# Chip With One Club Or Many?



## 373

When you are just off the green, do you chip with one club or use a selection based on the situation?

Recently, while going through a bunch of my old golf magazines, I noticed articles with conflicting theories about whether to chip with hybrids, pitching wedge, sand wedge, gap wedge, 8 or 9 iron... practically any club in the bag.

I've always chipped and pitched with a variety of clubs, but with preference for my sand wedge.

What do you do and why does it work for you?


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## FrogsHair

I chip with a variety of clubs, and the situation dictates which club I might use. First of all I use the same chipping stroke, unless there is something weird going on, which might mean a longer or shorter back swing. I figure it is easier to keep the same swing, and let the different clubs do the rest of the work. Those golfers who use the same one, or two clubs for every situation also need to use different swings. I am not that good to use just one or two clubs for every situation. 

First thing I look at is the carry distance I need for my chosen landing area. Next is how much run distance I might need after the carry. Next is the terrain of the run. Does the ball need to roll level, up hill, or down hill after it lands? These three pieces of info tells me if I need a higher, or lower trajectory to get the required carry, and roll distance. The required trajectory gives me a pretty good idea which lofted club I might need to use. Since I suffer from the chronic "CRS Syndrome", I have a little reference book I keep in my bag that gives me among other things, a reference (carry & roll) of which club to use. That info was obtained from practicing various chipping situations around the green.

I might chip with any club from a 7W to my lob wedge. It just depends on what I need the ball to do. If a chip shot won't work, I can hit pretty good lobs with my wedges.

Speaking of landing areas, I always look the area over to to see if there is an uneven surface that may make the ball kick right, or left when it lands. I also keep the landing area in the same spot on the green as much as possible, which for me is about 2 feet on to the green's surface. Other times I might, (again depending on the situation) not land the ball on the green if I think landing it on the first cut (Frog's Hair) will serve me better. 

This is "my chipping story" and I am sticking to it......


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## Fourputt

I use what feels right at the time. Could be an 8I, PW, GW or SW. Most often PW or GW.


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## Big Hobbit

What Frog says.

I tend to think of them as a putt with a bit of air time. My intention is to get them back on the ground pretty much as soon as they're over the green and let them roll like a putt.


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## phil brown

If there are bumps to get over i tend to use a pitching wedge, bunkers to carry it goes to a sand wedge. straight run in i would always go for an eight iron to get it rolling asap. Of all the sets of clubs i have had, i have never felt comfortable using a nine iron for these or even a full nine iron shot:dunno:


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## twoputt

I'm starting to like this chip with many clubs style.. It's fun to practice and see what happens. I really like my 60* wedge for the short ones, for the ones with some green to work with I like the 8 iron or the 9. It's going to take some practice.


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## Surtees

I use many clubs if I'm close its my 58 lob or from a little further it might be my pitching or sand depending on the day and how I'm playing and if its a chip out of the rough it will prob be my 4 iron.


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## 373

I guess this might sound crazy, but when I use different clubs, I feel more like I can control the swing and let the club do more of the work. On really slow greens like Calusa used to have, I had trouble with pitch and run shots, judging how far to lob the ball versus how much it would run. That was complicated somewhat by inconsistency in the speed of the greens. 

Where I play now, the greens are much faster and I find a pitch and run more effective because a lob or sand wedge pitch might still run some, an amount hard for me to calculate. I'm finding the 50* gap wedge seems to be a good club when I have enough green to work with that I can toss the ball 1/2 way to the pin and let it roll out.

Does anyone actually use a hybrid to bump and run shots out of the fringe? I read about it in the monthly golf magazines, but I don't know anyone who has been able to get comfortable with it.


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## FrogsHair

Mike Adams and T.J. Tomasi in the book "Total Golf" discuss a chipping method using multi clubs. It is a calculation you would use to choose a specific club, for specific carry, and roll distance. They have two constants you need to remember. One being a landing area 1 foot on the green, and the other being the number "12".

"The Two Constants; 
1. Landing area on the green is 1 foot past the fringe.
2. The # 12.
The # 12 Calculation; With your normal stride measure the distance from the ball to the “1” foot on to the green landing area. This gives you a numerator. Next with your normal stride measure the distance from the “1” ft landing area to the hole. This number gives a denominator. Then reduce the fraction, and subtract the denominator from the # 12. The left over sum matches the club number to be used.

Example 1: 2 steps from the ball to the landing area. 6 steps from the landing area to the hole. OR 2/6. Reduced, this fraction becomes 1/3. Subtract 3 from 12 which = 9 or a 9i. 

Another Example; After using the formula with a different distance, if the golfer came up with a fraction of 1/6, it would be 12 minus 6 equals 6, or a 6i."

Of course with this method you would have to make adjustments for up hill, and down hill pin placements. Plus if your stride does not match your chipping stroke, other adjustments need to made. Also, if there is a problem with the 1 foot landing area, such a mound. I fool around with this method, and I can see it has merit. It is a little involved.


