Pitch and chips and wedges?

[alcorn]

I start by say that chipping and pitching are my two weekest areas in my game. Seems like unless I use my 60 degree I'm topping it. I was reading a book by Golf Magazine (Breaking 100,90,80) and one thing it said was to focus your shortgame around 1 wedge. I just wanted to get some other opinions on this.

A side note I'm most comfortable with the 60. I don't know whether to base my game around it though.

gimme your opinions guys

[804golfer]

All i use is my 56 degree for like 80-90 yards and in for the same reason u use ur 60. i am the most comfortable with it. although i just watched sean o'hair chip with his hybrid when he was about 5-10 yards off the green. seems like a good idea. ill have to try it.

[right handed phil mickelson]

well I think that is the best advice. the ONLY wedge I use for all my chips and pitches is my 58 degree. I know exactly what it's going to do and I can hit anywhere from flop shots to bump and runs with it. My advice for you topping it would be to move it up in your stance a little bit.

every shot requires a divot-even chips. What you want to do is have your divot in front of the ball. what you are doing is missing the back of the ball on the way down causing you to top it.

Also, you might be upsizing too much (standing up too straight). Try bending over a little bit more, and that should do the trick. Hope this helps :)

[Kcas77]

One club for chipping makes no sense there are 13 other clubs in your bag use them. A 60* is only needed for shots where you have little green or have a bad lie in the rough. A lower shot is much easier to control because spin wont become a factor.

[clubhousehero]

I like the idea of using only i wedge for MOST chip shots. For me that is my PW. By using 1 wedge because it gives me a better idea of how hard to hit it and how much it will roll. I do use my SW to a close pin, when i need to carry a hazard or to an elevated green.

[picrig]

For true chip shots (shots where there is no forced carry over a bunker, water, etc, and where you can have more roll than carry), I like to use the Rule of 12 . Basically it says that for any given club in your bag, (say a 9I in this example), you can determine the carry/roll ratio by subtracting the club number from 12 (12-9=3). So in the case of the 9I, it will carry 1/3 of the way and roll 2/3. A 5I would be 12-5=7, so it would carry 1/7 and roll 6/7. When chipping, I simply count off the number of steps to the edge of the green and the number of total steps to the hole. Say it's 5 to the edge of the green and 20 steps to the hold. I know I need to carry it 5/20 or 1/4 of the way to get it on the green, and then let it roll, so I would use an 8I. Of course you can adjust for slope or the speed of the green that day. It sounds complicated, but it simplifies chipping and makes it ridiculously easy.

For pitching, a lot of my play at this point is dictated first by the lie. After I evaluate what I can do from any particular lie, then I look at my shot options. While using one wedge is great, it limits versatility in the long run.

[glebert]

Picrig, thanks for the explaining the rule of 12 so well.

[RocketSauce]

when i glanced at the title of this thread i thought it said Fish and Chips , lol

[picrig]

Glebert, glad I could explain it. I used the "one wedge" chipping system for a while until my pro taught me the rule of 12. My chipping has been much more consistent since.

[mkrolewski]

You might want to look at Dave Pelz "Short Game Bible".

I use many of my clubs for chipping, thought most typically SW(54)-PW(48)-9i-8i-7i. Basically applying the 12 rule stated above. Same grip, swing for all the clubs. The major goals are short air time, landing on or near the green as soon as possible, and rolling to the hole. I think you can learn it with any club, but need to train with a variety of clubs.

For pitching, I use a variety of clubs though typically LW(60)-SW(54)-PW(48) and follow Dave Pelz clock positions. Again the same swing, different clubs.


I cannot believe someone would suggest a single club. I guess there are still those out there that like IMHO a complicated method of getting different results with the same club.

[ks8829]

Try using a forward press when you hit your pitch shot, it even works on tight lies.

Watch this video and practice the shot

[Brakkus]

  mkrolewski said:

You might want to look at Dave Pelz "Short Game Bible".

