens!"

Choices are fun.

WW

[Tommy Williamsen]

Bermuda is both the easiest and most difficult greens from which to chip or pitch. With the grain it is very forgiving. Against the grain it is easy to chilly dip the shot. With the grain I can hit most any kind of shot I want. Into the grain I tend to hit a less lofted club.

[Joe Leenheer]

Plenty of schools of thought on this subject. I prefer students utilize a minimum of three clubs.


First.....the Putter....use it whenever you can.  And yes many of you would be better with it from 30 yards of the green then your wedge. 


If you feel you can't putt, we then move to either a mid iron (7 or and a lofted wedge (SW or LW).


Your lie and carry distance are the two main determiners of which club you should use.


When in close proximity to the green (no putt or bump and run option) I am an advocate of getting the ball on the surface as quickly as possible as it's more likely to stay on the green.  THE RULE when off the green is to avoid two chips....if you get up and down 60+% of the time then you have top 100 PGA tour skills.....so likely we just need to get it on, two putt, and move on.

[Jim Tang]

I use my 56* SW exclusively around the greens.  I manipulate the face if I need a lower running shot or a shot that gets more air.  I'm able to play a shot that runs out or a shot with spin and stops after a few bounces.  This is the strongest aspect of my game.


I prefer the one club approach which simplifies things in my very cluttered mind and breeds a consistent look/feel/touch for these types of shots.  I pretty much know how the ball will react off the club face on most shots from most lies.


I will sometimes use a putter off the green if the ground is relatively flat and dry.  Early morning rounds with dew are not conducive to putting from off the green.

[Pete Lavallee]

In the early 80’s I read Paul Runyan's book The Short Way to Lower Scores and adopted his method; grip the club with both hands at a 45 degree angle to the grip. The method is virtually wrist free and works with any club from a putter to a 4 iron. I wasn’t a very good pitcher in those days and could avoid hitting wedge shots and rely on chipping almost exclusively. The technique eliminates backspin from the shot and the ball runs out beautifully, tumbling towards the hole; just pick a club that lands the ball 3' on the green and let it run the rest of the way to the hole. Runyon developed the technique to conquer the sandy greens he grew up on in Arkansas. But changes in agronomy have severely limited that option. Lies are just to tight now to try and nip the ball right at the base of your stroke, which really worked well with that technique when there was a slight cushion of grass underneath. Especially because since you gripped the club like a putter the heal is way off the ground and it’s easy to stub the toe.


Now a days I chip with a more wristy backswing and a shorter follow through, like Phil’s hinge and hold technique. Anywhere from an 8 iron to the 60 degree wedge. Certainly more versatile for varying course conditions with tighter lies.