Oleschool

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What do you chip with?
What’s the best club or clubs?

do you use ratios?
 
I subscribe to this approach:

 
I tried using ratios but I don't think they're for everyone. It wasn't for me, as I couldn't get a consistent 1:1, 3:1 rollout every time. Instead, I pay more attention to the lie (in the rough, available green in relation to the pin, ground condition: soft/spongey vs. hard, etc.) and select my club accordingly. I alternate between my 60* and 55* clubs from there. For the most part, 60 is my go-to with a decent enough lie and 55 when it isn't so great.
 
I tried using ratios but I don't think they're for everyone. It wasn't for me, as I couldn't get a consistent 1:1, 3:1 rollout every time. Instead, I pay more attention to the lie (in the rough, available green in relation to the pin, ground condition: soft/spongey vs. hard, etc.) and select my club accordingly. I alternate between my 60* and 55* clubs from there. For the most part, 60 is my go-to with a decent enough lie and 55 when it isn't so great.
Personally I've always considered that ratio thing to be tosh.

If I took enough time, I could probably calculate that a 22-yard chip with my 31-degree 7-iron on an 80 degree day from a certain lie to a green Stimping 10.5 will roll out 2.6 times farther than it carries or whatever.

But then there would be other days, other lies, other green speeds where that number might be 2.2 or 3.4 so the original 2.6 number is useless. Heck, when our greens get cut and rolled to tournament conditions a 7-iron chip that lands on the green will never stop rolling unless it wander into an uphill part of the green. Or in the winter when the fairway is dormant, a bump and run bounces much much hotter than in lush summer conditions.

And don't even get me started on grainy Bermuda fringes and their effect on the ball.
 
A bump and run chip whenever I am close. Use anywhere from a 7i to a 60w depending on how close to the pin I am with great results. In the deep rough fringe, I am still trying to figure that out. Either hit it too fat requiring two hits, or blade it across the green.
 
Most of my chipping of late has been with my 50* wedge. But I will use everything from a hybrid to my 60* lob wedge depending on the situation.
I will also use the putter if the conditions are right.
 
Depending on the lie and what I need to get over, I'll use anything from hybrid to lob wedge. I did try the ratios thing for a wee while but as mentioned above there are just so many variables to make it all but useless. Generally try to get it on the ground and running as soon as possible.
 
Really depends upon a bunch of factors so there's no best club/s for me. I'll use pretty much any of them when faced with certain scenarios. When I first learned the ratio thing many decades ago it worked pretty well for me. But I was only playing one course and all the greens and the green surrounds were pretty flat and boring for the most part. Trying to use it today would be a disaster for me.
 
Personally I've always considered that ratio thing to be tosh.

If I took enough time, I could probably calculate that a 22-yard chip with my 31-degree 7-iron on an 80 degree day from a certain lie to a green Stimping 10.5 will roll out 2.6 times farther than it carries or whatever.

But then there would be other days, other lies, other green speeds where that number might be 2.2 or 3.4 so the original 2.6 number is useless. Heck, when our greens get cut and rolled to tournament conditions a 7-iron chip that lands on the green will never stop rolling unless it wander into an uphill part of the green. Or in the winter when the fairway is dormant, a bump and run bounces much much hotter than in lush summer conditions.

And don't even get me started on grainy Bermuda fringes and their effect on the ball.

I agree it's not for everyone. I'm a geek, but I'm no Bryson on the course. The simplifying assumption I was taught was to use the putting stroke you would use for a putt of that distance, and then adjust to loft of the club to get the fly to roll ratio you want. Fast greens? Uphill/downhill lie? Those would factor into how I would start a putt, so they factor in to how I swing for my chip. With the state of my game, the precision of an axe works well enough. A scalpel would be of no value to me.
 
More about feel and finesse to me
I don’t own any lofted wedges or hybrids
 
Almost exclusively with 50-58 degree wedges.

Wedges

No. I manipulate flight and run based on the shot needed. Stock ratios can really only be true for certain courses/turfs, a specific ball, and specific clubs, and leaves way too much to chance most of the time for me. My other clubs have entirely different soles, shapes, faces, etc. It's too big of a shot database to build and maintain. I'll go low, but with my wedges.
 
There's no one right way to chip. Different situation require different shots. The best short game players understand they need to be able to keep the ball down and let it run, get high and check, they can see where they need to land and how to execute the shot and can do so with various stances and lies. They don't use one club or one technique. Controlling trajectory, spin, and doing so with multiple clubs for variable lies is what chipping is supposed to be about. That's what good players do. It takes practice. But practicing chipping isn't as sexy and just banging 150 drivers on the range trying to chase ball speed.
 
I agree it's not for everyone. I'm a geek, but I'm no Bryson on the course. The simplifying assumption I was taught was to use the putting stroke you would use for a putt of that distance, and then adjust to loft of the club to get the fly to roll ratio you want. Fast greens? Uphill/downhill lie? Those would factor into how I would start a putt, so they factor in to how I swing for my chip. With the state of my game, the precision of an axe works well enough. A scalpel would be of no value to me.


I use basically the same technique except with my putter. Figure if I'm going to use a putting stroke, might as well be with a club designed to work that way.
 
What
I subscribe to this approach:


Yeah, Runyon's short game was pretty good. I chip using his chip/putt same set up/stroke method. I usually use an 8i to chip with.

I also use his same putt/stroke method with shorter pitches. Only difference is I use a more lofted clubs for pitches.

