Chipping with a 5 iron

[J-Blade]

I was just watching an interview with Max Homa at Pinehurst on TGC. He mentioned that he will probably use his 5 iron for chipping during the Open, depending on the lie. Way back when I was playing in college, our coach had us practicing that all of the time and I got fairly good at it, but I haven't tried this in years now. I can't even recall seeing a pro player do it. I figure that Homa knows more about golf than I do, plus he is also a local kid, so I'm going to start working on that again. It's a good way to get the ball over the fringe and rolling on the green. Have you guys ever tried it?

[Pepperturbo]

I am sure whatever irons Homa chips with, it has everything to do with the size of the greens and the condition of the turf leading up to the apron and green.  And if he uses 5i, he will be an exception.  PGA Pros seldom use more than 9i for chipping.  Now, Pros on the Champions Tour use all sorts of clubs.

 

Yes, I've chipped with 5i-7i, but that was more to familiarize myself with those clubs.  I won't bother with any club past 8i, and only use it if the pin is in the back of a big green with undulations.  Typically, 9i, PW, SW and LW handle all the greens I encounter, including 11-12 stimp greens and the large greens on Kapalu's Plantation and Wailea three courses.

[LBB]

Pinehurst has greens shaped like inverted plates with lots of run off areas meaning you don't have to carry a lot of heavy rough on greenside chips.  But if you miss the green in the wrong area you can get punished with the ball rolling back to your feet if you chip up with loft and mishit or misjudge the shot even a hair.

 

A 5i chip is a much shorter swing that has much less variation in spin and easier for pros who practice it to control their margin for error.  I don't necessarily think it will result in a shot that ends up closer to the hole as compared to chipping with a lofted wedge that is well executed, but I think it significantly decreases the chances of a blow up hole on a chip shot with marginal execution...which is the name of the game in the US Open.

Edited June 12 by LBB

[Tanner25]

I use a 6i from Launcher XL Halo irons and use it like a putter, works well when just off the green.

Edited June 12 by Tanner25

[azgreg]

35 minutes ago, J-Blade said:

I was just watching an interview with Max Homa at Pinehurst on TGC. He mentioned that he will probably use his 5 iron for chipping during the Open, depending on the lie. Way back when I was playing in college, our coach had us practicing that all of the time and I got fairly good at it, but I haven't tried this in years now. I can't even recall seeing a pro player do it. I figure that Homa knows more about golf than I do, plus he is also a local kid, so I'm going to start working on that again. It's a good way to get the ball over the fringe and rolling on the green. Have you guys ever tried it?

That was an excellent segment. Johnson Wagner has been fantastic.

 

[J-Blade]

Just now, azgreg said:

That was an excellent segment. Johnson Wagner has been fantastic.

 

I think so too. I've enjoyed his segments.

[DaveLeeNC]

50 minutes ago, LBB said:

Pinehurst has greens shaped like inverted plates with lots of run off areas meaning you don't have to carry a lot of heavy rough on greenside chips.  But if you miss the green in the wrong area you can get punished with the ball rolling back to your feet if you chip up with loft and mishit or misjudge the shot even a hair.

 

A 5i chip is a much shorter swing that has much less variation in spin and easier for pros who practice it to control their margin for error.  I don't necessarily think it will result in a shot that ends up closer to the hole as compared to chipping with a lofted wedge that is well executed, but I think it significantly decreases the chances of a blow up hole on a chip shot with marginal execution...which is the name of the game in the US Open.

 

Based on the on course report with Bryson and his iron lofts, I am guessing that Max is going with 5i because  his putter has too much loft 🙂

 

dave

 

ps. I agree - Johnson Wagner's reports are the best thing going on 'Live at the US Open'. 

[MattM97]

For us mortals a hybrid or wood work great, choke down, putting stroke, Bob's your uncle. 

[Archimedes65]

I took some lessons a few years back chipping with everything down to a 3 hybrid.  I found that it was much harder to get good chipping with eight different clubs than it was to do it with just a couple.  I can do a lot with just one or two wedges, just changing the face angle and swing to produce different types of shots.

 

More Johnson Wagner, less Brandel, Paige, and McGinley.

 

Edited June 12 by Archimedes65

[AllDunn]

I live about an hour from Pinehurst so I’ve had the opportunity to play #2 a handful of times. It never fails… our caddie will tell us to stop beating balls on the range and head over to the practice/chipping green next to hole 1 to start working with our putters and mid-low irons from off the green. 
 

I’d never use an 5i but I’m  definitely not in the same universe as max homa. I think you’ve got to be prepared to play a variety of shots when you inevitably miss these greens with some of  the tricky pin placements. 

[Liveonce]

1 hour ago, Archimedes65 said:

I took some lessons a few years back chipping with everything down to a 3 hybrid.  I found that it was much harder to get good chipping with eight different clubs than it was to do it with just a couple.  I can do a lot with just one or two wedges, just changing the face angle and swing to produce different types of shots.

 

More Johnson Wagner, less Brandel, Paige, and McGinley.

