Getting Chips Closer to the Hole

[mchichioco]

Hey Everyone.

Recently I've been noticing that I'm kind of getting stuck at around low 80's. I think one of the main reasons is mainly my chipping. In general I don't hit many tops and fats, but I will have my slip ups like anyone else. However, I usually average sticking it 10-15 feet away on an "easy" chip... Yes It's on the green and all, but I noticed that the main difference between me and the golfers a bit better than me is accuracy of chipping. For me, my problem tends to be alignment issues and distance control. I have trouble gauging where to land, how much it will roll, and just reading the greens in general. Any advice for me would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[Patch]

Mike Adams and T.J. Tomasi in the book "Total Golf" discuss a chipping method using multi clubs. It is a calculation you would use to choose a specific club, for specific carry, and roll distance. Myself I only use one, or two clubs for my chip shots, but I do like their method that utilizes only one set stroke, being used with different clubs. They have two constants you need to remember. One being a landing area 1 foot on the green, and the other being the number 12. I have tried their system and it does work.  Below is a cut & paste on how it works. Indulge your self.

"The Two Constants;
1. Landing area on the green is 1 foot past the fringe.
2. The # 12.
The # 12 Calculation; With your normal stride measure the distance from the ball to the “1” ft. landing area on the green. This gives you a fractional numerator. Next with your normal stride measure the distance from the “1” ft landing area to the hole. This number gives a fractional denominator. Then reduce the fraction, and subtract the denominator from the # 12. The left over sum matches the club number to be used.
Example 1: 2 steps from the ball to the landing area. 6 steps from the landing area to the hole. OR 2/6. Reduced, this fraction becomes 1/3. Subtract 3 from 12 which = 9 or a 9i.
Example 2: 1 step from the ball to the landing area. 6 steps from the landing area to the hole. Fraction = 1/6. 12 minus 6 equals 6, or a 6i."
Of course with this method you would have to make adjustments for up hill, and down hill pin placements. Plus if your stride does not match your chipping stroke, other adjustments need to made. Also if there is a problem with the 1 foot landing area, such a mound, sprinkler head...etc adjustments need to be made there also. A PW wedge would be 10i, and a SW would be an 11i for this system. . .

[dennyjones]

Brian Manzel has been preaching this for years, rule of 12. I like the concept, it works for me.

[dchoye]

I use to chip everything, then started to use the flange and been lobbing and pitching most of my green side shots and feel its easier.

For pitch shots I just aim for a spot on the green where I want to land and either plan to run or spin and stop.

For the lob shot the ball just lands soft and goes maybe 2 feet so I just plan to land at  3  foot half circle in front of the hole.

I lost the ability to chip and roll, so I use the putter most of the time. If I have heavy rough around the green then I use the toe  and use a putting stroke wedge/short iron.

The math forumla method with different irons isnt suited for me.

[mvmac]

Do this, easy to get solid predictable contact chipping this way. With solid contact comes distance control.

I would also suggest the reason you're not breaking 80 isn't the chipping, it's probably the long game.

[boogielicious]

I would add reading these two books.  There are several methods on chipping as Mike has shown above.  But pitching may also be the appropriate shot instead of a chip.

by Stan Utley  and

Both books go into when to chip or pitch and discuss technique.  The method Mike pointed to is an "in between" method that works well too.

Check out this thread for pitching.

[David in FL]

Do this, easy to get solid predictable contact chipping this way. With solid contact comes distance control.  [CONTENTEMBED=/t/70998/chipping-with-a-putting-method layout=inline]​[/CONTENTEMBED]

+1 on this. [quote name="mvmac" url="/t/75475/getting-chips-closer-to-the-hole#post_1012340"] I would also suggest the reason you're not breaking 80 isn't the chipping, it's probably the long game. [/quote] And this.....too many blown chips result from too few greens hit in the first place.

[Patch]

The math formula is predicated on using only one stroke for any club being used. The chosen club does all the work due to it's loft. Using only one chipping stroke should breed consistency. If the golfer is dealing with a some what level green, it's a great way to chip. My chipping style is based on what I see I need to do. My first decisions to read the green to see where I need to land the ball to get a good roll on the ball as soon as possible. I am looking to take away as many obstacles on the green as I can. Stuff like humps, valleys, slants, damaged turf, and any other things that might poorly effect the ball's roll to the cup.. My second decision is which club to use to get the ball to that chosen landing area. Most of the time, for me, it's either a PW or a 8i. My PW is pretty much 50%  air time, and 50% roll. Some folks call my PW chip shot, a pitch shot due to the air time involved. They may be right. My 8i is around 30% air time, and 70% roll.

[MEfree]

Alignment issues should be pretty easy to fix- read the green more or less like a putt based on where you will be landing the ball.  As far as distance control, do you think you have any consistent mistakes.  For me, I noticed that I tend to go long on the downhill chips and short on the up hillers.  While this does leave me an uphill putt, I find I get closer when I err on the side of taking more loft on the downhillers.

