Chipping ratio

[RFKFREAK]

I was watching a video from an instructor by the name of Paul Wilson and he was talking about the ratio between the distance one has to fly the golf ball onto the green vs. how much the ball rolls out.

Essentially, he said that:

Ratio Ball to landing spot: Landing spot to hole	Club
1:1	SW/LW
1:2	PW
1:3	9I
1:4	8I
1:5	7I

I've never done this before and was wondering if anyone used this chipping method or if there some other method you've found that you feel is better for you.

Thoughts?

[exgolfpro66]

Although those numbers are probably fairly accurate, on a flat chip, I would find the determining of the spot to be a little tedious.  I do 75% of my chipping with a 54* wedge and the other 25% with a 58* LW.  I can count the times on one hand that i've used a PW or 9iron in the past year.  But, i have spent sooooooo many hours practicing on our practice green that I can simply tell where I want the ball to land by looking at the chip ,then i set up for that shot.  In doing so, I have to manipulate the face angle and the shaft angle of the club, but I find it quite simple.

I may hit a 54* wedge that flies very high or can hit a 54* wedge than barely gets off the ground and runs a long way.  Just depends on what I 'see'.

[turtleback]

  RFKFREAK said:

I was watching a video from an instructor by the name of Paul Wilson and he was talking about the ratio between the distance one has to fly the golf ball onto the green vs. how much the ball rolls out.

Essentially, he said that:

Ratio

Ball to landing spot: Landing spot to hole

Club

1:1

SW/LW

1:2

PW

1:3

9I

1:4

8I

1:5

7I

I've never done this before and was wondering if anyone used this chipping method or if there some other method you've found that you feel is better for you.

Thoughts?

With all of the variables of lie, slope, green speed, etc, it seems unlikely to me that these ratios, even if we assume for arguments sake they have some validity, would apply universally.

[DrvFrShow]

There will be variables, of course, but as a general rule I've seen videos like this before. I've also seen videos where you pick your landing spot and try to land it with whatever club there. Last year I used a variety of clubs depending upon lie, distance and course conditions. Whenever you can putt, putt. I was the Queen of the Texas Wedge.

If you have an uphill chip you need a stronger club. If you have a downhill chip you need a club that will check a little better, but the danger is sometimes the ball will check too soon and you're left with a long putt you need to sink for par.

Sometimes I wish I was able to hit Phil's flop with that accuracy and consistency.

[WUTiger]

It may be my setup or my stroke, but my ratios are different.

SW = 1: 1/2 (this is when I'm 6 yards off the green and the cup is only 3 yards past the fringe).

PW = 1: 1

8i = 1:2

If the greenside grass is shaggy or damp, I may add one club stronger just to get through the resistance.

Also, I would suspect clubhead design might influence the ratio, especially since a chip is a smooth rather than a power swing. A Player's head would have a higher - and possibly more forward - VCOG than a SGI head. So, a chip from a Player's iron or wedge might come off hotter and lower than one off a SGI iron.

On a full shot, a golfer generating the higher clubhead speed needed to use a Player's head would be able to get the ball up about the same as a slower-swinging player with the help of a SGI head. But on a chip, the slower chipshot swing speed might create a lower shot than would an SGI head.

Anyone seen any tests on this?

[ev780]

Jeez.  I got it the first five times he said it.  He must have gotten paid by he minute for this video.

Another variation on the rule of 12. 12 iron is sand wedge 10 iron is pitch.  All the math works out to 12.  SW is 12 iron which is 1:1  10 iron 1:2 (10 + 2 = 12)  9 iron is 1:3 (9 + 3=12)  And so on.  I don't use that method now as I now prefer to fly the ball but I have in the past.  I may go back to it as I am having a little trouble being consistent with chips.

I can say it five more time if necessary. :)

[Lihu]

  RFKFREAK said:

I was watching a video from an instructor by the name of Paul Wilson and he was talking about the ratio between the distance one has to fly the golf ball onto the green vs. how much the ball rolls out.