I think this depends on your personality a bit.I find this chipping ratio system very analytical and tried it myself,it took away my need to be creative and expressive. After all we don't use different putters for 10,20,30 or 40 ft putts,we use our internal judgement.It's more instinctive,so I like using my 52" mostly,and will employ the 60 for bunkers or fluffy lies when I'm just off the green. In bob rotella's book on putting his advice to be athletic and less mechanical with your wedge and putter has transformed my game around the green.

[halcon]

I read Pelz "Short Game Bible" and Stan Utley's "The Art of Short Game". Pelz recommends using different clubs for different chips, while Utley recommends using the same club for most of your chips and pitches.
These are different styles (Pelz is more mechanical and easier to understand, while Utley more artistic and easier to execute), and I think you should read both to decide yourself what works for you. In my case, I think Mr. Utley's system works better for me, but I like to have the options that Pelz teaches.

[Damien45]

I my quest to learn how to pitch and chip, I have run across a lot of what everyone is talking about. So far, in my experience, the one club idea has made me focus on the mechanics vs. variance in club results. As I continue to improve with the one club, get consistant with my swing, touch, and expectations, I can understand how taking that swing with a different club will open up many options in the future. Right now, I have to learn to walk before I chip!

[Fourputt]

  alcorn said:

I start by say that chipping and pitching are my two weekest areas in my game. Seems like unless I use my 60 degree I'm topping it. I was reading a book by Golf Magazine (Breaking 100,90,80) and one thing it said was to focus your shortgame around 1 wedge. I just wanted to get some other opinions on this.

I'm a primarily a one club guy, but I use my 52° for 90% of my chipping and pitching. I only use my 58° when it's actually needed. However, I practice both, and I also practice with my PW and 9I too, because there are times when I need the added forward roll on slow greens, or for running the ball up a steep slope. It's not wrong to focus most of your short game on one wedge, but no one club can do it all.... give yourself some other options as well. And in my opinion the 60° should not be that primary wedge because it's too one dimensional.

The short game is where most of your scoring happens.... that's why it is recommended that you spend more than half of your practice time on it.

[rckwd]

  picrig said:

For true chip shots (shots where there is no forced carry over a bunker, water, etc, and where you can have more roll than carry), I like to use the

Nice breakdown on that rule. I have never have heard it put in that perspective.

As far as pitching is concerned I tend to stick with only my 60 80-yards and in. I then go up with my 56 and P accordingly. I pitch everyday with my wedge so I know exactly where it is going. Thats why I feel comfortable with one club. Like 804golfer said it is really what you feel comfortable with....heck I seen Happy Gilmore hit a iron w/wood shafts 400yards this morning and putting with a hockey stick. Remember you are the one that has to sign the scorecard.

[SteelDriver]

try a 7 or 8 iron around the green. use a putter stroke. you'll be amazed how close you can get it to the pin, how accurate, and how much the ball checks doing that. KEEP THE BALL OUT OF THE AIR AT ALL COSTS. i prefer to use my lob and SW when i need to get over something. bump n run=short putts

[PiKapp23]

I remember watching a Golf Channel 'Playing Lessons with the Pros' show with Tom Watson a year or 2 ago and one thing he said is that he uses most of this clubs for chipping. His philosophy is that when chipping he wants to carry the same distance onto green when chipping and then choose the club that will run out to the hole. In other words, if the hole is 10 feet from edge he might use a 56, hit it 1/2 way to hole and let it run out from there. If the hole was 40 feet from edge he might use a 6 iron, carrying it 5 feet and let it release to the hole from there. I use this method to some degree. The longest club I typically use is a 7 irons, but I still try to employ the same idea - get the ball on the ground as quickly as possible and let it roll out to the hole. The sooner you can get the ball rolling the better.

Tom Watson is one of the best short game players of all time, so I pay attention to his on-course strategies.