We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Do You Pitch or Chip?

Smithfaced said:
One of the problems with my golf game is that I don't even know how to answer this question. I feel like I just look at the shot and whatever I'm feeling is what I do. The MC is the kick in the A that I need to get my short game going.
Click to expand...

I will say any time I miss a green, I unhook my bag from the cart (if I'm on a cart) and literally walk up to my ball with my entire bag. I have no idea what shot I'm going to play until I'm there and I can really see the green and assess all my options. If I can, or it's blatant obvious, I'll play a bump & run, but even then, which club is not a guarantee (I used to habitually chip with a 4 hybrid.) In the past couple of rounds, I've chipped with nearly every iron. It's actually helped a lot. I'm less likely to get lazy if I don't have a "go-to" club around the greens.
 
Paladin said:
I will say any time I miss a green, I unhook my bag from the cart (if I'm on a cart) and literally walk up to my ball with my entire bag. I have no idea what shot I'm going to play until I'm there and I can really see the green and assess all my options. If I can, or it's blatant obvious, I'll play a bump & run, but even then, which club is not a guarantee (I used to habitually chip with a 4 hybrid.) In the past couple of rounds, I've chipped with nearly every iron. It's actually helped a lot. I'm less likely to get lazy if I don't have a "go-to" club around the greens.
Click to expand...

I could do this. I will grab everything from the 7 hyron to the 54° plus my putter if it's not obvious what my lie is or where my ball is exactly.

Ask Taylor, he's seen it many times!
 
I chip most of the time.
 
JB said:
I have been curious about this for a while as we go to events and we watch people play. To clarify what I mean is more of a chip vs a bump and run. Meaning heavy spin for control, or bump it up in the air and watch it roll out towards the hole.

Let me preface this by saying instead of answering with "depends on the situation", assume we are speaking of your stock shot around the green.
Click to expand...

First I have to say that I don't see a chip as a spin shot. I usually chip with an 8I, or my 51° GW. The intent is to get the ball rolling ib the green as soon as possible and roll like a putt to the hole. A pitch is essentially the same thing only with more carry. I still want the roll. I don't play for spin on short greenside shots.

Smallville said:
Then in your definition I pitch, but I say I chip, since I think more roll out is chipping!
Click to expand...

Yeah. I don't get where anyone would think that a chip is a spin shot. I've been chipping for 40 years, and nobody I ever knew played a chip with spin. The whole point of a chip is to get it on the green and rolling as soon as possible. When I first started, the most popular chipping club was a 5I, or a chipper with a 5I loft. As greens got faster the loft got higher, but it still isn't a spin shot.
 
I pitch and let it roll to the hole. Practice holing out pitches and make several a year. A real stroke saver for me.
 
Smithfaced said:
One of the problems with my golf game is that I don't even know how to answer this question. I feel like I just look at the shot and whatever I'm feeling is what I do. The MC is the kick in the A that I need to get my short game going.
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with that, it's what I did most of the yr (lots of flitches=flop with no spin that released to the hole)
 
I chip more now because I am trying to improve in that area, but I have better results with a bump and run at this time.
 
Since I'm slightly confused by the definitions here, I'll just say I like to use a 54* or 58* and hit higher, biting shots. I prefer a quick check-up as opposed to roll out. Like someone else said, I use Phil's "hinge and hold" everywhere around the green. Not sure if that's pitching or chipping though?
If I'm on the collar, sometimes I'll putt with a hybrid.
 
Definitely a bump and run guy. Wish I had more spin and touch around the greens but truth be told I focus more on making solid contact.
 
My stock shot around the green is to land it about there feet on and let it run out.
 
DevRickus said:
Definitely a bump and run guy. Wish I had more spin and touch around the greens but truth be told I focus more on making solid contact.
Click to expand...

+1 here. I definitely have trouble judging carry distance. Bump n run definitely suits me better. Get me behind a hazard then almost for sure no up and down :(
 
I chip the ball around the green expecting it to roll out.
 
Fourputt said:
First I have to say that I don't see a chip as a spin shot. I usually chip with an 8I, or my 51° GW. The intent is to get the ball rolling ib the green as soon as possible and roll like a putt to the hole. A pitch is essentially the same thing only with more carry. I still want the roll. I don't play for spin on short greenside shots.

Yeah. I don't get where anyone would think that a chip is a spin shot. I've been chipping for 40 years, and nobody I ever knew played a chip with spin. The whole point of a chip is to get it on the green and rolling as soon as possible. When I first started, the most popular chipping club was a 5I, or a chipper with a 5I loft. As greens got faster the loft got higher, but it still isn't a spin shot.
Click to expand...
I understand what you are saying but consider that very often on tour you will see pros hit a green side shot with initial characteristics that are consistent with what you are describing but the ball checks and stops very quickly. I think that's what the question may be asking about.
 
