Chipper Wedge

[arturo28mx]

For me, my Cleveland Chipper using a putting stroke is a magical club for short chips around the green

[knott]

On 7/22/2020 at 5:38 AM, arturo28mx said:

For me, my Cleveland Chipper using a putting stroke is a magical club for short chips around the green

Truly is and not just that. Great in the rough and as a rescue club in the forests and I find it replace my gap wedge quite well. Though the up and stop on a dime capability is limited of course. But on full shots it does stop quite fast. I used it on a 105 metre par 3. Landed 2 metre short of pin straight as an arrow and not more then some 50 cm roll forward. My 50 degree GW would have landed a bit short on the green with zero roll which is why I attempted the chipper this time. 

But hopefully I will use it less in the future  because I have a tendency to just miss the green... Hardly ever missing the green when using it as an approach wedge though. Always use it when I can roll it on and don´t have to stress about some bunker just ahead of the pin.

I have now actually missed a shot with it! I was on the fringe on a par 5 in two after a perfect drive and a bombed 3 wood. So it´s not like I am there often in two and well some wrong thoughts must have entered my mind because I managed to top it for the first time ever. Rolled over the green and into the thickest grass I ever seen on that course. It took 3 rounds and many balls on the driving range for the first poor ballstriking. 

[BeCu]

I prefer any of my irons (mainly 8-lw) as needed depending on carry(pitch) and/or roll (chip) as that is how I was taught and practiced with for many years. 

When the chipper clubs got popular I experimented with early component (Hireko) chipper club heads (~35 or 42 deg loft as that what they were available in). Later I tried/practiced briefly with a Ping Chippo, Herbie's OnePutt wedge, Square Strike Wedge. While I get what each of the chippers were designed to do, the truth is there is nothing those could do that I could not do with regular irons and wedges.

Admittedly a few of the chippers did appear to set up easier but while they all easily got the ball up and in the air, the problem I had was the roll out. I can predict each of my irons how far they will release with consistency, the chippers not so much.

So I tell anyone that ask me about them, it depends on your area of need. IF you need help getting the ball up then yes those can possibly help. But I can hear an instructor saying, good technique and learning how the proper chip/pitch motion will do the same with clubs already in the bag. I don't like the chippers but I can see why some do. 

[knott]

I can see myself soon even putting with the damn thing on the green lol. I get such a pure pendulum motion so the ball always goes straight toward the cup. I find I actually aim quite well without any aids. So easy to lock the arms and just get the shoulders working. For some reason I really really struggle finding a good pendulum motion with putters. Current one is by far better then any other I tried. Same length as the chipper but it´s still different somehow. Having to use a bit more force because the ball goes up and then down also helps activate larger muscle groups I recon to make for a smoother motion when you really have to be super delicate not going hard on the putter. Or it´s just how the grip and all angles is on the chipper that is just spot on for me.

Further out it started to become less clear as pendulum starts to come better there for me with putter too as I could use more of a backswing.  Really long distance putting I always struggles with will probably go chipper there if not just for taking slope more out of play. Certainly gonna play more with this and also try on entirely flat greens.  

I do have a problem I want to reintroduce the 5 wood but that is my 15th club. So maybe putter will go. The most sensible is probably my lob wedge though 😛

[knott]

Ok this golf club has deteoriated my swing. Its been so easy I forgot the basics of chipping. I started to miss chips now just due to total laziness thinking its automatic success. Before I had in the back of my mind what create the pitch shot and how the ball should be hit. Now if I remind myself of that all is fine. If not I can luck out or anything can happen.

 

 

[Sandhills Golfer]

13 hours ago, knott said:

Ok this golf club has deteoriated my swing. Its been so easy I forgot the basics of chipping. I started to miss chips now just due to total laziness thinking its automatic success. Before I had in the back of my mind what create the pitch shot and how the ball should be hit. Now if I remind myself of that all is fine. If not I can luck out or anything can happen.

 

 

I would have thought it would have improve mechanics by tightening the stroke?

Either way, I have been practicing nicely with the chipper. However, I was practicing it at a course and it was really crowded on the green. I was afraid to hit people on the green. Then came the massive decel and chunks, even a slice. I need to work on the mental aspect of chipping too. 

[knott]

Yes I absolutely get a much greater chance produce a solid pitch or chip shot. Bounce, stance everything is really trying to help me hit it clean. It´s all in the head it´s absolutely fascinating. A bunker in front often make me hit a softer chip shot then harder? Why? Must be because I am awhare of the bunker in my mind and at some point in my swing the subconcious try to direct me to get in it! Also othertimes the subconcious deliver warning signals and make me overshoot. That is a much more sane reaction I would say. 
 

[Sandhills Golfer]

17 hours ago, knott said:

Yes I absolutely get a much greater chance produce a solid pitch or chip shot. Bounce, stance everything is really trying to help me hit it clean. It´s all in the head it´s absolutely fascinating. A bunker in front often make me hit a softer chip shot then harder? Why? Must be because I am awhare of the bunker in my mind and at some point in my swing the subconcious try to direct me to get in it! Also othertimes the subconcious deliver warning signals and make me overshoot. That is a much more sane reaction I would say. 
 

Good points, Knott. I am in the middle of this battle now, as I work on using my chipper. I've been practicing at night at a par 3 golf course, which is packed. I was fine, when there was no people around. Then some folks came up on my right. I said, to myself, oh no, don't shank it to the right, you will hurt these people (luckily I didn't hurt them, lol) and that's what I did-sending the ball to the right. I guess the remedy (hopefully) should be to focus on what I am trying to do. Say things like stick it close or play a low runner. 

Edited August 10, 2020 by Sandhills Golfe

[knott]

I am using it proper again. I will say though life as a bump and runner dunno if it´s easier then a boom and zoomer... Boom and zoom shot is still the best shot with this too. But sure the worst shot will be better but checks with some backspin for chipping can be helpful at times besides always starting the roll on the green. My approach now is just to master the chipper in all occasions just to reduce the real bad shots is worth more then getting it a tad closer on the really good shots.

I got to say it´s amazing at times. Was on a round today. I worked so hard on my driver but neglected my irons so dispersion is quite big at the moment. GIR is low but I know if I can get into the zone of a full chipper shot at about 105-120 metres I am golden. It just so easy to boom it straight exactly on the line I aim and at full blast. Its like technique doesn´t matter.  Got three pin high where the fellows I played with must started to believe maybe he isn´t that horrible afterall 😄

Also had some bunker shots (very easy bunkers) but just hit it clean is so easy with this. I maybe should get that GW and SW just for full blast approach shots but don´t feel like spending even more on this game.