Chipping with a 3W

Play with an older English guy occasionally and he's absolutely deadly with that shot. Grips down on his 3 wood and just dinks it up to the hole. Stone dead almost every time. Since I have to give him 19 shots, I'm never pleased when he does it for par.

I use my 3 hybrid on occasion to do this.  Generally, it is when I have to keep the ball low and have it run a long way.  I do use a putting style stroke more that a chip.

It's an easy shot to hit, especially when you are in a nervy situation. I usually use my 4hybrid and I actually use it like a belly putter. It's about 41" so it's the perfect length for a belly stroke and the heel stays up off the ground and doesn't catch the turf.

Well played....

Make sure to practice the shot before taking it to the course.  The ball will come off the hybrid or fairway metal a LOT hotter than your putter and takes some getting used to......

I have used my hybrid in that situation before and it's a pretty good shot.    If it works, it works.

Like stated above, practice though.  It doesn't take much to send that ball a long way with these shots.

All the time, i use my 3 hybrid when im under a tree, or 20-30 yards from the green were there is a large mound in from of a short pin.

This is a wonderful and, as Stretch said, deadly shot. Furthemore, I don't exclude any club in the bag from being used in such a fashion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thorangutan 

I have done this several times when I have to carry the ball through fairway and then green. I don't use a chipping stroke, I use a putting stroke. It has proven incredibly handy and I was wondering how many people use this method and how often. Is it affective for you? I don't see many people use this shot but I love to pull it out now and then when I feel like a chip or pitch would be less successful.

Awesome.  I almost started the EXACT SAME THREAD yesterday.  I had seen a show on golf channel the other night with Tom Lehman talking about how useful it was.  He said you set up like a putt, grip it like a putt, and swing it like a putt, so my question was:

Why, then do it at all?  Why not just use a putter?  For the reason that David above mentioned - you catch it in the middle of the face of a 3W or hybrid then the ball is going to jump off that face nothing like it would off a putter face.  And because that ball comes off the face so hot, it seems like any variation in swing length will magnify (a lot more than with a putter) how far short or long you are.

Seems much too unpredictable for me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad 

Awesome.  I almost started the EXACT SAME THREAD yesterday.  I had seen a show on golf channel the other night with Tom Lehman talking about how useful it was.  He said you set up like a putt, grip it like a putt, and swing it like a putt, so my question was:

 

Why, then do it at all?  Why not just use a putter?  For the reason that David above mentioned - you catch it in the middle of the face of a 3W or hybrid then the ball is going to jump off that face nothing like it would off a putter face.  And because that ball comes off the face so hot, it seems like any variation in swing length will magnify (a lot more than with a putter) how far short or long you are.

 

Seems much too unpredictable for me.

I tend to think the same.  It would scare the hell of out me to try this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thorangutan 

The 3W allows more distance to be carried with am easier swing. I can't hit my putter with any good feel through the fairway and onto the green. The 3W opens this option up. I'm glad to see that there are others that use this shot.

What kind of distances are you talking about?  I've only seen this type of shot used for greenside shots.  If there is any considerable distance that needs to be covered, I would just pitch the ball, and if I had to keep it low, I'd chip it with a 6 iron or something.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thorangutan 

I have done this several times when I have to carry the ball through fairway and then green. I don't use a chipping stroke, I use a putting stroke. It has proven incredibly handy and I was wondering how many people use this method and how often. Is it affective for you? I don't see many people use this shot but I love to pull it out now and then when I feel like a chip or pitch would be less successful.

I've used it before, it takes a bit of practice, but it works. I just play the ball back a bit, and use a putting stroke. Another club that works a bit better i think is a hybrid, because it has less of a sole, and a bit more loft 

Quote:

Originally Posted by David in FL 

Make sure to practice the shot before taking it to the course.  The ball will come off the hybrid or fairway metal a LOT hotter than your putter and takes some getting used to......

Excellent point David. It is really hot and you will get a lot more distance with the same putting stroke.

I like to use a 7i in those types of situations. More loft and shorter shaft so you can control it better, and you can still get that distance to run it up the front of the green.