I stuck a 60 gram counterweight in mine last night. Can't wait to try it. Feels like a sledgehammer but very stable with a putting stroke.
The PING ChipR
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2021
- Messages
- 1,244
- Reaction score
- 672
- Location
- Aiken, SC and Fancy Gap, VA
- Handicap
- Mid-20s
From a looks standpoint the Ping model is a definite improvement. I have an old chipper from somewhere around 20 years ago that looks like some form of alien golf club with training wheels. Never did actually find a spot in the bag for it.
spokora
New member
I bought one used from my local shop for $70, mint condition, just to mess with. Took it to the course for the first time this morning. Pulled my 3 wood from my bag since I know I never hit it at the course. I hit it three times:
- Drive landed by a tree about 80 yards from pin. tree branches blocked anything over 8 feet. I hit ChipR with a big putt swing and ended up 12 feet behind the hole. 2 putt par.
- Cut the corner on a par 4, 40 yards off the green. Hit ChipR to 4 ft. Birdie.
- Hit over the green on a par three, nestled against brush OB, 20 yards. Hit ChipR instead of taking drop. Ended up 3 ft. Par.
This was with absolutely zero practice. I am not sure (except for shot #2) that any club in my bag would have been able to pull off the shots. I did not envision me keeping it in the bag, but after today...might have to find a spot.
- Drive landed by a tree about 80 yards from pin. tree branches blocked anything over 8 feet. I hit ChipR with a big putt swing and ended up 12 feet behind the hole. 2 putt par.
- Cut the corner on a par 4, 40 yards off the green. Hit ChipR to 4 ft. Birdie.
- Hit over the green on a par three, nestled against brush OB, 20 yards. Hit ChipR instead of taking drop. Ended up 3 ft. Par.
This was with absolutely zero practice. I am not sure (except for shot #2) that any club in my bag would have been able to pull off the shots. I did not envision me keeping it in the bag, but after today...might have to find a spot.
erock9174
Well-known member
I’ll be curious to see if you like it from closer around the green. That was my issue. I normally use my 56, 60 or 42* smart sole C to chip with. The ChipR came off more like a 9i or 8i and I’ve never been good with chipping with irons. Just no speed control with it.
The ChipR arrived yesterday.
I asked for 39.5 loft and 35.5 inches, and 1 degree flat. It is heavy at the bottom. Stable. It has about 1.5 times the sole of my i230 7i.
It is a great looking club. Blends in well with the i230 - similar finish, iron-like but yet, it is not.
Why did I purchase?
Thought it would work on very tight lies, dirt, and the wet. You know, those shots that make you question why you are playing golf - the fats, the digs, the thins come to mind, as well as the embarrassment of the shot that goes nowhere. But let's stay on the positive.
I also brought my 55 SW to compare with the ChipR. From @Jman 's post in the short game thread, I had success yesterday aggressively using the bounce at the short game green with the 55.
With normal fairway conditions, both clubs were about the same consistency with more spin with the 55. On weird lies - ball above, below, no turf, let's face it, the ChipR does the job, can even get over a bunker when the bunker is close and it easily gets over it but expect run out. If you have a good lie, that 55 or 59 does fine to stop. The ChipR helps when you have a tight or very wet lie.
You can also use a putting stroke, half swing, or pop it like Scheffler. I was at the bottom of a green sloping up, and popped it - ball went about 3 feet off the ground, hit, and settled after several feet. That does not work on a level green, but on an upslope - oh, yeah.
I then hit some 80 yard shots - it was easy. Use a square face, stand closer to the ball than a regular iron - 69 of lie angle for me - and take a half swing. Goes 15-20 feet in the air and rolls well - bump and run on dry, links or tight, courses with poor lies comes to mind.
I saw @donny475 play his square strike chipper on Monday with success, and so I was waiting for mine to arrive. I may take out a 5 wd and just keep the 3HL and utility in the bag, or put the 50 aside and use the PW, gripping down on it.
First impressions are good. It does take some education near the green. Like others have said, it rolls more than a well-hit wedge. And when comparing the two clubs near a green with a decent lie, the 55 is more consistent using its bounce. Although right off the green if you have some irregular conditions or lie, I would use the ChipR like a putter - relaxed and allow the club to do its thing.
Its use may depend on the course and conditions, but I can see it in the bag. Did I think I would say that after using it? No. But it does have real possibilities. Just be judicious in its use.
I asked for 39.5 loft and 35.5 inches, and 1 degree flat. It is heavy at the bottom. Stable. It has about 1.5 times the sole of my i230 7i.
It is a great looking club. Blends in well with the i230 - similar finish, iron-like but yet, it is not.
Why did I purchase?
Thought it would work on very tight lies, dirt, and the wet. You know, those shots that make you question why you are playing golf - the fats, the digs, the thins come to mind, as well as the embarrassment of the shot that goes nowhere. But let's stay on the positive.
I also brought my 55 SW to compare with the ChipR. From @Jman 's post in the short game thread, I had success yesterday aggressively using the bounce at the short game green with the 55.
