Clubs used for low-angle pitch shots?

[RoyalMustang]

I'm interested in what all of you like to use for a typical chip. Maybe something that carries 30% of the way to the pin in the air and 70% on the ground. Do go you closed gap wedge? Normal 9-iron? Something else? let's say you have 15 yards to the pin and are 2 yards off of the green. What about 5 yards airtime for 15 yards rollout? I'm looking to minimize error as much as possible; my short game is decent for my cap but by no means "good". My typical up and down rate is around 40%, although it has gotten a lot better with practice. I was even 7/9 in a recent round! 

 

Our greens are very fast, typically above 10, and I'm working on modulating my speed to be closer to the pin and save more pars. With our par 3 holes being 177/185/210/210, I get a lot of opportunities.  

 

I carry a 46/50/54/60.  

Edited October 24, 2023 by RoyalMustang

[Shilgy]

1 minute ago, RoyalMustang said:

I'm interested in what all of you like to use for a typical chip. Maybe something that carries 30% of the way to the pin in the air and 70% on the ground. Do go you closed gap wedge? Normal 9-iron? Something else? let's say you have 15 yards to the pin and are 2 yards off of the green. I'm looking to minimize error as much as possible; my short game is decent for my cap but by no means "good". My typical up and down rate is around 40%. 

 

Our greens are very fast, typically above 10, and I'm working on modulating my speed to be closer to the pin and save more pars. 

 

I carry a 46/50/54/60.  

IMO …it depends. Where the pin is on the green(not just distance)…slopes…is the green elevated…the lie…

[nsxguy]

34 minutes ago, RoyalMustang said:

I'm interested in what all of you like to use for a typical chip. Maybe something that carries 30% of the way to the pin in the air and 70% on the ground. Do go you closed gap wedge? Normal 9-iron? Something else? let's say you have 15 yards to the pin and are 2 yards off of the green. I'm looking to minimize error as much as possible; my short game is decent for my cap but by no means "good". My typical up and down rate is around 40%. 

 

Our greens are very fast, typically above 10, and I'm working on modulating my speed to be closer to the pin and save more pars. 

 

I carry a 46/50/54/60.  

 

I'm a big believer in the Pelz(?) method of using the lowest lofted club that will land on the green and roll out to the hole.

 

I think getting it on the ground asap is the easiest and safest way to play chip shots. Judging how far a rolling ball will go is a lot easier than flying the ball a longer distance and counting on my distance control and judgment of the spin/bite of the ball to end up by the hole.

 

That, and the mini-flop type of chip (more air time and little green time) is not a strength of mine.

 

Faced with that shot I'll often bump a low chip short of the green to a front pin. I've gotten reasonably good at that bump-and-run.

 

And also, there's a larger (contact) margin of error with a less lofted club.

[MattM97]

The answer like @Shilgy said is: it depends. Wedge game is very creative even if simple and basic. 

 

This is something I've worked and had to play with learning how to chip/pitch better this year. Gotta read the lie and see what it's like, have to see where you're going, what are you going over, what if you send it long or short, etc.

 

My coach has me basically taking the same feel for each shot just changing a few things: club choice (anything from 8i to 58°), grip (choke down, half, standard), Ball position (front, middle, back) and swing length. The only way to know which to use for what you're facing is practice and confidence, you may get it wrong a few times but next time you learn. Another thing honestly if you hit a bad shot, mark your ball on the green, drop another and just hit a practice shot. 

[Ger21]

I use my 56° with my hands well forward for 95% of my chip shots. I find that I'm much more consistent when I take my hands and wrists out of the equation. I'll occasionally use a PW or 9 iron when I'm just off the green and have 50ft or more.

[RoyalMustang]

1 hour ago, nsxguy said:

 

I'm a big believer in the Pelz(?) method of using the lowest lofted club that will land on the green and roll out to the hole.

 

I think getting it on the ground asap is the easiest and safest way to play chip shots. Judging how far a rolling ball will go is a lot easier than flying the ball a longer distance and counting on my distance control and judgment of the spin/bite of the ball to end up by the hole.

 

That, and the mini-flop type of chip (more air time and little green time) is not a strength of mine.

 

Faced with that shot I'll often bump a low chip short of the green to a front pin. I've gotten reasonably good at that bump-and-run.

 

And also, there's a larger (contact) margin of error with a less lofted club.

 

That’s a good point. Less loft feels like less room for error, especially directionally. My 50 has been my go to and it’s been fine on our quick greens. Sometimes I’ll use a 54/60 depending on the situation. I really have to cut down on my swing to use a 9-iron but will start practicing with it. Bummer the practice greens probably run at a 6 though.

[TheBiles]

7 or 8 iron like a putter if I’m just trying to get on the green and run to the hole. 

[phizzy30]

I'll use my 54* with hands forward to deloft it and play it about a ball back of normal.  