Essentially, he said that:

Ratio

Ball to landing spot: Landing spot to hole

Club

1:1

SW/LW

1:2

PW

1:3

9I

1:4

8I

1:5

7I

I've never done this before and was wondering if anyone used this chipping method or if there some other method you've found that you feel is better for you.

Thoughts?

Take a look at this video of "Rule of 12". Might be easier to follow. . .

[vangator]

  RFKFREAK said:

I was watching a video from an instructor by the name of Paul Wilson and he was talking about the ratio between the distance one has to fly the golf ball onto the green vs. how much the ball rolls out. Essentially, he said that: [TR] [/TR] [TR] [TD]SW/LW[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]PW[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]9I[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]8I[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]7I[/TD] [/TR]

Ratio Ball to landing spot: Landing spot to hole

Club

1:1

1:2

1:3

1:4

1:5

I've never done this before and was wondering if anyone used this chipping method or if there some other method you've found that you feel is better for you. Thoughts?

Try it. It works. I use a 9i for my basic chips. It releases the most consistently. Pick a spot just off the green and pace 1/3 the way to the pin. Put a tee in the green and chip your ball to the tee. On a normal flat green, it will roll to the hole. Uphill, chip a little longer. Downhill a little shorter.

[CR McDivot]

Pitching and chipping is ALL FEEL. Choose the club you are most comfortable with for loft and roll and work exclusively with that one club. This will eliminate a lot of variables. The rest is face angle, angle of attack and speed. More will track properly in the air and on the roll... more will drop!

ALL of my greenside work from 45 yards to fringe is with ONE wedge. On a shot that has to fly 2 thirds before rolling, clear a hazard to a short sided pin, clear two feet of fringe and roll 15, I practice them all with the same club. I consistently sink or lag to one putt range better than almost all I play with. Why? Because I have a tool I know, and know how to use it.

[RFKFREAK]

  CR McDivot said:

Pitching and chipping is ALL FEEL. Choose the club you are most comfortable with for loft and roll and work exclusively with that one club. This will eliminate a lot of variables. The rest is face angle, angle of attack and speed. More will track properly in the air and on the roll... more will drop! ALL of my greenside work from 45 yards to fringe is with ONE wedge. On a shot that has to fly 2 thirds before rolling, clear a hazard to a short sided pin, clear two feet of fringe and roll 15, I practice them all with the same club. I consistently sink or lag to one putt range better than almost all I play with. Why? Because I have a tool I know, and know how to use it.

See, I think that by just using one club there's a trial and error period where you have to figure out what to do in given instances of distance whereas a system like @Lihu shared can be a good foundation from which to build on.

[CR McDivot]

  RFKFREAK said:

See, I think that by just using one club there's a trial and error period where you have to figure out what to do in given instances of distance whereas a system like @Lihu shared can be a good foundation from which to build on.

To each their own!

I simply find it easier to deal with one tool and adjust to circumstance, than with several tools and still have to adjust.

What are you gonna do with an uphill lie from the rough that has to fly 10 yards and stop in 2? Or 5? Or 12?

I got one club for that with minor adjustments. The same club works from 3 or 30 and with the same variables.

[RFKFREAK]

  vangator said:

Try it. It works. I use a 9i for my basic chips. It releases the most consistently. Pick a spot just off the green and pace 1/3 the way to the pin. Put a tee in the green and chip your ball to the tee. On a normal flat green, it will roll to the hole. Uphill, chip a little longer. Downhill a little shorter.

I will...when the slow melts and it gets warmer, haha. [quote name="CR McDivot" url="/t/79674/chipping-ratio/0_100#post_1100313"] To each their own! I simply find it easier to deal with one tool and adjust to circumstance, than with several tools and still have to adjust. ;-) [/quote] No doubt. I'm just bad at estimating things like distance, square footage, etc., so, for me, I like having a system rather than bring on some estimation.

