UPS just put this on the porch.
The PING ChipR
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2021
- Messages
- 33
- Reaction score
- 32
Nice. Hoping mine shows up tomorrow.
erock9174
Well-known member
When will it debut ? Chip around the yard ?
erock9174
Well-known member
I keep visiting my local store thinking they might put it out early. Wasn’t there tonight. Grrrr
Went by the local GolfTown (golf store in ontario, canada) and they had them in stock. Just a touch longer than the cleveland chipper. Pretty heavy head for some extra stability on those touch shots. I didn't take it into the simulator though. If you already have a cleveland chipper I don't know if this would move the needle too much, but if you are in the market for such a club definitely worthwhile checking out.
I'm going to try and make it to the range before work tomorrow morning.
First thing I noticed was the weight.
erock9174
Well-known member
Went to Galaxy ladt night because on Thursday it said they had 5 in stock. Before arriving to the store their site now said 0 in stock. I thought just have been a glitch. Maybe they never got any in.
A manager overheard me talking to a sales guy and said. Oh we had them. Got 5 in and before we could put them out people were here asking and all 5 sold. I was like What ??? He said yeah. We never anticipated that demand for a chipper.
So I went next door to a green grass shop who didn’t have them them the other day. They had 5 of them in. Had to pull the trigger.
A manager overheard me talking to a sales guy and said. Oh we had them. Got 5 in and before we could put them out people were here asking and all 5 sold. I was like What ??? He said yeah. We never anticipated that demand for a chipper.
So I went next door to a green grass shop who didn’t have them them the other day. They had 5 of them in. Had to pull the trigger.
Weight slightly forward, treat it like a putt from there is what works for me
erock9174
Well-known member
Basically how I do it. Feet are pretty narrow. Like maybe 7” apart. Ball middle of stance unless o want more height I move it forward. Lower runner ball off back foot. Hands slightly forward. Just make a putting motion and retain the hands forward. Never flip at it. I choke down to the end of the grip too. I’m shorter ( play a 32” putter) but for chips I’ve always like to get as close to the ball as possible for more feel.
Hulknohappy
New member
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 8
- Reaction score
- 6
I bought one with a regular Alta shaft like my 425 irons.
I recently switched to a minimalist setup but I took the 54° out and have wedge, chipr and 58°(Cbx).
I think you still need a lofted club if you are short sided over bunkers, in the bunker or in deep grass and I can hit 54 or 58 out the sand, so 54 has been removed which coincidentally was the club I used around the greens.
Played 2 rounds and used it a lot.
Imo it’s a great club. Absolutely love it.
It’s easy to use around the green when you are in slightly thicker grass where putting would be a lottery. Just pick your landing spot and putt stroke it to there.Also if you are too far out to putt as well or hitting up to stun a bank etc. Good to use when you are stymied behind a tree or something to knock back up the fairway a bit.
It’s also surprising good from further out. The trajectory is much lower than a 9 iron but it’s very easy to get it to go straight.
I hit a shot from 100 yards to about 3 foot and another from 80 yards to about 5 foot. Another one from about 60 yards was still on the green but about 20 foot too long.
Getting the distance sorted will be the trickiest part on longer shots as it is going to run on more. Probably wouldn’t be the best if your course had lots of elevated greens
I play for enjoyment (10 handicap) and this club is just super fun to use. With the weight in the head you get a real satisfying connection.
I’ve seen myself being 20 yards out in the middle of the fairway and end up in the jungle behind the green due to a skulled shot many a time and I’m sure I’m not alone. That is far less likely to happen with this club.
I recently switched to a minimalist setup but I took the 54° out and have wedge, chipr and 58°(Cbx).
I think you still need a lofted club if you are short sided over bunkers, in the bunker or in deep grass and I can hit 54 or 58 out the sand, so 54 has been removed which coincidentally was the club I used around the greens.
Played 2 rounds and used it a lot.
Imo it’s a great club. Absolutely love it.
It’s easy to use around the green when you are in slightly thicker grass where putting would be a lottery. Just pick your landing spot and putt stroke it to there.Also if you are too far out to putt as well or hitting up to stun a bank etc. Good to use when you are stymied behind a tree or something to knock back up the fairway a bit.
It’s also surprising good from further out. The trajectory is much lower than a 9 iron but it’s very easy to get it to go straight.
I hit a shot from 100 yards to about 3 foot and another from 80 yards to about 5 foot. Another one from about 60 yards was still on the green but about 20 foot too long.
Getting the distance sorted will be the trickiest part on longer shots as it is going to run on more. Probably wouldn’t be the best if your course had lots of elevated greens
I play for enjoyment (10 handicap) and this club is just super fun to use. With the weight in the head you get a real satisfying connection.
I’ve seen myself being 20 yards out in the middle of the fairway and end up in the jungle behind the green due to a skulled shot many a time and I’m sure I’m not alone. That is far less likely to happen with this club.