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## Fourputt

I don't know how anyone can play golf in such a mechanical manner. Especially around the green, it's all about feel. Even the mechanics depend on being able to judge which formula is required, or what to substitute for the unknowns, and that only comes with experience and feel for the lie, grass, etc. 

I look at the lie, then look for the spot on the green where I want to land the ball, based on how the shot feels to me. That spot is my target. From that point on, I ignore the hole completely. My only focus is on hitting the spot I've selected. If I execute that, and if my judgment is right, then the ball will roll out somewhere close to the hole.


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## broken tee

Frogshair, Rick: I have to lean towards Ricks way of thinking. I was at a chipping demonstration and the teaching pro explained and demostrated with the use of a 6 iron to a pitching wedge where the ball would hit and roll. plus he said the conditions will dictate how you want height and roll on the ball. Formulas may be an aid for some but that eye and brain makes the game more fun for me... I might be using a one cell when I play but thats my game


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## stevel1017

I'm with Fourputt too, i evaluate the situation and choose the shot.
My usual is my 56* but have been known to use even a 3 wood.


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## Surtees

I think the forumla is an interesting concept and is probably useful, it does interest me with the way I think, but that being said I go with my judgement and conditions of the day. Not that I always get that right...


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## FrogsHair

It was not my intentions to try to convert anyone to chip one way, or another. I just offered up Toski's, and Adam's little tid bit on chipping for informational purposes only. I have seen Toski chip, and I am sure he did not go through all the calculations. Maybe in his head, but certainly not pacing it off. I don't use their method, but I do use multiple clubs based on the situation i have to work with. I have hit enough chips, and pitches over the years to have a pretty good idea what will. and won't work for me. I sometimes walk the line I may want the ball on to take to look for irregularities on the green that need to be accounted for, but that's about it. I don't expect anyone to chip, or pitch the way I do, or use any variations I might share. I don't even expect them hold the club the way I do. When it comes to one's short game, it's a to each his own type of deal. What ever works for the individual, is what that individual should use in all facets of their game. :thumbsup:


broken tee said:


> Frogshair, Rick: I have to lean towards Ricks way of thinking. I was at a chipping demonstration and the teaching pro explained and demostrated with the use of a 6 iron to a pitching wedge where the ball would hit and roll. plus he said the conditions will dictate how you want height and roll on the ball. Formulas may be an aid for some but that eye and brain makes the game more fun for me... I might be using a one cell when I play but thats my game


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## Surtees

Very true frog and thats the great bit about this forum we all share our own ideas and no one puts anyone else down about the way they do or dont play. I am have been on other forums that this is differently not the case, but it is here which is great. I think as you said Toski chips and he might quickly run through it in his heads it like most thing its a task once you first learn it but once you are doing it, it becomes natraul.


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## broken tee

FrogsHair said:


> It was not my intentions to try to convert anyone to chip one way, or another. I just offered up Toski's, and Adam's little tid bit on chipping for informational purposes only. I have seen Toski chip, and I am sure he did not go through all the calculations. Maybe in his head, but certainly not pacing it off. I don't use their method, but I do use multiple clubs based on the situation i have to work with. I have hit enough chips, and pitches over the years to have a pretty good idea what will. and won't work for me. I sometimes walk the line I may want the ball on to take to look for irregularities on the green that need to be accounted for, but that's about it. I don't expect anyone to chip, or pitch the way I do, or use any variations I might share. I don't even expect them hold the club the way I do. When it comes to one's short game, it's a to each his own type of deal. What ever works for the individual, is what that individual should use in all facets of their game. :thumbsup:


I wasn't trying to bring anything negetive to your post. I thought I was just stating an opinion, sorry it came out wrong. Now if it were Surtees even if he was right or wrong I'd find the opposite to say. but I don't need a 5 iron placed up my backside when we play golf this summer


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## FrogsHair

No problem. I knew what you meant. I was just clarifying my opinion. And besides, I don't always carry a 5 iron :rofl:


broken tee said:


> I wasn't trying to bring anything negetive to your post. I thought I was just stating an opinion, sorry it came out wrong. Now if it were Surtees even if he was right or wrong I'd find the opposite to say. but I don't need a 5 iron placed up my backside when we play golf this summer


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## Stretch

I like to use the SW to stop it real close to my target, my PW to roll about 5' and the 9i for a bump and run.

I have see some stars use the hybrid for chips just off the green and have never tried it. Could be a nice trick to have in the bag if you want to practice it.

What feels good while you are looking over the shot usually works best for me.


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## Surtees

I played with this a bit more today and found i could chip my 8i futher then I thought although now I have learnt this is seems like a handy shot for strong winds from about 45m of. My chip saved my butt a fair bit today.


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## JamesS

I found my Up and Downs percentage greatly improved when I tried to use just a single club (7 iron). Obviously there are occasions when I need to use a higher loft but I mentally keep these down to a minimum.


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## broken tee

The 7 iron IMO is a multi purpose club and I think you make a good discussion that a club can be your versitile tool around the green.


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## garyinderry

anything from 9, pw, 52, 56 or 60. mostly pw or 52 atm.


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