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Would You Use A Chipper?

SuperStroke
I would like to try one, but without trying one, I would have to say no.
I chip pretty well with the clubs in my bag and would hate to give one up for just chipping.
But, that opinion could change if I really tried one out for awhile.
 
I have a terrible short game, really awful, costs me so many shots.
I have tried all sorts and about 7 or 8 years ago I won a chipper on a golf day, it was a prize for nearest the pin on a par 3.
I thought I would stick it in my bag for a few rounds as my Father had recently started using one to good effect. He has always been so much better round the green than me so if it would good for him it would surely improve me. In a word "no"! It felt awful. I had no control. I just ould not get used to the amount of swing I had to give it. My Father still uses it in his 80s, he is still so reliable with it although there are occasions where I know he should not use it.
Having started to take the game seriously I have put some work in on my short game in the last few weeks and am already seeing results with my irons and wedges so I will not be returning to the chipper.
I will take a look at Niblicks out of interest.
 
I wouldnt personally,love the vokeys too much...although a guy at our club uses one,when he needs to play lefty its a useful tool to have.
 
dhjkelly said:
Hell no, what a ridiculous waste of money
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lol. there's an honest answer.

i should elaborate on my own answer:
would i use a "chipper"? no
would i use a Niblick? maybe - if given one to try to game, i think it would be an interesting <100yd club to assist with my wedge game. although i'm not a huge fan of the offset and it's definitely not something that i'm looking to go out and buy.
 
No to the chipper. However, I would consider a Niblick if I thought it helped my game. Sure I'd take some crap from people, but who cares. I'd mostly be looking for something to use in the <50 yd range. I'm ok on chipping, but have struggled lately with pitching. If this helped there, I'd consider it...
 
No I don't think I will ever use one. I do pretty well with my wedges and irons around the green. It is a waste of a club for me. I would benefit more from a longer club than a chipper.
 
not in a million years, waste of space in your bag
 
thedue said:
I wish I still had mine. The 42* was extremely versatile from not just around the green, but even out to 9i range. A full swing with mine from 125 to 130 yards would shoot in there with a mid trajectory and stick quick. Super low bump and run's from under branches were extremely easy to pull off from anywhere and a variety of chips from off the green from high soft lobs to bump and runs with a little check at the flag was just easy. I just went through a period where the top end of my bag became more important, thought I could get by with the standard 56* wedge and make room for another club.
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This is basically my exact same experience with the Niblick. I had the 42 and found it quite versatile and easy to use.
 
JH14 said:
not in a million years, waste of space in your bag
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Even if it was more reliable than your current wedges?
 
I would and do use two niblicks (42* and 37*). I also own a 56* but I play at a course with deep greenside bunkers and it has never worked well for me from deeper bunkers. I actually started using the niblicks for full shots. The shorter shaft and heavier clubhead just make it hard to hit anything but straight. They are great for chipping also but I have had great results from full shots. I do think their is a stigma especially among "better" golfers to use a chipper. I do currently carry a full set of irons 6,7,8,9,PW,DW,SW but tend to not use the 9 and PW very much. The niblicks are also better for less than full shots at least for me. Ironically I have not tried the 49* niblick and maybe I should as most think it is the best of the niblicks.
 
I think it depends on the type of player you are. It is limited in its abilities and functionality so to take another more versatile club out of the bag doesnt make sense for me but for others who really need help around the greens may be a good option. For me not now and hopefully not ever.
 
I would have to say that for me and most people I golf with have more versatility means trying more shots which we see on TV and are not proficient at and thus it actually hinders your score. It does for me as I have much better results in a shot I can stand over and be confidet in than to try something I may have practiced once on the range, just me maybe not the same for others and I realize we all want to try the "sexy" shot but for me the most straightforward shot is best for me. I think for most of us who have time restraints on our golf game it is better to have fewer shots we can pull off well than to try to have a pro's bag of shots.