[CactusGolf]

Typically a 9 iron or a AW (48*).  Bad things happen when I try and chip with a SW.  Very bad things.

[acemandrake]

Hybrid from off the green can be handy under the right circumstances.  

[Jayjay_theweim_guy]

55 minutes ago, RoyalMustang said:

Less loft feels like less room for error, especially directionally

I can see that.  Ensuring alignment may be challenging.  Especially if you're going to get tricky like opening the face/standing up the handle.  Make really sure of your clubface direction, your stance, and alignment to your target.  

 

In your specific case---fly 5 yds, roll another 15---I am taking a surprisingly low-lofted club like my 6-iron, taking my glove off, and 'putting' with it to make the total shot 60'.  Which means one ball fwd of center, centered weight, handle in palms and reverse overlap, and shoulder rocking the pendulum the required distance.  The ball should pop up that 15' distance and roll for awhile.

 

(Different than my actual putting stroke which has the front of the ball just on the right edge of my target side foot.  The DF 2.1 is weird, and that is but one of the required accommodations.  I'll take sunk 34' putts though.  Like last night's 2nd practice putt.  Session over!)

[HeadCovered]

You have to use the highest lofted club that you can hit low enough check-and-stop type shots with. Think Jordan Spieth, what he does, hit those laser wedges that just hit the brakes. 

It's not always the shot, but the situation, lie, condition. 

But when you say the greens are fast, letting it go with a one hop and roll away type shot, I just don't think you get enough control, that you NEED the checker shot, which will always require something with a little more loft so you can spin and bite it. 

 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by HeadCovered

[Rosco1216]

The answer is whichever club works best for you and you find that out by going to the chipping green and replicating this very specific shot and practicing it. You’ll know very quickly what club and set up you’re most comfortable and consistent with. 

[Pepperturbo]

Being a feel player, I visualize the carry onto the green, and then what I want the ball to do, then I make it happen.  Ninety-eight (98%) percent of the time, I use PW, SW or LW, but now and again, 9i.  I chose club loft based on green speed, how much run over undulations and needed climb and trickle.  I use different impact spots on the face to manipulate the ball.  

 

Most of the greens I play are 10-12.  On my recent golf trip greens were huge and undulated and some elevated sections, speeds were 11+ and exposed to wind.  Lower lofted club would work, except the added 7i-8i speed has to be controlled by undulations and/or climb; otherwise, the ball is likely to be long.

 

Last weekend, 2' off the green, pin 16' away.  Using LW, and putting stroke, I "toe" chipped the ball over the apron cut, onto the green, and it rolled like a putt to 2".  Another time used a hooded PW from the front apron to land in the middle of the green, short of the base of a 4' elevated back section where the pin was; the ball checked then ran like a putt over a few undulations, then uphill and trickled back to pin high 3'.

 

What I won't do is make one or two clubs fit all shots; it's a recipe for being short, maybe long. 

[JahSteve]

8i (38*)  if chipping with a good amount of fairway btw ball and pin. GW/SW (51/56*) if closer to green. 

I do say that i have been using my 8i more even if close. Putter stroke and use "backswing" to determine roll out. I stink though.

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by JahSteve

[getitdaily]

I'm a firm believer in executing what you practice. If you have enough time to practice all 4 of those wedges and can execute a landing spot accurately 80% of the time with all 4 then great. 

 

If you can't then you should focus your practice time on the 54 and 60 so you're really good with them and then use them 95% of the time.

 

I rarely use anything other than the 54 and 60 because my limited practice time is spent making those 2 clubs deadly around the greens. 

[RoyalMustang]

36 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

Last weekend, 2' off the green, pin 16' away.  Using LW, and putting stroke, I "toe" chipped the ball over the apron cut, onto the green, and it rolled like a putt to 2".   

 

I did that exact same thing last night with my 60 to save par on a quick downhill green from greenside rough. Everything else was too quick for the conditions. But mine only got to around 3 feet from the hole. 

[Mikey_HACKilroy]

2 yards off the green wanting to hop on and roll?

I'm using an 8-Iron with a firm putter style stroke. I learned that from Nicklaus' "Golf My Way" years ago and it stuck. It's controllable and power control is similar to a putter stroke. It's one of many shots in the bag.

I want roll in that case, not air. The only elevation is simply to get it on the green and drop it. A PW is my max club loft for any sort of chip, but unusual for me to use it in that way.

[tipperi]

Even though popular opinion says otherwise, these type of shots is why I got away from "set" wedges including PW.

While yes, they are a touch more forgiving on full shots, I find that having a specialty wedge in my PW and GW gives me more options for hitting these type of pitch shots without worrying about the "hot spot" id get from something like a T200 PW/GW.

