how to decide what club to use for a chip shot...?

[Diesel]

depending on lie...

I understand the basic premise that you need to udge how far you want to carry the ball and how much roll you want after... more carry less roll, use a wedge, less carry more roll, use a short to middle iron...

i still need work on my feel with the longer chips...

my question is, if a ball is lying on a tight lie (little to no grass in behind or under the ball), and CLOSE to the green, what club would you use (assuming you didn't want to putt it)... would you use a very low bounce wedge...? my wedges 52-7, 56-13, 60-4 are my choices...

now if the ball was kinda lying down in the grass, would i use something with more bounce or a low bounce club...?

i "normally" just use my 52-7 for most chips, and I know it's hurting my scoring chances in some situations, and would just like to get some insight from more accomplished players...

[bjackson]

depends on the green for me. if its flatish, ill putt with an 8 iron. if the green is eundulating, ill try to stick a 60 close, so i dont have to worry about the contours...to each his own.

[choeppner]

I do all my chip shotw with my 0*. That way I can hood it if I want and keep it low and take off some sping, play it regular like a short pitch, or open it up for a flop. The main reason I go with the 60 though, is so I can get aggressive. I know that the ball will normally stop within 1-2 feet of where it hits. You can also vary the trajectory of the ball based on where you put it in your stance. Don't see me getting away from the 60 anytime soon :):)

 

Thats my 2 cents.

 

-CHRIS-

[Diesel]

i see lots of people use their 60* for chips... i just never felt comfortable using it...

 

with that much loft, seems like more of a chance of going completely under the ball, or perhaps bladeing it as well...

 

i think it's a comfort thing...

[choeppner]

It is a comfort thing. You're right. I've played with guys who will use nothing but a 7 iron around the green. It's all what you feel works best for you

 

-CHRIS-

[Rich71691]

for quwstion 1, I would use my 58.08 and check it up and let it roll a little

 

 

Question 2 I would use my 58.08 and let it roll about 5 feet, or if it is longer I will do about the same thing with my 54.10.

 

 

 

I don't like to hit low runny shots, I like to hit high almost no roll shots, they are easier to hit for me

Rich

[johnnystick77]

I do all my chip shotw with my 0*. That way I can hood it if I want and keep it low and take off some sping, play it regular like a short pitch, or open it up for a flop. The main reason I go with the 60 though, is so I can get aggressive. I know that the ball will normally stop within 1-2 feet of where it hits. You can also vary the trajectory of the ball based on where you put it in your stance. Don't see me getting away from the 60 anytime soon :)

 

Thats my 2 cents.

 

-CHRIS-

 

A 0*? I know you're a club ho' and all but D@mn. That's quite a pickup. Exactly how far do you hit that 0* club?

 

:)

 

 

In all seriousness, to the original thread: I think you're right on about how you SHOULD play those shots but they take a while to master. Chipping from everywhere with your gap wedge around the green doesn't leave you with many options when you're dealing with obstacles and undulations, etc.

 

As far as the question about a ball sitting down in the grass, IMO you can go either way depending on the ground below the grass. Low/Medium bounce would be best overall though in that situation.

[choeppner]

Damn. I meant 60* of course. LOL

 

Thanks bro

 

-CHRIS-

[mcbush25]

Well, for me it all depends on the lie. If I have a thin lie I will most likely use an 8 Iron and bump and run the ball up onto the green, but if I have a thicker, more fluffy lie I will use the lob wedge to toss the ball up on the green.

 

Hoenstly, I prefer to use the 8 iron if I can because I feel that I have better control over the ball as using the 8 iron is more like putting.

 

BTW, Chris....Do you have carpel tunnel syndrome yet? I just noticed you have 100 posts today. :)

[Diesel]

so you'll bascially just make a putting stroke at a ball 5 yards off the green from a tight lie...?

[smarshal75]

First off, great question to post. It is nice to see other players' short game strategies. There are so many variables and so much to learn.

 

I try to focus on two principles I was taught long ago by a friend: A) half the carry/half the role on pitch shots; and b) get the ball on the green in the least amount of distance possible when hitting a chip shot. With respect to A, I like using my 60* for fluffy lies where I can get under the ball and a 56* for tight lies, like a fairway cut, where I might have to punch the ball a bit; I try drop the ball half the distance to the cup and let the ball release the rest of the distance (hence, half the carry/half the role concept). For B, I usually employ a bump and run shot strarting with an 8-iron at about 10-yards off the green tight lie, decreasing a club as for every 3-yards closer to the green. The idea is to get the ball rolling on the green where less can go wrong (e.g., ball checking up, weird bounce, etc.).