I played 9 with mine the other day and had plenty of opportunities to use it. (Only 1 GIR) Still trying to sort out what type of stroke to use in what situation. Putting stroke, little wrist hinge? But overall I really like it.
erock9174
Well-known member
I ended up parting with mine. I think for it to have worked for me I would have needed to shorten it to 33-34" (I game a 32" putter and also choke down on the Smart Sole Chipper which is an inch shorter than the ChipR) and right now didn't want the risk of hacking up a club then losing out on resale if it never worked out. Once they come down in price a bit on the used market I may end up buying one again and experiementing a little more.
Some observations I had. It definitely looks and feels more like chipping a ball with an iron vs a traditional chipper. Which I never chip with irons. I either chip with one of my wedges or use my Smart Sole C.
Also when I hit a chip with it, sometimes it seemed to put a funky side spin on the ball. With the Smart Sole C its more of a straight back and through swing and usually seems to bounce and roll straight on the green. Looks wise, it flowed perfectly with my G425 irons. Feel was very nice. Has a premium feel to it.
Also, if one wanted to take full shots with it, no problem. I usually carry my 9i 125 yds and the ChipR was a pretty automatic 120 yd club that stopped quickly. Hair lower flight than the 9i but seemed to have a ton of spin.
Some observations I had. It definitely looks and feels more like chipping a ball with an iron vs a traditional chipper. Which I never chip with irons. I either chip with one of my wedges or use my Smart Sole C.
Also when I hit a chip with it, sometimes it seemed to put a funky side spin on the ball. With the Smart Sole C its more of a straight back and through swing and usually seems to bounce and roll straight on the green. Looks wise, it flowed perfectly with my G425 irons. Feel was very nice. Has a premium feel to it.
Also, if one wanted to take full shots with it, no problem. I usually carry my 9i 125 yds and the ChipR was a pretty automatic 120 yd club that stopped quickly. Hair lower flight than the 9i but seemed to have a ton of spin.
My Chipper broke the last round of the year and needs to be replaced.
Hows' everyone feeling about these after a full season?
Hows' everyone feeling about these after a full season?
I am liking mine. What I have learned, and am still trying to remember, is picking out the correct landing spot. I have always chipped with my 9i, and the ChipR tends to run out more. It's really good for coming out from under trees and positional shots. Also good, for me, from 50 yards in. I have chipped in from well off the green twice.
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2017
- Messages
- 24,234
- Reaction score
- 25,760
- Handicap
- 17.2
They had a lefty used one at GG last week when I went in last week. Would have been tempting in a righty just to mess around with.
I’ve been looking at these for a while but that price tag…Hadn’t had a chance to demo one in the wild either. Got paired up with a couple nice gentleman Friday and one happened to have one. He let me use it quite a bit since he didn’t seem to like it much. (In fairness to the club he had a really bad short game.)
I carry a Cleveland C so I got to do a side by side comparisons on several occasions. My thoughts are very positive. First thing I noticed is how upright it is. And I mean REALLY upright. I frequently will position my wedges upright like this and chip when a shot calls for it anyway. With the ChipR it’s built in. Big time. Which I liked. The loft is considerably lower than the C. ChipR is 38.5 C is 42. Both will get a surprising amount of bite if you hit down on them. The ChipR less of course. But if you are hitting into an uphill slope it will grab well enough. Looks wise, this guy was playing with a set of ping irons as well and it blended well with his set. I didn’t get an opportunity to hit a full shot with it so I can’t speak to that. Not yet. I really liked it so I pulled the trigger. I look forward to bump and run bliss with this club. So more feedback to come for anyone interested.
I carry a Cleveland C so I got to do a side by side comparisons on several occasions. My thoughts are very positive. First thing I noticed is how upright it is. And I mean REALLY upright. I frequently will position my wedges upright like this and chip when a shot calls for it anyway. With the ChipR it’s built in. Big time. Which I liked. The loft is considerably lower than the C. ChipR is 38.5 C is 42. Both will get a surprising amount of bite if you hit down on them. The ChipR less of course. But if you are hitting into an uphill slope it will grab well enough. Looks wise, this guy was playing with a set of ping irons as well and it blended well with his set. I didn’t get an opportunity to hit a full shot with it so I can’t speak to that. Not yet. I really liked it so I pulled the trigger. I look forward to bump and run bliss with this club. So more feedback to come for anyone interested.
My kids have seen me chip (worst part of my game- skulls and chunks a-plenty) and two of them teamed up and gave me the Chip-R for Christmas. I hadn't played in 6 weeks but we had a nice thaw recently and I played two partial rounds Sunday and Monday. Fantastic results from 20 yards-in and stuck a couple within three feet. So far, I'm a fan- I just need to decide which club to pull from the bag. 
I’ve been looking at these for a while but that price tag…Hadn’t had a chance to demo one in the wild either. Got paired up with a couple nice gentleman Friday and one happened to have one. He let me use it quite a bit since he didn’t seem to like it much. (In fairness to the club he had a really bad short game.)