I also like that the grind and bounce of my 46/50/54 are all very similar, and it allows me to get comfortable while letting the loft do the work instead of manipulating the face or trying to lean the shaft too much.

Essentially, I us the Pelz method as others have mentioned and what club I use is determined about how far i want to carry it to the hole, the actual "swing" itself changes very little from the 46 to the 54.

[gvogel]

1 hour ago, HeadCovered said:

You have to use the highest lofted club that you can hit low enough check-and-stop type shots with. Think Jordan Spieth, what he does, hit those laser wedges that just hit the brakes. 

It's not always the shot, but the situation, lie, condition. 

But when you say the greens are fast, letting it go with a one hop and roll away type shot, I just don't think you get enough control, that you NEED the checker shot, which will always require something with a little more loft so you can spin and bite it. 

 

 

I don't practice enough, and am probably not talented enough to put spin on a lower wedge shot and stop it by the hole.

 

I use anywhere from an 8-iron to a PW, and even a SW, with a bent left arm, putting grip, and toe down.  Using a putting stroke without much wrist action takes a variable out of the shot.  I have gotten very proficient at chipping, which I was not when I tried to play it like a regular shot.

[iknowbagu]

I understand the idea behind the question, but it's just so situation dependent. Where in the round am I? How am I playing? Am I trying to make it or just get my par and move on? What's the lie like? How much break is there? You could give me the same shot a dozen times and I might hit a dozen different shots with eight different clubs. I just don't think there's a one size fits all answer, unfortunately. 

[Dabetic]

Many good answers already given. I'll just add that I'm good w my wedges but on these shots that require little carry and more roll...got the wedge out of my hands and embraced 8/9i. For me, this has reduced the reliance on feel + reduced error as the original post asks for

[HeadCovered]

3 hours ago, gvogel said:

I don't practice enough, and am probably not talented enough to put spin on a lower wedge shot and stop it by the hole.

 

I use anywhere from an 8-iron to a PW, and even a SW, with a bent left arm, putting grip, and toe down.  Using a putting stroke without much wrist action takes a variable out of the shot.  I have gotten very proficient at chipping, which I was not when I tried to play it like a regular shot.

 

I getcha, 

Again, it will always depend on the situation as well. If you’re short sided on a downhill slope with a green that’s undulated on that slope and running away from you down the hill, what would you do? Especially when the green is fast? Sure we’ll take our medicine and do what we can, but you might want that sliced under check spinner with the lob wedge.

When somebody says the green is fast - is it also firm? Like a Tour green firm? 
Depends on situation again, right? Are you just off the green in thick rough with a fringe to carry and only 3 steps to the hole, or are you on a tight, very tight fairway and the pin is on a side slope running away and the only way to get it close or in would be to hit a perfect roller that will take the curving slope and slow down near or go in the hole, but it has to be so perfect that if you could hit that check spinner you might be able to go more direct at it? 
 

just saying….. the certain situations call for certain shots, or you have to plan and execute all your misses to the far side of the green with plenty of room to run it.

 

or never miss greens so you can putt it lol 😝 

 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by HeadCovered

[acemandrake]

"Try using less loft. While it may seem counterintuitive, wedges with less loft, like a gap wedge, can often generate more spin on greenside pitch shots in wet conditions than sand or lob wedges.

 

Why? The ball will slide up the face less on a club with 50 or 52 degrees of loft, so the grooves can grab the ball more effectively. A gap-wedge pitch shot will come off on a lower trajectory, but the combination of the retained spin and the soft green can make the shot a smart option."

[HeadCovered]

6 hours ago, acemandrake said:

"Try using less loft. While it may seem counterintuitive, wedges with less loft, like a gap wedge, can often generate more spin on greenside pitch shots in wet conditions than sand or lob wedges.

 

Why? The ball will slide up the face less on a club with 50 or 52 degrees of loft, so the grooves can grab the ball more effectively. A gap-wedge pitch shot will come off on a lower trajectory, but the combination of the retained spin and the soft green can make the shot a smart option."

LOL!!!!

Complete and utter hogwash. 
but the KEY for that garbage above is SOFT GREENS. Well shoot you could use pretty much anything on soft greens it doesn’t matter really, it’s going to just dig itself into the soft turf and PLOP. 
 

but we’re talking about the guy who plays on FAST greens. 
 

Not only that, what’s so hogwash about this quote here is that, you have to ask, would you apply that to ALL clubs? 
So the quote is saying if you apply the same idea to say, 6 iron versus a 7 iron on a full swing, you would get more spin from a 6 than a 7. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Everybody knows that isn’t true. It’s amazing what sort of garbage misinformation people put out in the world of golf. If 4 degrees (say, between a normal 7 iron and 6 or thereabouts), between 2 clubs in general, generate 300, 400, 500 RPM differences up or down the club you go, how is a 52 wedge going to generate more spin than a 58????? And pressed forward and compressed with even less loft and expecting the ball to grab???? LOLOLOLOLOL Absolutely hilarious the lies being told in quotes like this.