[mcbush25]

so you'll bascially just make a putting stroke at a ball 5 yards off the green from a tight lie...?

 

Well, somewhat. I try to make more of a decending blow that way the ball gets a little lift on it. I can't hit a 60* on tight lie and if I do then most of the time I skull the ball and it flies OB, but if I use an 8 Iron I can come down on the ball some and and then just barely keep it off the ground and run it up on the green. It took me some practice to get used to doing it, but now I prefer doing it over anything else.

[choeppner]

BTW, Chris....Do you have carpel tunnel syndrome yet? I just noticed you have 100 posts today. :)

 

 

LOL. No not yet. I just am so bored lately I live on these sites. LOL Didn't know it was that many though. LOL.

 

-CHRIS-

[tickyboy]

I like to hit a low bump and run with my 56 around the green but from the fringe only, if i'm in the longer stuff i'll pull out the 60 and play the same shot but farther up in my stance, so it comes out higher and softer....

[Evil R1]

I'm always trying different stuff, but for me, it depends on how far I need to get the ball to the hole, the pitch of the green, speed of the green, etc.

 

I will do anything from putt with my 3 Wood if I'm less than 5' from the green with quite a disance to travel to chipping with and of my irongs from 8 - 52º, or using a wedge to try and get it close. I really don't have a formula for which shot I chooes, it's whatever one I have the most confidence in to get it really close.

 

One last item. From a really tight lie as indicated, I tend to stay away from useing my 60º to get it airborn and close b/c it's just to easy to hit it thin and send it right across the green or not swing hard enough and just slip the wedge under that ball and advancing it a whopping 5 feet foward and then having it roll 10 feet backwards :)

 

Thanks,

[bigpopper81]

I use my 60.04 for pretty much everything from ~110 and in unless the ball is up high on some fluffy grass; then I use my 56.14 because the higher bounce makes sure I don't go under the ball completely. The 60* is very versatile and I like using the same club so I always have a good handle on the distances because the loft is always the same. In addition, I use the putter whenever it is possible to use it, on or off the green. Less clubs used = more comfort/versatility with each one. I've never liked the roll I get with a 7 or 8 iron for chipping. On a chip, the 60* rolls plenty for me, and often too much still.

[golf-ccc]

Id' say>

 

Good lie, play your 52* to chip, distance control is basically 50/50 (fly-run), from there you make your calculations.

 

Bad lie, no bunker or hazzard in play, try your 7i

 

 

my 2c.

[Shaitan]

With the first question, it depends on how close you are to the green and if there is a bank in front of you. If you are a good distance away from the hole, use something like a PW or 9I - and the same thing if you are close and there is a bank in front of you to hit into. If you are close to the green with nothing in the road, though, probably use the texas wedge to make it easy.

 

For the second question probably use either your comfort club (52*) or the 60* to get it out of the rough. Again it depends on how far away u are from the green.

 

If you really like your 52* practise hitting the ball from different stances in your chipping setup. Put the ball in the front of your stance for high chips, back for bump and runs, and then in the middle for a normal chip.

[DeNinny]

I use PW for the majority (90%+) of my pitches and chips. This is mainly because I like to make the game as simple as possible and master one club with the only main variable being how high my backswing goes.

 

That said, I will use my 60 if I don't have enough green to work with.

 

I have also used an 8 iron to chip on rare occasions, but every time I always wonder why I didn't stick to the PW.

 

Once I feel I'm consistently hitting the PW for various shots, I may start using other irons more often, but for now my game is tuned to the PW/60 and knowing my 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 backswings with both of them.

[press]

I understand the basic premise that you need to udge how far you want to carry the ball and how much roll you want after... more carry less roll, use a wedge, less carry more roll, use a short to middle iron...

 

i still need work on my feel with the longer chips...

 

my question is, if a ball is lying on a tight lie (little to no grass in behind or under the ball), and CLOSE to the green, what club would you use (assuming you didn't want to putt it)... would you use a very low bounce wedge...? my wedges 52-7, 56-13, 60-4 are my choices...

 

now if the ball was kinda lying down in the grass, would i use something with more bounce or a low bounce club...?

 

i "normally" just use my 52-7 for most chips, and I know it's hurting my scoring chances in some situations, and would just like to get some insight from more accomplished players...

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

 

 

 

I have been experminting lately I took a old Titliest 962 gap and ground down most of the bounce in the heel so on tight lies I can play it back just a little and have no bounce and if its in the grass it still has the bounce left in the center. I can get it to play like a 8 iron all the way through a sand by opening it up. It has been very good for just about everything and only 1 club for just about everything