 

That’s what max said in the clip. He uses an 8i and a 5i , much easier to learn with just two clubs rather than 8

[NJBigFish22]

Yes, I use it quite often, I’m not a huge fan of putting from off the green.  I have used a 7 or 8 and lift the heal off the ground and make a putting stroke. 

[Cwebb]

4 hours ago, J-Blade said:

I was just watching an interview with Max Homa at Pinehurst on TGC. He mentioned that he will probably use his 5 iron for chipping during the Open, depending on the lie. Way back when I was playing in college, our coach had us practicing that all of the time and I got fairly good at it, but I haven't tried this in years now. I can't even recall seeing a pro player do it. I figure that Homa knows more about golf than I do, plus he is also a local kid, so I'm going to start working on that again. It's a good way to get the ball over the fringe and rolling on the green. Have you guys ever tried it?

 

Ray Floyd, one of the best chippers of all time, called it "putting with loft".  Don't let anyone convince you that today's course conditions don't allow it to work well.

 

It's basically just a putting stroke with a ball position, weight distribution, and angle of attack that forward brushes the turf.

 

Tour players aren't perfect.  They get locked into certain ways and thinking, just like anyone else.  Many out there on tour would improve their stats if they would commit to chipping with lower loft clubs.  Using a sand/lob wedge near the fringe with a lot of green to work with, is just making the game harder than it already is

[J-Blade]

Right, @Cwebb.. I remember our coach made us practice that a lot and use it in matches. The stroke/setup was exactly as you described. The 5-iron chip worked great, especially on sketchy lies. I think I'll start practicing it again. 

[Cliffy2020]

I think I’m going to try armlock on my 7w.  They’re about the same length - what could go wrong?  Lol 

[st1800e]

Many decades ago chipping with a 7 iron was a common thing. I recall my father, an elite am in those days,  preferred the 8.  
Converting those lofts to today’s irons an old 7 is more like today’s 9, and so on.  
Certainly just about any club can work and a variety are used by many these days.   
Max’s 5 iron is lofted like an old 3 iron, so I’d say it’s similar to a chipper, getting it rolling “on top” of the grass.  

[J-Blade]

43 minutes ago, Cliffy2020 said:

I think I’m going to try armlock on my 7w.  They’re about the same length - what could go wrong?  Lol 

I was at a Champions Tournament once where I saw Chi Chi chip with his driver.. Not sure I'd try that. 🙂

[otto6457]

Back in the late 80's-early 90's my best buddy and I drove down to Austin and took a 2 day Dave Pelz short game school.  Pelz was THE short game/putting guru of the day and we were pretty excited to get all tuned up by the man himself.

 

At the time he was teaching chipping where both feet were pointing forward toward the the target at around 45 degrees, ball behind the back foot, chop down steeply, and use as little loft as possible to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible.  We used all the way up to 3 irons for this technique.  I never really bought in to having the ball that far back, both feet facing so forward, or using all the way to a 3 iron.  (7 iron was about as little loft as I ever used)  The technique was pretty limited as far as I was concerned so I didn't work at it very hard. (sort of like his SBST putting stuff, I wasn't a fan)  But my buddy really got good at the technique.  He was a chipping machine after that school.  

 

Fast forward to last Sunday at the Rawls Course.  I still play a lot of golf with my buddy and we are on the par three 16th where he has left his tee shot about 5 yards short of the green with the pin in the back.  The green is a little over 100 yards long front to back.  I figure he had a 90 yard chip.  Out comes the 3 iron and he hits the Pelz chip to perfection.  It flies about 2 feet high and lands about 2 paces on the green and rolls to 4 feet.  I had to give him a golf clap for that shot..

 

When I saw where his ball was and how far the away the hole was, all I see is a 85 yard pitch shot.  I don't own a 90 yard chip shot.  Maybe I should have paid more attention back then.

[naval2006]

11 hours ago, st1800e said:

Many decades ago chipping with a 7 iron was a common thing. I recall my father, an elite am in those days,  preferred the 8.  
Converting those lofts to today’s irons an old 7 is more like today’s 9, and so on.  
Certainly just about any club can work and a variety are used by many these days.   
Max’s 5 iron is lofted like an old 3 iron, so I’d say it’s similar to a chipper, getting it rolling “on top” of the grass.  

I agree on the loft conversion in modern chipping.  True these days chipping with less lofted clubs is becoming old fashioned, especially because new clubs are hot off the face.  But good chipping with a 7/8/9 iron has always been an art.  

[Simpsonia]

Taylormade just put out a Tiger video with Morikawa and had a bit talking about bump and run chipping. He said as he was taught by Floyd, he'd use whatever club it took to land 1 yard on the green and run the rest of the way like a putt. So whether that was a 9i or even all the way down to a 4i, the lie and green contours dictated the club. Whole video is gold though, so definitely recommend watching the whole thing if you have time. 

 

Starting @17:09

 

Edited June 13 by Simpsonia

[Socrates]

I chip with whatever the situation calls for.  Could be a 56º or a 4i.  Last round, I had about 70 ft with only about 3 ft of fringe to carry.  6 iron just like a putter and got it to inside 2 ft for an easy par.  I had taken a 5i, 6i, 7i and a putter with me.  That time, I made the right choice. 🙂

 

[Cwebb]

13 hours ago, J-Blade said:

Right, @Cwebb.. I remember our coach made us practice that a lot and use it in matches. The stroke/setup was exactly as you described. The 5-iron chip worked great, especially on sketchy lies. I think I'll start practicing it again. 