Ya, I’ll just de-loft my 58 for the low traj, grab it for spin and actually STOP the ball, thanks, while I watch some dude try the same thing, same shot, with their 50 and see their ball fly off and roll away…… LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLO

 

And people wonder why, no matter how much they try and practice, such stuff doesn’t work……. And lose their game completely 

[Puttersaurus Rex]

28 minutes ago, HeadCovered said:

LOL!!!!

Complete and utter hogwash. 
but the KEY for that garbage above is SOFT GREENS. Well shoot you could use pretty much anything on soft greens it doesn’t matter really, it’s going to just dig itself into the soft turf and PLOP. 
 

but we’re talking about the guy who plays on FAST greens. 
 

Not only that, what’s so hogwash about this quote here is that, you have to ask, would you apply that to ALL clubs? 
So the quote is saying if you apply the same idea to say, 6 iron versus a 7 iron on a full swing, you would get more spin from a 6 than a 7. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Everybody knows that isn’t true. It’s amazing what sort of garbage misinformation people put out in the world of golf. If 4 degrees (say, between a normal 7 iron and 6 or thereabouts), between 2 clubs in general, generate 300, 400, 500 RPM differences up or down the club you go, how is a 52 wedge going to generate more spin than a 58????? And pressed forward and compressed with even less loft and expecting the ball to grab???? LOLOLOLOLOL Absolutely hilarious the lies being told in quotes like this.

Ya, I’ll just de-loft my 58 for the low traj, grab it for spin and actually STOP the ball, thanks, while I watch some dude try the same thing, same shot, with their 50 and see their ball fly off and roll away…… LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLO

 

And people wonder why, no matter how much they try and practice, such stuff doesn’t work……. And lose their game completely 

LMAO

[nsxguy]

On 10/25/2023 at 3:22 PM, acemandrake said:

"Try using less loft. While it may seem counterintuitive, wedges with less loft, like a gap wedge, can often generate more spin on greenside pitch shots in wet conditions than sand or lob wedges.

 

Why? The ball will slide up the face less on a club with 50 or 52 degrees of loft, so the grooves can grab the ball more effectively. A gap-wedge pitch shot will come off on a lower trajectory, but the combination of the retained spin and the soft green can make the shot a smart option."

 

On 10/25/2023 at 10:05 PM, HeadCovered said:

LOL!!!!

Complete and utter hogwash. 
but the KEY for that garbage above is SOFT GREENS. Well shoot you could use pretty much anything on soft greens it doesn’t matter really, it’s going to just dig itself into the soft turf and PLOP. 
 

but we’re talking about the guy who plays on FAST greens. 
 

Not only that, what’s so hogwash about this quote here is that, you have to ask, would you apply that to ALL clubs? 
So the quote is saying if you apply the same idea to say, 6 iron versus a 7 iron on a full swing, you would get more spin from a 6 than a 7. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Everybody knows that isn’t true. It’s amazing what sort of garbage misinformation people put out in the world of golf. If 4 degrees (say, between a normal 7 iron and 6 or thereabouts), between 2 clubs in general, generate 300, 400, 500 RPM differences up or down the club you go, how is a 52 wedge going to generate more spin than a 58????? And pressed forward and compressed with even less loft and expecting the ball to grab???? LOLOLOLOLOL Absolutely hilarious the lies being told in quotes like this.

Ya, I’ll just de-loft my 58 for the low traj, grab it for spin and actually STOP the ball, thanks, while I watch some dude try the same thing, same shot, with their 50 and see their ball fly off and roll away…… LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLO

 

And people wonder why, no matter how much they try and practice, such stuff doesn’t work……. And lose their game completely 

 

You might want to address your remarks to the original author, David Dusek.

 

You can find his Twitter contact info here - https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/short-game-wet-soft-conditions-wedges-to-help/

 

And I often wondered what LOLOLOLOLOL meant.

 

Is it LaughingOutLaughing OutLaughing OutLaughingOutLaughing Out,,,,Loud ?

 

Or LaughingOutLoudOutLoudOutLoudOutLoudOutLoud ? 

[philly2kuk]

For me it all depends as others have said - how long is the shot, any slopes, etc.

 

I played a lot of links golf when younger so learned how to bump and run from 5 iron down (probably 6 iron loft now). Take a bunch of clubs to the chipping green and just try things. You’ll soon get the hang of it and it can be fun if done with a friend. 

[Soloman1]

…

Edited October 29, 2023 by Soloman1

[Gtyler14]

I use 56/60 and most of the time I put it in the back of my stance and delight it. With doing that I can create enough spin if I need to and/or both a little spin for some run out.