[Patch]

The math formula is predicated on using only one stroke for any club being used. The chosen club does all the work due to it's loft. Using only one chipping stroke should breed consistency. If the golfer is dealing with a some what level green, it's a great way to chip. My chipping style is based on what I see I need to do. My first decisions to read the green to see where I need to land the ball to get a good roll on the ball as soon as possible. I am looking to take away as many obstacles on the green as I can. Stuff like humps, valleys, slants, damaged turf, and any other things that might poorly effect the ball's roll to the cup.. My second decision is which club to use to get the ball to that chosen landing area. Most of the time, for me, it's either a PW or a 8i. My PW is pretty much 50%  air time, and 50% roll. Some folks call my PW chip shot, a pitch shot due to the air time involved. They may be right. My 8i is around 30% air time, and 70% roll.

Thought I would throw this method in here since it is close to what I do. http://golf.about.com/od/golftips/ss/6_8_10_chipping.htm

[dchoye]

The math formula is predicated on using only one stroke for any club being used. The chosen club does all the work due to it's loft. Using only one chipping stroke should breed consistency. If the golfer is dealing with a some what level green, it's a great way to chip. My chipping style is based on what I see I need to do. My first decisions to read the green to see where I need to land the ball to get a good roll on the ball as soon as possible. I am looking to take away as many obstacles on the green as I can. Stuff like humps, valleys, slants, damaged turf, and any other things that might poorly effect the ball's roll to the cup.. My second decision is which club to use to get the ball to that chosen landing area. Most of the time, for me, it's either a PW or a 8i. My PW is pretty much 50%  air time, and 50% roll. Some folks call my PW chip shot, a pitch shot due to the air time involved. They may be right. My 8i is around 30% air time, and 70% roll.

been using this chipping method more and more for straight forward chips around the green with little undulation.

Still dont like the math formulas, so I been using PW with the 50:50 fly :roll rule , I still like to land a foot past the fringe and will just deloft my PW by pressing my right hand forward to get the 9I , 8i, 7i etc loft to get different ratios.

If there is more fringe than green then I m thinking of lobbing or putting depending on the lie.

[WUTiger]

The math formula is predicated on using only one stroke for any club being used. ...

Most of the time, for me, it's either a PW or a 8i. My PW is pretty much 50%  air time, and 50% roll. Some folks call my PW chip shot, a pitch shot due to the air time involved. They may be right. My 8i is around 30% air time, and 70% roll.

I tried the Rule of 12 for a month a couple of years back, but got too little roll with wedges and too much with the 7, 8 irons. And, the Rule wasn't worth much on uphill and downhill chips.

I chip and run more than most people, using mainly 8i or PW. Length of backswing helps govern distance.

Another factor is the ball you use. I use mid-spin balls, as they seem to have the smoothest release. Right now I'm using the Callaway SuperSoft.

A couple of things: I need to be about 25 feet from the pin to have an 8i shot stabilize and roll. Any closer, I use a PW.

Second, SuperSoft doesn't bite very well on short pitches. I need a half swing to get it to check up any at all. (Got better check spin with TF Gamer .)  But for a chip shot, SuperSoft is a great ball.

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Note: At June's Curtis Cup matches, the British amateur women had a better handle on greenside chip and run than did the Americans. St. Louis CC was an old classic course from the early 1900s, and many of the greens lent themselves to chip shots. Most of the Americans defaulted to LW pitch shots, regardless of the situation. (USA won overall, but but there was a USA bias toward pitch shots).

[mdl]

One more vote for your biggest problem probably not being chipping as far as not getting below 80.  If you're only hitting 5-6 GIR you could have a pro short game and still not be breaking 80 most of the time.

But, you can definitely shave a stroke or two with improved short game.  I've never used longer clubs around then green.  Just never got comfortable with distance control going for things like 3:1 or 5:1 rollout to fly ratios.  For me it's just practice.  Stabilize solid mechanics and practice is what works for me.  I use only my 60˚ and sometimes my 54˚ around the green.  Just have learned decent distance control through feel.  Length of backswing helps me on longer pitches, but inside something like 20-25 yards I just have to feel it out.

I will say that the pitching with a putting stroke thing Mike linked to above is something I've played around with just a bit in practice and I like it.  When I get a chance to start playing more again (just had my first kid), I might try to practice it more and start integrating it on the course for really close misses.  I already to something similar anyway when just a few yards off the green, just with more of a regular swing setup than a putting setup.

[HawkNballs]

Like Mdl mentioned, I basically use my 60* around the greens.  I can turn my lob wedge into pretty much any club by de-lofting it.  Unless you practice a LOT with your chipping... I think using one club is actually easier than using the same stroke with many different clubs.  Just my opinion.

I chip a lot better this year.  Last year I was probably short 75% of the time.  Depending where the pin is, I try to get it a little past the pin if anything.  Maybe even hole a few!

I'm glad I'm not in the group behind the guy that paces all his chipping yardages off and calculates his shots with a math formula.  ;)

[Hardballs]

I'm using 7i for close bump and runs (more green than turf, 30% flight 70% roll) Pw or Gw for a bit further away, (50/50 green to turf) Sw for less green than turf, Lw over hazards/bumpy ground. My short game used to be shocking and It took me ages to figure this out, but it's coming really good now! Making a lot more up and downs than I used to! I think you just have to find a method/system that your comfortable with and then stick with it until it yields results! Good luck!

[vangator]

I like the rule of 12. I give myself a little more room for error than just one foot on the green though. Years ago I used to chip with a SW with zero bounce but it is much more inconsistent for me. Only when I need more air time.