Chipping - change club or length of stroke for distance control?

Rearviewmirror · January 31

Hi folks,

I'm a Dan Grieves devotee and I've been trying to work on my up/down percentage as it's one area of the game that I'm currently struggling. While I know there are a LOT of dimensions to chipping (lie, elevation change, amount of green to work with, space behind hole etc) I want to know if you primarily change club and make a similar length of swing for different distances of chip, or whether you primarily change stroke length for different chip distances.

Scenario:

The ball is sitting in a good lie in the semi-rough on the edge of the green (too bumpy to putt), the green is completely flat and you are chipping across the grain (not up or downgrain). Imagine you face this shot to 3 different pin distances - 10ft, 20ft, and 30ft.

How do you change what you do for those three shot lengths? Are you taking a longer stroke with the same club, or are you changing club and making a similar length of swing? I added a poll for fun to see how people get on with their chosen approach. I chose distance from the hole vs up/down % as it takes out the putting element.

I know that conventional wisdom is that club choice is primarily going to determine how much a chip runs out (release 1 for Dan Grieve aficionados) and so comes into play a lot if your ball either has to clear an obstacle, or you want it to roll out more to go uphill, but I would love to know how other golfers approach this.

I've been experimenting with using only two clubs to chip (PW and 8 iron) - with PW shots for anything more downhill and inside of 15 feet, and then 8i for anything uphill. I find that I hit a "max" distance with the PW where I need to start to make such a long stroke that it either compromises contact, tempo, or still ends up short.

Hawkeye77 · January 31

Interesting question, IMO. Not an "emergency" but I could see Grieve with a release one, toe down 60 degree even out to 20-30 feet, or a 54/56. Hard to say and what kind of spin needed for control. I might use a hybrid or 58, and I'm not good at the toe down stuff and not a devotee of his release one style, but even a 58 with a square face and good contact will have plenty of spin IMO for the one 10 feet away. The other two, sure, I guess chip and run or hybrid and green speed and firmness dictate which wedge likely my 54 for both. I'm not seeing all that much difference - there are three choices but just out to 30 feet from a good lie on the edge of the green.

Of course, all that being said, I probably just typed more than I'd actually think about it, haha, so who knows where they would go.

Edited January 31 by Hawkeye77

gioguy21 · January 31

loaded question b/c it's not simple as "change the club" or "change the effort" -

people with good short games would tell you it depends. most can hit various chips with multiple clubs to STILL get it to that distance around the hole. for instance - you could chip with a 54* wedge opened up and throw it with more effort further into the green and still get it to that circle, or, you could play it back of the stance closed face and hit with less effort to get a runner to the same circle.

or you could change your club based off a given effort to chip it to that circle. quite an open question

Pepperturbo · January 31

I am 100% feel, no overthinking analysis or mechanical paralysis, and never think about the swing nor consider the OPs three shot scenarios, or two change options, none of which are likey during a round.

I have practiced chipping in my office, nearly every wk day, since taking up golf in the 90s. From a mat, out the office door, down the hall to a net in an empty adjoining door jamb.

I first visually take a picture of the green, then touch on green conditions (grain, green speed, wet/shadow conditions, undulations, run-offs, and other potential influences), then take note of pin location, then how far I need to throw the ball in the air, so it lands, bounces, checks, and runs out to the cup; my expectation is within 2'. I think about club head spin and what my DASH-ProV1x ball tends to do under present conditions, and then decide the club; 9i, PW, SW or LW.

Recently, I faced apron chipping down hill, on 11 stimp green, about 25'. Using the toe of my 58 LW; lifted the heel and my stroke was putter like; ball landed about 4' on, started rolling down hill, then slowed to a trickle ending left 1' for a tap in par.

Edited January 31 by Pepperturbo

EdY · January 31

For me, lie, loft/roll distance and grass type dictate the club and method. Change any variable and the club/method can change. It’s all about feel.

ShortGolfer · February 1

If I have a clear path to the hole and want a lot of roll I'll pull my 8H. Seems to give me the best feel for the proper distance.

EddieEdwards · February 1

I assess lie, determine where I want to land it, how much it needs to roll. Pick a wedge 50, 54, or 58 and judge distance by feel. I hit a lot of chips to 5-6 ft.

Making the same stroke and using a different iron pretty much only works right next to the green on the courses I play. Therefore, I limit practice and play to wedges.