[Lihu]

  RFKFREAK said:

Quote:

Originally Posted by vangator

Try it. It works. I use a 9i for my basic chips. It releases the most consistently. Pick a spot just off the green and pace 1/3 the way to the pin. Put a tee in the green and chip your ball to the tee. On a normal flat green, it will roll to the hole. Uphill, chip a little longer. Downhill a little shorter.

I will...when the slow melts and it gets warmer, haha.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CR McDivot

To each their own!

I simply find it easier to deal with one tool and adjust to circumstance, than with several tools and still have to adjust.

No doubt.

I'm just bad at estimating things like distance, square footage, etc., so, for me, I like having a system rather than bring on some estimation.

All the really good golfers I know have totally different methods around the green and putting. So, whatever makes you comfortable, I guess. I do use the "brush method" on this site for my stroke and am using method of 12 with some degree of success, but to be honest my short game is the worst part of my game. I hope I can get that feel back again with my new swing.

[RFKFREAK]

  Lihu said:

All the really good golfers I know have totally different methods around the green and putting. So, whatever makes you comfortable, I guess. I do use the "brush method" on this site for my stroke and am using method of 12 with some degree of success, but to be honest my short game is the worst part of my game. I hope I can get that feel back again with my new swing.

Brush method?

[Lihu]

http://thesandtrap.com/t/39411/quickie-pitching-video-golf-pitch-shot-technique

[DrvFrShow]

The biggest mistake I see people make in their chipping is that they take too big a backswing and decelerate the club on the downswing, then duff the shot. Or if they don't decelerate they realize they took too big a backswing and try to fix it and end up skulling the ball over the green. I've seen low handicappers do the first one. I'm guilty of both. Not as much as I used to be.

[vangator]

  CR McDivot said:

To each their own! I simply find it easier to deal with one tool and adjust to circumstance, than with several tools and still have to adjust. ;-)   What are you gonna do with an uphill lie from the rough that has to fly 10 yards and stop in 2? Or 5? Or 12? I got one club for that with minor adjustments. The same club works from 3 or 30 and with the same variables.

I used to do that but I found that varying the iron I use to chip with gets more consistent results. When my ball misses the green and I have to chip, I typically grab several clubs. The first thought is always the 9 iron just because I like it the best. But if a 9i could cause the ball to possibly land in the fringe, that's bad. The ball should always land on the green if possible. I may take a PW, SW, or 60* to make sure it lands on the green. I use the Rule of 12 (listed by OP) to calculate accordingly. A key thing in chipping is too have a smooth repeatable swing. The approach should be "how do I hit the ball to my target", not the hole. Let the math work for you. Also, for longer chips, I'll take a less lofted club such as a 8 or 7 iron to get the ball rolling earlier. It's a lot easier to hit a spot 20 feet from you than a spot 50 feet from you. The ball trajectory is much more predictable too. Too lofted of a chip will sometimes check a lot, a little or none at all depending on the quality of your strike. A miss with a less lofted chip will turn out better than a more lofted chip. I haven't run any numbers, but I bet I can chip better from 40 feet than I can putt from 40 feet. That's really sad.

[vangator]

  Lihu said:

All the really good golfers I know have totally different methods around the green and putting. So, whatever makes you comfortable, I guess. I do use the "brush method" on this site for my stroke and am using method of 12 with some degree of success, but to be honest my short game is the worst part of my game. I hope I can get that feel back again with my new swing.

Did you ever make it to Florida for your work related travel? I'd like to hook up with you and do some chipping. I'll bring the beer! :-) I also do the "brush method" but I make sure I accelerate through the ball. Gary Player calls it "strike the match". I prefer that over a chip with a putter swing. Either way, practice it until you can make it repeat 99% of the time. The norm should be a chip and 1 putt. I viewed the video above several months ago and it's very good. On chips close to the green, I tend to use the leading edge more. It can be trickier, but these chips tend to be very small swings. For longer shots, using the bounce gives you more room for error on mishits.