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Chipping.....Do you use your highest loft?

Got out and practiced again with the 54. I’m like a monkey that discovered fire for the first time.

I did chunk a few but they still run out to a distance that allows me a decent chance at up and down.

but from reading the posts I might try my PW as well.
 
Not really! It depends upon the situation I find myself in. If I have a chip where I want to get the ball on the ground quickly, and let it run out, I choose a lower lofted club. If it's a shorter shot, with a need to stop more quickly, I will choose a more lofted club.
 
I'll chip with an 8 iron through lob wedge depending on circumstances but the 54* gets more chances than all others combined.
 
I use everything from a 6i to 58* wedge with a 5W mixed in on occasion. My idea is to get the ball on the ground running toward the hole as soon as possible.
 
I tried my 54* today just to see how it would go and it’s just way too strong for me for most work around the green. I was using my LW from 60 or so and in, but today the 54* seemed to work better starting around 30-40 yards. So I will likely swap from the 60 at those yardages and use the 54 for more partial wedge approach shots.
 
Wildcat4life said:
Practicing yesterday and took out my 54 around the greens, instead of my 60 degree. It was eye opening to say the least. A more consistent contact and trajectory made the results much more consistent. Chipping is the weakest part of my game so I'm excited to say the least.

I've used my highest lofted wedge for chipping my whole life. Is this something every knew? Am I the last to the party?

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What jumped out at me from your opening post was the statement that you got "A more consistent contact and trajectory" from your 54 degree wedge vs. your 60 degree wedge. Loft won't cause that. What is more likely is that there is some other difference between these two clubs. Most likely a difference in bounce and/or grind that is allowing you to skim through impact better. It could be other characteristics like mass or shape of the leading edge, especially if the two clubs are of a different model or make.

Don't knock success. But if you can better understand the why it can lead to more success and being able to replicate that success with other clubs.
 
I rarely use my highest lofted wedge to chip. I do use it sometimes, but typically I use my 56, unless I'm trying to get cute with things. I generally have more success with the 56 and more control.
 
most of the time I will use my 50 degree gap wedge. I only use sand wedge or lob wedge when the position necessitates it. get it down and rolling as fast as you can and with a less lofted club there is less room for error too.
 
I don't use the same wedge every time. Sometimes I use my highest and sometime the UW or PW. More and more I use the old faithful Texas wedge or any club in the bag that is the right one for that particular shot.
 
I use the LOWEST lofted club that will get the job done.
 
Et Tu Brute? said:
So for the people says 54/56/58 always, is that the club you use when you're 2-3 feet into the fringe and 15-20 feet from the hole? Or just putt that or something?
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We don't tend to putt through the fringe much here if we can help it. I do typical hit a little wedge that mostly just clears the fringe and runs to the hole.
 
Completely dependent on the shot in hand. I'll use my 60, right down to chipping through the rough with a 3w. So many variables from lie to what you need to carry, type and speed of green etc. Is one of the armature's biggest mistakes I think to just walk to the green with the highest lofted wedge and try to chip with it. So many shots can be saved by just assessing the shot for a few seconds first.
 
I'll only chip with the highest loft in my bag (58°) when the situation demands it. Otherwise, I'm all about playing that ball down and getting it rolling as soon as possible.
 
I'll use anything from a 7i to my 58*. It all depends on the situation of course but typically the closer I get to the green the lower the loft I use.
 
All depends on the lie and if I can get to the back of the ball, how far to run it out or stop, and if I’ve short-sided myself…. Most of the time it’s my 54 but I have no issues in using my 58 as well.
 
Maybe I’m old, but it used to be “get the ball running on the green as soon as possible”

So a “50/50” shot would be half of the distance to the pin is green, half is fairway(or rough, or whatever). You figure the %, then decide which club fits.

A “30/70” would be a lower lofted club as opposed to a “70/30” which would be a higher lofted club.

Something like that. I don’t really “measure” in my head anymore, just get a feel of what I want to happen and go.
 
My goal is to make shot be like a putt as soon as possible. So a chip thrown to hole with spin is only done when there is no other choice. I'll chip with hybrid to 60 based on how much green lies between my ball and hole. Putt from off green often....
 
I use PW-58* for chipping. Anything lower and I am usually chipping it back from the other side of the green. Perhaps a weak point has been identified…
 
YukonLiving said:
It really depends on the lie, ground conditions around the hole/landing area, what type of shot I'm looking to make, and how I've been hitting the ball that round. I'll use anything from my 5i up to my 60* wedge.

Anything lower lofted than my PW though, and I'll use more of a putting stroke.
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Same way I approach it, lower lofted options played similar to a putt. Only difference is my bag setup. My lob wedge is 58* and lowest lofted club I'll typically use greenside is my 4H. Anything in between could be called upon depending upon my assessment at the ball.
 
I read a lot of overthinking in this thread, of which I am usually guilty.

Be an artist. It's not always the smart play to get it rolling on the green asap if you've got bumps, crowns and slopes. I'm not sold on 75-25, etc. Often, you have too many variables around greens.

Use your imagination.

When it's simple, then do your math thing. Otherwise, be safe but creative.
 
I generally use either my 9 or my PW depending on how much roll out I want. Only time I am using my 60 is either in the sand or very short sided.
There was a article in GD a year or so ago saying most ams would do better not using their highest lofted club to chip with.
 
Et Tu Brute? said:
So for the people says 54/56/58 always, is that the club you use when you're 2-3 feet into the fringe and 15-20 feet from the hole? Or just putt that or something?
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So, I'm not one of the people who said "always", but I do use one of these wedges most of the time. I believe having lots of arrows in the quiver is a good thing. I've been known to chip with a 56 or 52 degree wedge from as close as on the green and as far as 30 yards off the green.

Occasionally, the slope on a green between your ball and hole is so severe that the only way to get the ball close to the hole is to fly it over some of the slope and have it check up close to the hole. Generally speaking, a higher lofted club takes out a lot of the variables that can occur when getting the ball on the green or off the green such as bumping it into a slope in front of the green or bouncing it through the rough. It's also often the only way to get the ball close to the hole when you are short-sided.
 
No. I use my 56* as the default club, the 60* when less roll out is needed, and the GW or PW when more is needed.
 
I'm not at all formulaic about it, it's entirely by the seat of my pants. I assess the shot and use whatever club I feel is best for what I'm looking at. Sometimes I'll feel like using a PW or 9i, sometimes I'd rather play it back in my stance and hit a delofted 54° or even 58°. There's really no rhyme or reason to it for me, it's all feel.

I love short game, it's my favorite part of golf. So much variety and so much room for creativity, it's fun to play with different shots.
 
I'm slowly joining you. This time last year I did 95% of my chipping with my 60*, this year i've really started using my 54* more and more. To the point where my 60* is for specialty shots (phil-flop) or if its a pretty short chip (20yd or less).

I've found better/more consistent contact with less loft, and probably related i've been able to keep a very smooth rhythm with the 54*. I found on longer chips putting more speed into my 60* resulted is kinda a jerky movement which introduced a whole world of club snapping misses.
 
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