That doesn't mean I think everyone should use a chipper or niblick, just have fewer decisions on the golf course. Indecision kills my confidence and game.
 
majBC said:
I would have to say that for me and most people I golf with have more versatility means trying more shots which we see on TV and are not proficient at and thus it actually hinders your score. It does for me as I have much better results in a shot I can stand over and be confidet in than to try something I may have practiced once on the range, just me maybe not the same for others and I realize we all want to try the "sexy" shot but for me the most straightforward shot is best for me. I think for most of us who have time restraints on our golf game it is better to have fewer shots we can pull of well than to try to have a pro's bag of shots.
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I'm with you dude, its all about get it on the green and in the hole in a few strokes as possible.
 
I would not put a chipper in my bag at this time... though in 20 or 30 years, who knows? Chipping and around the greens in general is a strong part of my game. I use anything from my 58* to my hybrids to chip, depending on what I need the ball to do. It's also one of my favorite areas of the game to practice. Moving to a chipper would necessitate taking another club out of my bag. I can't see that change as anything but a net negative. I can't say that I'll feel the same way as a senior player if my nerves start to go, but in my late-20s, I'll stick with my wedges and irons.
 
I would give it a try just for fun, but I don't think I'd bag one. My wedges do the job and it would be take the spot of a more versatile club.
 
I've never used a Niblick but have used a putter style chipper. If I could carry more than 14 clubs, my chipper would be back in my bag in a heartbeat. Like many have said, a regular chipper is a one trick pony, but a deadly one. Since it's used just like a putter, it has great accuracy and distance control.

But I wouldn't put it back in my bag at this time, even though it would probably take some strokes off my game.

I'm at the point in my game where my shots are getting better with all my clubs. When I started, I didn't know anything about short game control and was constantly blading or overpowering shots back and forth across the greens. This wasn't much fun and a chipper helped get me onto the green so I could putt out before my playing partners fell asleep.
 
When I retire, I'm putting one in my bag that very week. I feel every old retired man needs one. Unfortunately retirement is not close enough, therefore I'll keep what I've got.
 
Just a thought here. But for those of you who said you would use one if you had room in your bag, if you are not hitting all the greens now you are not hitting those clubs well enough to keep in the bag over a chipper/niblick which you have already admitted is a great club. This is only for those that have used one with success and are not hitting every green per round. Does that make sense to you? I realize it is not orthodox to carry one and we certainly have to look like everyone else on the golf course, we for sure are lemmings.
 
I would use a niblick because it can be used for other shots as well, but I dont think I would carry just a chipper
 
TripleBogieTim said:
I would use a niblick because it can be used for other shots as well, but I dont think I would carry just a chipper
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You're a wise man brother. Hahaha
 
majBC said:
Just a thought here. But for those of you who said you would use one if you had room in your bag, if you are not hitting all the greens now you are not hitting those clubs well enough to keep in the bag over a chipper/niblick which you have already admitted is a great club. This is only for those that have used one with success and are not hitting every green per round. Does that make sense to you? I realize it is not orthodox to carry one and we certainly have to look like everyone else on the golf course, we for sure are lemmings.
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For me it isn't a problem being seen with one. The reason I won't make room for it is because score isn't that important to me right now. I want to learn everything about the game, and now I'm going to work on short game techniques. I already know how to use the chipper, so I wouldn't want to take out a club I'm not good with to make room for it.
 
OK, It's your choice but that is not what I would do. That last sentence just seems odd to me.
 
majBC said:
OK, It's your choice but that is not what I would do. That last sentence just seems odd to me.
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Maybe I can explain it better. If I hit my 3 wood better than my driver, I'd have two choices, try to get better with my driver or hit the 3 wood instead. I'm the type of guy that can't resist a challenge, so I'd work on my driver even if it raised my scores. The same goes with the chipper. I know I can hit it better than a wedge right now, so I am going to work on my wedge game.

I only started playing seriously about a year and 1/2 ago and am still very inconsistent, so I have a long way to go before I hit a plateau and start looking for ways to shave a couple of strokes off my game.
 
if I had an extra spot in the bag then definitely even though I grip down on my 8 iron or PW, depending on the situation, and do pretty well
 
I would think you would want to use the hardest to hit clubs you could find with that line of thinking. The clubs in your signature are not SGI clubs but they are not tiny old blades either and an adjustable driver, doesn't that defeat your purpose for golf?

Wouldn't a 3-iron be much harder to hit than a 3 hybrid and thus you would learn how to make a much better swing for the effort?
 
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