For me, Runyon's putt/chip method is mich more accurate, and distance control is as good as it gets. Distance is controlled just like using one's putter.

The only knock on Runyon's method is that the golfer uses his more upright putting set up to chip with. This set up causes the toe of the chipping club to hang below the heel. Some golfers are afraid this lower toe will cause fat shots.

Not true. Since the ball is contacted more towards the toe of the club, with minimal practice, fat shots are not a problem. I haven't hit a fat chip in years.
 
Mainly my 50* wedge but can use a 8 irons when needed.
 
If I can putt, I putt. But around the green, if I can't, I'm grabbing my 58* 90% of the time. Anything 30 yards and in I'm most likely grabbing it. Dependent on lie, position of the flag on the green, etc. But I feel most comfortable with this club, and having this comfort level has allowed me to really turn my short game into an asset. Arccos data backs up this claim too, as I'm +.6 Shots Gained vs other 7 HCP players, and +.9 on shots 0-25 yards.

I'm trying to incorporate a bump and run shot, when I have a lot of green to work with, with my 8i. Been working out well in practice, but I haven't had a lot of opportunity to use it during a round. Only once, and I misread the green and didn't put enough on it. I've also been working on my Wedge distances, getting them dialed in so I know what a 1/2 swing of my 50*, 54*, or 58* goes. And of course working a bunch of different swings and lies. I practice a lot in my backyard, and have enough varying terrain that I can hit downhill, uphill, thick rough, and fairway lies. This practice has helped me the most.
 
What
Yeah, Runyon's short game was pretty good. I chip using his chip/putt same set up/stroke method. I usually use an 8i to chip with.

I also use his same putt/stroke method with shorter pitches. Only difference is I use a more lofted clubs for pitches.

For me, Runyon's putt/chip method is mich more accurate, and distance control is as good as it gets. Distance is controlled just like using one's putter.

The only knock on Runyon's method is that the golfer uses his more upright putting set up to chip with. This set up causes the toe of the chipping club to hang below the heel. Some golfers are afraid this lower toe will cause fat shots.

Not true. Since the ball is contacted more towards the toe of the club, with minimal practice, fat shots are not a problem. I haven't hit a fat chip in years.
Well it will drag really bad if you hit it fat. The main problem is, you're reducing the available heel-toe error range to almost zero.

With a putter you can more or less get the ball online and moving even if you strike it a full inch toward the heel or toe. With an iron soled parallel to the ground you can probably get by with not quite as much but 1/2" or 3/4" heel or toe strike is still going to get in the vicinity of the hole or a little short.

Stand an iron up to where the sole is 10 degrees or more upright relative to the ground and even 1/4" toward the heel or toe will make the ball go nowhere. If you hit it 1/2" heel or toe side you might whiff. And there's also that thing about the toe digging into the ground.

Paul Runyon had 99.9999th percentile hand eye coordination plus his "putting" stroke was learned on greens that were Stimping slower than some modern fairways. For those of us struggling to make precise contact and whose putting stroke is a very upright pendulum action, the whole toe-down iron thing is just needlessly reducing the room for error.

If I'm going to chip with an iron, it will be with the club held in a normal lie and grip and the sole roughly parallel to the ground. If I'm going to use a putting stroke, I'll use a putter. I just can't afford to make things more delicate and demanding than they have to be.
 
Well it will drag really bad if you hit it fat. The main problem is, you're reducing the available heel-toe error range to almost zero.

With a putter you can more or less get the ball online and moving even if you strike it a full inch toward the heel or toe. With an iron soled parallel to the ground you can probably get by with not quite as much but 1/2" or 3/4" heel or toe strike is still going to get in the vicinity of the hole or a little short.

Stand an iron up to where the sole is 10 degrees or more upright relative to the ground and even 1/4" toward the heel or toe will make the ball go nowhere. If you hit it 1/2" heel or toe side you might whiff. And there's also that thing about the toe digging into the ground.

Paul Runyon had 99.9999th percentile hand eye coordination plus his "putting" stroke was learned on greens that were Stimping slower than some modern fairways. For those of us struggling to make precise contact and whose putting stroke is a very upright pendulum action, the whole toe-down iron thing is just needlessly reducing the room for error.

If I'm going to chip with an iron, it will be with the club held in a normal lie and grip and the sole roughly parallel to the ground. If I'm going to use a putting stroke, I'll use a putter. I just can't afford to make things more delicate and demanding than they have to be.
I understand your concerns. I use to chip the way you discribed. I just found Runyon's method to be easier for the ressons I explained. Also, with the lower toe, I don't ground the club. To each his own. No problem.
 
More about feel and finesse to me
I don’t own any lofted wedges or hybrids
What??? So just to clarify you Have 0 wedges in you bag???
That PW or GW is lofted my friend.

I use my GW or 8 depending on the rollout I desire.
I really only use my 56 or 60* in the trap or when shortsided.
 
in last few months I have learned to use very little hands in my chips. I'm hitting with much improved accuracy but still learning how far a ball will roll out after it lands. For years (like 30) I tried to flip my right hand under the ball at impact and if I had a plump lie I could stop the ball faster. However, on a tight lie my flipping causes me hundreds of fat shots.

I'm not sure I'm scoring better with low wrist movement but not getting angry hitting fatties around the green any longer

the new appreciation I have with the run outs is the idea of not being short sided.
 
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