I suck... Need Help!

[MSB256]

it just depends on so many factors. if i dont have much green to work with and i have to go over a bunker, yes, i will definitely use a wedge. whenever there isnt much green to work with, that is when wedges come into play. but, thats not the ONLY time they come into play though. it just depends.... sorry about being so vague, but there are just too many to mention

I understand... I guess the more I play serious golf the more I'll figure out when to play what shot. For now I'll chip if I've got plenty of land and/or green for the ball to run on, and wedge if it needs to drop and stop. Well, I mean, if I had that shot... haha, but I'll get it!

[RocketSauce]

but again, some people are different. some people will only use their wedges to chip with. but hell, ive even used my hybrid to chip with a couple of times.

[right handed phil mickelson]

type in the you tube home page and then after it type this in---> /?v=GGlcWdiZ36M_page

this video helped me so much with my chipping! brought me down from a 15 to a 9 handicap.

It works too. Go and try it out! I gaurantee it will help.

Now, what I propose is get used to chipping with just one club. If you feel comfortable with the 64, you can still do a bump and run with a 64 degree wedge if the need arises. Getting used to just one wedge helps with the mental aspect as to comfortability, and playability because you know what it's going to do.

Also, part of your problem is course management. If you have to hit over a bunker, don't bump and run it. Its simple decisions like that that build up the scores. Here's another problem that I see people get into. Say you hit it a bit hard and chip it over the green. I see time after time the shot that someone had just hit over the green, come up short. They try and not hit it hard so it won't go over again. Ever happen to you? These are the things that you have to work on to lower your scores around the green.

Also, you said that you hit your irons fat? Well, if that happens, either move the ball a little bit back in your stance, or you are not transferring your weight enough. When you take the club back, your weight moves toward your right foot (for a righty), chunking it could be a result of not moving your weight to the same position as you were at setup.

Send me a private message if any of this helped, or if you need more help.

Have fun golfing!

[ZaPPPa]

Personally I have a harder time controlling a higher lofted chip than a lower one. Mostly because chipping a 60* 20 feet takes more force than chipping a 7I. For a 20f chip with a 7I I use an almost putting stroke, which you really can't mess up badly.

To each his own. I'd suggest trying stuff out on the practice green. Try all kinds of different shots. This is the best way to get a feel for what works and how far various clubs will go. If that gets confusing, stick with one club and see how that works out.

For picking the right club for bump-n-run I use this very simple chart to decide on carry vs roll:

SW 1:1
PW 1:2
9I 1:3
8I 1:4
7I 1:5 and so on.

So, if you need 20f and you need to carry 10f, take a SW. If you have only 4f to carry, take a 9I and aim to land it about 2f on the green.. simple no?

[MSB256]

type in the you tube home page and then after it type this in---> /?v=GGlcWdiZ36M_page

This seems like a popular method. Phil mickelson covers the "hinge and hold" in the last Golf Digest. I'm going to try that out too. I'm noticing that some of these videos don't really call for getting under the ball. And the advice from you guys. The chips are similar to putts and the hing and hold is lie a half one quarter swing. I'd like to go the range and practice only my short game... or hit a bucket with everything and one bucket devoted to chipping.

I can see and witnessed first hand why they are called "scoring clubs." If you can chip it close or pitch it close and leave yourself with a make-able putt instead of a two putt it can shave the score down. Especially when your like me and chip four times and make a 10 on a par 5 when you should have bogeyed.

[clubhousehero]

I would just like to say i chipped with a 6i a couple days ago and it worked really well. I was just short of the green and the pin was way back so i just used a putting stroke and the ball roled pin high and to the right. Almost seemed too easy.

[alcorn]

I will definitely work on chipping with the irons... but when DO you guys use your wedge? Up hill lie? got a carry a bunker?

It really depends on the situation. I'm tending to favor my 58* on most at this point. It just comes in handy if have to get the ball to stop, or if you want to chip over a bunker and try to play a break in the green. There are other situations that I like using it for. Where the other irons like your pw or 8 iron come in handy is if your across a long green and you need your ball to roll a bit. I'll also use a fairway wood or hybrid in this situation. What I would recommend is if you like the 64 then it and maybe something along the lines of a 9 iron or PW (one of my favorite clubs to chip with is the PW) and just learn by experience when and how to use what. Remember that you don't need to make if complicated.

[bunkerputt]

A big part of demystifying all of the advice you'll hear on chipping is understanding the principle behind the tip. The tip may be irrelevant to you, but the principle is hardly irrelevant. For example, I've heard people say, "You need to chip with an open stance", and I've heard people like Stan Utley say, "You should chip with a square stance", and I've heard people like Tom Watson say, "You should chip with your feet open, but your knees, hips and shoulders square". Regardless, what each of them is trying to do is two things:

1. Get your body pivoting through the swing
2. See the target line

You can generally see the target line better with an open stance, and can also pivot better open, but it tends to affect the path that the clubhead takes and imparts slice spin on the ball. So what you really want is the stance that lets you pivot through, see the target line, keep the clubhead on line, and provides consistently solid contact. How exactly to best do that is why there are so many different pieces of advice. The best advice I can give on building a chip shot technique is this:

1. Pick a swing, stance, weight distribution, and wrist hinge combination that is comfortable for you and lets you get the clubface to the ball cleanly (not thin for scoopers).
2. Practice without a ball to figure out where that swing bottoms out.
3. Put the ball at the bottom of the swing arc and practice chipping into a pillow to get the feel for solid contact.
4. Take that to the practice green to work on distance control.

Remember that you can't develop distance control without solid contact and you can't have solid contact without a consistent motion. That's why the order is important here, particularly 3 before 4. Until you know what solid contact REALLY feels like, it will be very difficult to develop #4.

Regarding club selection:

You hear a lot of people talk about getting the ball running as quickly as possible. In my experience, with higher handicappers, it's equally difficult reading green speed and line and finding the right club for the right combination of carry and roll on longer chips as it is for just carrying the ball farther and eliminating a lot of break and roll. I would say, at your level, don't worry about making sure you can chip with your 5-iron. Get your favorite wedge (the 64* ?) and get really good with that wedge. It's much better for your score if you are really good with one club and so-so with the others than if you are just OK with a lot of clubs.

Good luck and don't get overwhelmed. Make sure you remain athletic in golf. I say this because you are an athlete and it seems like you are taking an analytical approach, which I tend to do as well, being an engineer. So the hard part for guys like us is giving up finding the perfect formula for golf and trading it in for intuition and feel.

[shankopotamus]

I say this because you are an athlete and it seems like you are taking an analytical approach, which I tend to do as well, being an engineer. So the hard part for guys like us is giving up finding the perfect formula for golf and trading it in for intuition and feel.

I was wondering why your handicap was pi!

[trumps4]

I use one of two clubs to chip with. If the ball lies in the fairway or fringe, I'll use a 9 iron. If the ball is in the rough, I use a 56 degree wedge.
This strategy comes from the advice of our local club pro. The idea is that a true chip shot is to delicate a shot to try and get used to using several different clubs. I have bought into this because it makes sense to me. With a little practice, you can learn to hit shots of different trajectories with the same club.
On the other hand, if I have to carry anything (bunker, several feet of rough, water, a group of passing ducks) I automatically consider that a "pitch shot" which is an entirely different story.

[breezy]

I was hitting in the 100's a month ago. i just recently started hitting in the mid 90's to high 90's this month. I usually never chip unless i have to and i love using my Pitching iron to bump and run it close to the hole. i am able to use my 56 and 60 degree wedge but it doesn't give me a good roll.