I carry a Cleveland C so I got to do a side by side comparisons on several occasions. My thoughts are very positive. First thing I noticed is how upright it is. And I mean REALLY upright. I frequently will position my wedges upright like this and chip when a shot calls for it anyway. With the ChipR it’s built in. Big time. Which I liked. The loft is considerably lower than the C. ChipR is 38.5 C is 42. Both will get a surprising amount of bite if you hit down on them. The ChipR less of course. But if you are hitting into an uphill slope it will grab well enough. Looks wise, this guy was playing with a set of ping irons as well and it blended well with his set. I didn’t get an opportunity to hit a full shot with it so I can’t speak to that. Not yet. I really liked it so I pulled the trigger. I look forward to bump and run bliss with this club. So more feedback to come for anyone interested.
Well, Hadn’t really updated on this. So here’s one… So I took my PW out of the bag so I could carry the Ping ChipR and the Cleveland C for a couple rounds. The verdict? The Cleveland C beats out the ChipR for me. I ended up returning it. Few reasons why:
-The weight of the head. It’s simply too heavy for my taste. When you combine the weight and the low loft it makes it very difficult to control the distance consistently.
-The upright lie. At first I saw this as a plus. But after gaming it for a few weeks I found that to be a little troublesome and makes the club even more one dimensional.
-The sole. Maybe I’m a little spoiled by the Cleveland Smart Sole which is crazy wide but the ChipRs sole just didn’t work for me.
Now like all clubs, what works for me may not work for you and vice versa. But I think the Cleveland C is a more functional Chipper. And far more versatile. I can easily simulate what the ChipR does with a bit of extra shaft lean. I hope at some point Cleveland makes the C in a 46 degree option. That would be fun. Id be that guy. 42,46,50 and 58 Smart Sole Wedges.
No doubt the head is heavy but I got good results. I found it easier to chip with than a 7 or 8 iron, probably because of the wide sole. I plan to pop a counterweight in the grip and see how that feels.Well, Hadn’t really updated on this. So here’s one… So I took my PW out of the bag so I could carry the Ping ChipR and the Cleveland C for a couple rounds. The verdict? The Cleveland C beats out the ChipR for me. I ended up returning it. Few reasons why:
-The weight of the head. It’s simply too heavy for my taste. When you combine the weight and the low loft it makes it very difficult to control the distance consistently.
-The upright lie. At first I saw this as a plus. But after gaming it for a few weeks I found that to be a little troublesome and makes the club even more one dimensional.
-The sole. Maybe I’m a little spoiled by the Cleveland Smart Sole which is crazy wide but the ChipRs sole just didn’t work for me.
Now like all clubs, what works for me may not work for you and vice versa. But I think the Cleveland C is a more functional Chipper. And far more versatile. I can easily simulate what the ChipR does with a bit of extra shaft lean. I hope at some point Cleveland makes the C in a 46 degree option. That would be fun. Id be that guy. 42,46,50 and 58 Smart Sole Wedges.
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2017
- Messages
- 24,234
- Reaction score
- 25,760
- Handicap
- 17.2
Chipped around with one of these at Golf Galaxy. Not a bad club honestly. Would be super easy to hit bump and runs with. Much better design than the Cleveland Smart Sole C and the Oddyssey thing from a few years ago to my eye.
erock9174
Well-known member
Now like all clubs, what works for me may not work for you and vice versa. But I think the Cleveland C is a more functional Chipper. And far more versatile. I can easily simulate what the ChipR does with a bit of extra shaft lean. I hope at some point Cleveland makes the C in a 46 degree option. That would be fun. Id be that guy. 42,46,50 and 58 Smart Sole Wedges.
Cleveland has never done a 46* chipper, but in the Gen 1 Niblick they offered 37/42/49/56 options. In the Gen 2 Niblick they also had a 49*. might be worth looking into if you want more loft.
Wished they would offer those lofts again in the Smart Sole C. I like my C but sometimes wished it was higher lofted. 46 or 49 might be perfect. I have had an ebay search on the 49* Niblick. I didnt care for the Gen 2 so have been searching for a Gen 1 and they are hard to come by
The Niblick is the origin of the Smart Sole for sure. I also had the Gen 1 37,42,49,56. They were great. But unfortunately they all have the square zip grooves and are now non-conforming. If it wasn’t for that I would still be using them. I didn’t care for the Gen 2 Niblick either. The Smart Soles are great. Maybe one day Cleveland will make a 46 SS. Going from 42 to 50 never made much sense to me. A 46 is a natural addition.
A lot of people complaining about the cost ($179 last I looked) have no problem spending $450 on a putter, $150 to $200 for a wedge, or $500 to $600 for a new driver. Not sure I get the distinction. Golf clubs are expensive.
Maybe its because Most chippers cost around $50. I am going to PGA SS this week to test one of these out.