Bump and run when possible...
 
Do You Pitch or Chip?

Generally I go with the chip. Comes out low with lots of spin and stops on its second bounce.
 
If I'm in the rough just off the green, then it's bump-n-run every time. If I'm standing more than 5-10 yards off the green, then I go to a flop shot. Anything over 25 yards, I try to get the ball up so it will drop and stop.
 
I'm predominantly bump and run. I am working on trying to control spin on my chipping but just not there yet.
 
as others mention, a bit confused just which is which. Before comming to THP I had always thought the only difference was that a pitch was from longer and a chip was from closer and never really gave it much thought. But then I was enlightened by many people here that one was to "fly it close" (the pitch). And the other was to get it on and roll it or even bounce it (the chip).

But now i find some contradicting meaning here. But whatever we call it my answer to the question is that I like to put it on with more roll. The question says to put aside the special circumstances so assuming I have a shot where i can chose to do either one I will in general chose to have more roll especially since i dont generate stopping power anyway. And to generate any from real close in? Well, for now I'll just laugh at myself.
 
I would at any time prefer to chip rather than pitch. That is to say in any situation that does not demand a pitch, I will chip.
 
I don't put a lot of spin on the ball, so I always pitch the ball. I've always been a 60% carry 40 % roll out pitch guy, but I've been trying to incorporate the bump n run to get the ball rolling as soon as possible.
 
Smallville said:
I am so confused by these responses! Chipping = pitching and pitching = chipping.
Click to expand...

me too. :act-up:


i've always thought of chipping as a shot that's on the ground more than in the air and pitching as the opposite. with that definition, i always try to chip, i.e. get the ball rolling as soon as possible. if i'm not close enough to "chip" then i'll "pitch"
 
Parshooter36 said:
I don't put a lot of spin on the ball, so I always pitch the ball. I've always been a 60% carry 40 % roll out pitch guy, but I've been trying to incorporate the bump n run to get the ball rolling as soon as possible.
Click to expand...

see now (not meant in a personal way towards you in specific) but this here is again confusing. Not spinning the ball would mean your looking for more roll and that would actually be imo a chip. 10 yards between you and the pin would mean in your example a 6yrd (18foot) carry and a 4yrd (12 foot) roll. still a chip imo. The pitch would be where you do have spin and do want stopping power by pitching it close and stopping it close with little or no roll. Perhaps a 9yrd (27ft) carry and the ball styaing within the last 1yrds (3ft).
 
rollin said:
as others mention, a bit confused just which is which. Before comming to THP I had always thought the only difference was that a pitch was from longer and a chip was from closer and never really gave it much thought. But then I was enlightened by many people here that one was to "fly it close" (the pitch). And the other was to get it on and roll it or even bounce it (the chip).

But now i find some contradicting meaning here. But whatever we call it my answer to the question is that I like to put it on with more roll. The question says to put aside the special circumstances so assuming I have a shot where i can chose to do either one I will in general chose to have more roll especially since i dont generate stopping power anyway. And to generate any from real close in? Well, for now I'll just laugh at myself.
Click to expand...

rollin said:
see now (not meant in a personal way towards you in specific) but this here is again confusing. Not spinning the ball would mean your looking for more roll and that would actually be imo a chip. 10 yards between you and the pin would mean in your example a 6yrd (18foot) carry and a 4yrd (12 foot) roll. still a chip imo. The pitch would be where you do have spin and do want stopping power by pitching it close and stopping it close with little or no roll. Perhaps a 9yrd (27ft) carry and the ball styaing within the last 1yrds (3ft).
Click to expand...

Here's some more terminology for you. Back in the day, I also heard these distinctions - chip and roll, bump and run, drop and stop.

Chip and roll is just a classic chip with a low lofted club intended to just carry to the green, then roll out to the hole. A pitch and roll just carries farther, usually when there is rough or a bunker between the ball and the green, although I see a lot of players hitting what I'd call a pitch with more carry than is actually needed just because they don't like having to read the breaks between the ball and the hole.

Bump and run is supposed to be a shot which is played to a tight pin from a tight lie, with a low enough trajectory to hit into a slope short of the green to take the pace off the ball (this is the "bump", not the strike of the ball with the club) and let it trickle onto the putting surface and roll to the hole, commonly used in links golf.

Drop and stop is a one bounce and check. Sometimes it will have a little residual roll, but not more than 2 or 3 feet.

To play a spinning shot which checks requires a good lie and a crisp strike on the ball. I also found it more difficult to predict how much release I'd get (probably because I don't have a perfect stroke, so I don't strike the ball exactly the same way every time), which is why I've gone back to my roots and use a shot that rolls most of the way to the hole.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top