 

and my opinion, along with Ray Floyd and another tour player and then instructor Phil Rogers, is to use any iron up to the lowest effective loft that you find for yourself.  Not just two favorite irons.

 

The goal is to use the club that will just carry a yard or so over the fringe cut, then go into a roll like a putt as soon as possible.  This will also allow you to hole more chips.

 

You don't want any check spin on the chip, if you can avoid it.  So if hitting into an up slope or into the grain, consider even 1 club less loft, to remove more spin and grab....resulting in a truer roll out that is easier to read like a putt

[doctor220]

14 hours ago, Cwebb said:

 

Ray Floyd, one of the best chippers of all time, called it "putting with loft".  Don't let anyone convince you that today's course conditions don't allow it to work well.

 

It's basically just a putting stroke with a ball position, weight distribution, and angle of attack that forward brushes the turf.

 

Tour players aren't perfect.  They get locked into certain ways and thinking, just like anyone else.  Many out there on tour would improve their stats if they would commit to chipping with lower loft clubs.  Using a sand/lob wedge near the fringe with a lot of green to work with, is just making the game harder than it already is

Tour players would not be better if they used irons more around the green. Irons are unpredictable speed wise off the face and the first bounce. It’s a niche shot for very specific conditions. It is not a standard shot for elite players for a reason. 

[Cwebb]

24 minutes ago, doctor220 said:

Tour players would not be better if they used irons more around the green. Irons are unpredictable speed wise off the face and the first bounce. It’s a niche shot for very specific conditions. It is not a standard shot for elite players for a reason. 

 

Incorrect.  Speed is no issue at all, if you use a short enough swing.  The problem is that most players are so used to a longer pitching swing length for everything.  A chip is a shorter back swing,....then speed control becomes nearly as easy as a putt.

 

and the first bounce is more predictable, because a lot of spin is being taken off.  So whether you happen to land on a soft spot, a firm spot, grain, no grain,....the ball behaves more consistently.

 

[Pepperturbo]

Watching the Open this morning, I was reminded, iron lofts of Pros tend to be more traditional.  NOT the same as most people posting in this thread.  Scheffler's P7TW MB 5i if stock is 27' verses strong lofted 5i is 23'-25' resulting in a notable difference if used for chipping.

 

 

[GoGoErky]

9 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

Watching the Open this morning, I was reminded, iron lofts of Pros tend to be more traditional.  NOT the same as most people posting in this thread.  Scheffler's P7TW MB 5i if stock is 27' verses strong lofted 5i is 23'-25' resulting in a notable difference if used for chipping.

 

 

I’ve used a 5i in the 23-25 range for chipping with no problem. P790, i525, miura cb301. It’s not that hard of a shot. Have also done it with titleist mbs and cb716

 

Edited June 13 by GoGoErky

[Ty_Webb]

When I find a mid to longer iron useful for chipping is if I have a big bank to go up like a false front, I like to play those along the ground for various reasons that rhyme with tipping pips. With a putter it can be hard to give it enough speed to get up a steep bank. Then a fairly straight-faced iron can be a god send. You can hit it basically along the ground and the longer shaft gives it more pop, so the ball can get up those banks more effectively and you don't feel like you have to smash it. Definitely one to practice though. Not one to bring out in a tournament for the first time. 

[Pepperturbo]

6 minutes ago, GoGoErky said:

I’ve used a 5i in the 23-25 range for chipping with no problem. P790, i525, miura cb301. It’s not that hard of a

shot 

 

I didn't say it was hard or not doable.  I said I wouldn't use a traditionally lofted 5i, much less a strong lofted one.  There's no need for that loft inside the yardages you state.  I am used to large 11-12+ stimp greens, never used more than a 7i.

 

FYI, pros are not used to using much more than 9i for chipping.  If someone uses 5i, it will be fun to watch.  Yesterday, I watched an announcer use 5i and putter from just off the green.  The result wasn't good for either.

 

If that works for your game, fine.

Edited June 13 by Pepperturbo

[smashdn]

Rarely would I use anything more than a 7i.  Mostly due to the condition of the lie and grass height, I don't want a 5i hanging in that stuff and closing the face down.  But also due to the length of the club.  When I use something other than a wedge to chip with I try to choke down and play the toe down so the heel doesn't hang.  A 5i is pretty long to be doing that with.

 

I know some folks chip with woods and hybrids but I never got a feel for that due to length of the club.

[J-Blade]

1 hour ago, doctor220 said:

Tour players would not be better if they used irons more around the green. Irons are unpredictable speed wise off the face and the first bounce. It’s a niche shot for very specific conditions. It is not a standard shot for elite players for a reason. 

Respectfully, watch the video.. If Tiger says it works, I'll go with that. Would you say that for most of us, chips with wedges are predictable? I've made more chili dips that way than Carroll Shelby 🙂