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I need some tips for getting chips & pitches to run out...

DaBuckBoys

DaBuckBoys

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The local course I play a majority of my rounds has fairly soft greens and over the last few years they have had inconsistent surfaces to say the least. Sometimes they have had massive dead areas. Anyways I've developed a short game that leaves me hitting high shots that stop quick. Only when I've got a downslope landing area or from the fringe do I play more of a running chip with a 6 or 7 iron and I am usually pretty accurate with it. However from 10 -20 yards off the green I try at times to get the ball rolling early but I almost always comeup short.

I try hitting with 9 iron or pitching wedge and don't find much success. In limited practice I play from a little deeper in my stance & try to get a little more shoulder turn. It should keep the ball lower abd reduce the backspin but it is rarely successful. I do not have access to a short game practice facility. I can hit the shots but not see how they react on a green. Local practice greens are putting only.

So THP.... what are your best tips?
 
Moved to Swing Tips.
 
Lower lofted club, hit it a little harder, keep your hands forward to deloft the club even more. I've personally found a bit of success using a hybrid if I want to run the ball a ways.


THPing on Tapatalk
 
JF said:
Lower lofted club, hit it a little harder, keep your hands forward to deloft the club even more. I've personally found a bit of success using a hybrid if I want to run the ball a ways.

Do courses around you really not allow chipping practice on the practice greens? That blows...


THPing on Tapatalk
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THPing on Tapatalk
 
I generally just play it back in my stance and forward press a lot, use my 50* wedge
 
I think switching to a lower lofted iron or hitting the ball out towards the toe would both accomplish what you're trying to do there..

That, plus an evening where it's just you out there and you can run 10 balls towards the hole to get a feel for it. End of the day, it's such a feel shot.
 
Ball back. Hands forward. Weight on left foot. The next best tip I have gotten. At no point during the chip should you be able to see you right palm.
 
Don't decelerate!
 
People have already talked about using left loft and a forward lean to deloft, but additionally, keeping your finish low will help the ball run.
 
Perkins Rooster said:
Don't decelerate!
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Yeah.. that's the likely failure as I'm trying to control the distance, I slow down just a touch and the ball goes nowhere.

Follow up question: How much should I be taking the club back around my body as opposed to straight back & thru?
 
I like to use a longer putting stroke on the bump and runs
 
I find for me chipping with the toe down and using a putting stroke helps me get the ball rolling.
 
DaBuckBoys said:
Yeah.. that's the likely failure as I'm trying to control the distance, I slow down just a touch and the ball goes nowhere.

Follow up question: How much should I be taking the club back around my body as opposed to straight back & thru?
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The key is to get in as much practice time as you can around the greens to find what shot/approach/club/routine feels comfortable for you. Not an easy solution, but one that I've found to be the best.

To directly answer your question, I'd say take the club back as you normally would for a full swing, just not going back as far. The more consistent you can keep your backswing, the better.
 
blugold said:
Ball back. Hands forward. Weight on left foot.
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^^^This^^^

Then accelerate through the ball without breaking your wrists in order to reduce backspin.
 
Maybe not having as steep of an impact angle. Hitting down on the ball creates more spin.
 
Try the same shot distance using a wedge, 9i, 8i, 7i, and hybrid. You will get a feel for where you have to land the ball with each club to get the runout you are looking for. I used to always use my 54 degree wedge, but by trying different clubs, I found I prefer my 9i for shots like the one you are looking for.
 
If I want it to run out....I will close the clubface slightly...then take my chipping or pitch motion and allow the club to release on the follow through....this will make the ball release when it hits instead of checking up.
 
TripleBogieTim said:
If I want it to run out....I will close the clubface slightly...then take my chipping or pitch motion and allow the club to release on the follow through....this will make the ball release when it hits instead of checking up.
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Agree with TBT - if you want the ball to run a little more, closing the clubface a tad with releasing the club a bit will make that much easier. Funny this came up, because i was just showing my son how to do this last evening...
 
tdinbr - I too use my 54 deg. for 75% of chips. I think I'll start using the PW & 9i more often. I watched the video someone posted in another thread recently that went in depth about ratio of carry distance to roll out distance as the key to good chipping. I will be mindful of that as well. The local course I play has new owners and they already have the course much firmer than it typically is this time of year. I think getting a feel for the roll out will be necessary in the coming months.
 
The person who is teaching me just has me play it back in my stance and it seems to work well. More forward in my stance produces more backspin.
Although everyone is different.
 
Do what many pros do and use a reverse overlap grip when chipping. It helps take the wrists out of the shot and allows the ball to run out more. I think it also helps with distance control.
 
BIGBALL said:
Agree with TBT - if you want the ball to run a little more, closing the clubface a tad with releasing the club a bit will make that much easier. Funny this came up, because i was just showing my son how to do this last evening...
Click to expand...

Agreed with both of you. Letting the wrists turn over is how you get it to run.

However, it should be noted that making chips run in this manner is feel dependent. This is why most pros would probably recommend that amateurs go to a lower-lofted club if they want the ball to run, rather than trying to make a high-lofted club run, except in special situations (i.e, you have a bunker to clear and then you want it to run).
 
This sounds like a smarta$$ response but its not. Have you thought about leaving yourself 70-100 yards in as opposed to 10-20? Sometimes the best play (in terms of score) is to hit the 3-wood off the tee as opposed to bombing the driver just short of the green.

I know from experience that 10-20 yards can be an EXTREMELY difficult shot with less than consistent greens. However, in that circumstance I hit either a pinched 56* wedge or I open up the 60* and hit a mini flop. The 56* is the much higher percentage shot.

Good luck!
 
I use a putting motion with my pitching wedge if I am within 15 yards. Any further then ball back and use a short swing.
 
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