With normal fairway conditions, both clubs were about the same consistency with more spin with the 55. On weird lies - ball above, below, no turf, let's face it, the ChipR does the job, can even get over a bunker when the bunker is close and it easily gets over it but expect run out. If you have a good lie, that 55 or 59 does fine to stop. The ChipR helps when you have a tight or very wet lie.
You can also use a putting stroke, half swing, or pop it like Scheffler. I was at the bottom of a green sloping up, and popped it - ball went about 3 feet off the ground, hit, and settled after several feet. That does not work on a level green, but on an upslope - oh, yeah.
I then hit some 80 yard shots - it was easy. Use a square face, stand closer to the ball than a regular iron - 69 of lie angle for me - and take a half swing. Goes 15-20 feet in the air and rolls well - bump and run on dry, links or tight, courses with poor lies comes to mind.
I saw @donny475 play his square strike chipper on Monday with success, and so I was waiting for mine to arrive. I may take out a 5 wd and just keep the 3HL and utility in the bag, or put the 50 aside and use the PW, gripping down on it.
First impressions are good. It does take some education near the green. Like others have said, it rolls more than a well-hit wedge. And when comparing the two clubs near a green with a decent lie, the 55 is more consistent using its bounce. Although right off the green if you have some irregular conditions or lie, I would use the ChipR like a putter - relaxed and allow the club to do its thing.
Its use may depend on the course and conditions, but I can see it in the bag.
Did I think I would say that after using it? No. But it does have real possibilities. Just be judicious in its use.
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I spent an hour with the ChipR.
1. First around the practice green. When not to use it - 15 yards off the green but approaching the green it slopes downward before rising again and the green begins - the hole short-sides you. It's tough to hit the side of the slope consistently to slow the ball down. If you do not hit the side of the green, you've got too much speed. Of course, if you have more room to the hole, not a problem.
2. When you are 3-4 yds off the green or in light rough and no big elevation changes - I tried several techniques. On a 25 foot putt off the green, I found a slowish tempo worked - putting setup, ball in middle, shaft almost vertical. A faster tempo sent the ball too far. Of course, if you have a 40-50 footer, not a problem. But the slowish tempo worked on shorter shots around the green, and I was gripping down almost to the steel.
3. I worked on a 70-80 footer from 4 yards off the green and in light rough - I wanted to get roll, and not spin so I put it back of middle of stance - mixed results, then I put it in front of stance, got in the air slightly, got some spin, and rolled short. Put it in middle of stance ... I need to work on this one - had some success but also failures.
1. First around the practice green. When not to use it - 15 yards off the green but approaching the green it slopes downward before rising again and the green begins - the hole short-sides you. It's tough to hit the side of the slope consistently to slow the ball down. If you do not hit the side of the green, you've got too much speed. Of course, if you have more room to the hole, not a problem.
2. When you are 3-4 yds off the green or in light rough and no big elevation changes - I tried several techniques. On a 25 foot putt off the green, I found a slowish tempo worked - putting setup, ball in middle, shaft almost vertical. A faster tempo sent the ball too far. Of course, if you have a 40-50 footer, not a problem. But the slowish tempo worked on shorter shots around the green, and I was gripping down almost to the steel.
3. I worked on a 70-80 footer from 4 yards off the green and in light rough - I wanted to get roll, and not spin so I put it back of middle of stance - mixed results, then I put it in front of stance, got in the air slightly, got some spin, and rolled short. Put it in middle of stance ... I need to work on this one - had some success but also failures.
What was the reason to go with the ChipR vs the Cleveland chipper? So, it blended with your irons?
It's a nice looking club for a ChipR - I play it at 39.5 loft, 1 degree flat. And yes, the finish matches the irons and I have a brand preference for Ping. It has loads of heft- balanced towards the bottom, sole is wide. but not too wide. It's not huge so it is playable from various lies.
I picked up a slightly used Ping ChipR with an Alta regular shaft on 2ndSwing's Labor Day sale. It arrived about 30 minutes ago, so I've only had the chance to try it in the yard. Standard loft (38.5*) and lie (black dot) with a Dyla-wedge grip. All exactly how I would have ordered it new. I like the trajectory using my standard chipping motion swing and also tried hitting some recovery shots (rough lie around a red cut leaf maple) and it shows promise.
I have used liked the Smart Sole 4 "C" off and on for the past year, however the Smart Sole feature made it somewhat limited for me. As @Desmond noted above, I like that the sole of the ChipR is wide, but not too wide as it gives some flexibility to the club. Mark Crossfield, who plays a Smart Sole "C", did a YT video testing the Ping and noted that feature as well.
I have used liked the Smart Sole 4 "C" off and on for the past year, however the Smart Sole feature made it somewhat limited for me. As @Desmond noted above, I like that the sole of the ChipR is wide, but not too wide as it gives some flexibility to the club. Mark Crossfield, who plays a Smart Sole "C", did a YT video testing the Ping and noted that feature as well.
I'm curious if anyone has tried full swinging this and how far it went?
erock9174
Well-known member
When I had mine I hit a few full shots. It went a hair shorter than my 9i.
Same.