Do Pros use this chipping method?

[saevel25]

http://golf.about.com/od/golftips/ss/6_8_10_chipping.htm

I've heard this technique mentioned many times, online and in golf magazines, for helping with distance control on chipping. You try to land the ball in the same spot but vary the club depending on the amount of roll out.

I have never seen a PGA Tour player do this. Most of the time it looks like they like to pitch the ball to what ever spot they want on the green and use spin to control the roll out. I was watching this video and the European tour player basically said he picks the club he feels most comfortable with.

It begs to question, should a golfer use the method in the link above for chipping?

I really use 1-2 clubs around the green. I feel more comfortable being creative with those clubs than trying to be very good chipping with a lot of clubs and remembering all those roll out numbers. I think it's easier to gauge roll out on the green if there is less roll out because the contours of the green, how firm it is, and the green speeds can vary the numbers on the roll out greatly.

I just found it interesting that this chipping method isn't really used by Tour players. You don't see many of them pulling out 6 irons to chip around the green over long distances.

[DaveP043]

17 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

http://golf.about.com/od/golftips/ss/6_8_10_chipping.htm

I've heard this technique mentioned many times, online and in golf magazines, for helping with distance control on chipping. You try to land the ball in the same spot but vary the club depending on the amount of roll out.

I have never seen a PGA Tour player do this. Most of the time it looks like they like to pitch the ball to what ever spot they want on the green and use spin to control the roll out. I was watching this video and the European tour player basically said he picks the club he feels most comfortable with.

It begs to question, should a golfer use the method in the link above for chipping?

I really use 1-2 clubs around the green. I feel more comfortable being creative with those clubs than trying to be very good chipping with a lot of clubs and remembering all those roll out numbers. I think it's easier to gauge roll out on the green if there is less roll out because the contours of the green, how firm it is, and the green speeds can vary the numbers on the roll out greatly.

I just found it interesting that this chipping method isn't really used by Tour players. You don't see many of them pulling out 6 irons to chip around the green over long distances.

I've read similar recommendations concerning chipping, including the rule of 12, someplace else on TST.  I'm not sure that the proportions of roll to carry hold up everywhere, as green speeds vary quite a bit.  I think its pretty good advice for beginning golfers, so they learn one chipping swing, and vary the club based on carry and roll distance.  For better players, with more experience and more developed hand-eye coordination, I think other techniques seem more functional.  If I remember right, @iacas has said that he uses the pitching technique with bounce for most of his short game shots.  Add to that the fact that tour pros always have fresh grooves in their wedges, the spinning checking type of pitch makes sense.  

I do see many tour players getting the ball on the green and rolling quickly, but its not universal.  Even in the video, Daniel Im isn't carrying the ball very far, even with his 56 degree wedge, and it rolls most of the way to the hole.  I bet not many use an iron as low as a 6-iron, though, because with the speed of the greens, its simply not the right club.

[Dave2512]

I hear it mentioned when they chip with an 8 or 9 or whatever all the time. Rickie does it often.

[Jeremie Boop]

I've tried using the method of varying club for roll out, but I'm much more consistent and comfortable using 60*, 56*, and 50* wedges depending on how much height I need and roll.

[Gator Hazard]

53 minutes ago, Jeremie Boop said:

I've tried using the method of varying club for roll out, but I'm much more consistent and comfortable using 60*, 56*, and 50* wedges depending on how much height I need and roll.

That's how I feel. In general I use my 54 degree wedge or my 60 degree wedge. On occasion I may grab my PW if hole is far away and uphill but I tend to do better trying to use one club for about 80 pct of my chipping (54) and the other two for the rest. I did use my 5h Sunday for shits and giggles when I was about 15 yards before green and pin was in back of a long par 5 green. Was just experimenting though. 

Edited May 2, 2016 by Gator Hazard

[sarena1594]

Quick situation that I run into often:  You're about 10 feet off the green with a good lie and nothing but grass between you and the green.  There's enough green to work with that you can bump and run a shot to the pin.  Do you use a 52" or a 56" wedge?  

I carry a 52, a 56, and a 60 (and rarely use the 60 unless I have an obstacle in the way or not much green to work with).  For the situation above, I find myself using the 56 more often, but I'm curious if other golfers prefer to take more or less loft in this situation.

[Jeremie Boop]

1 minute ago, sarena1594 said:

Quick situation that I run into often:  You're about 10 feet off the green with a good lie and nothing but grass between you and the green.  There's enough green to work with that you can bump and run a shot to the pin.  Do you use a 52" or a 56" wedge?  

I carry a 52, a 56, and a 60 (and rarely use the 60 unless I have an obstacle in the way or not much green to work with).  For the situation above, I find myself using the 56 more often, but I'm curious if other golfers prefer to take more or less loft in this situation.

Depends on how much I need the ball to run. If I need it to run quite a bit I use my 50*, or in your scenario the 52*. If it is a shorter roll I'll use the 56*. Also depends on the green, how fast or slow it is, are there any big slopes between me and the hole. Just not enough information for me to give you a solid answer.

[DaveP043]

4 minutes ago, sarena1594 said:

Quick situation that I run into often:  You're about 10 feet off the green with a good lie and nothing but grass between you and the green.  There's enough green to work with that you can bump and run a shot to the pin.  Do you use a 52" or a 56" wedge?  

For me it would depend on the speed of the green, and the smoothness and firmness of the fairway.  I might use something as low as a 7-iron if its a really long ways to the flag or the green is slow, up to a 56 wedge for a fast green. Its a judgement of which club I can carry a couple feet onto the green and have it roll the right distance.  I'd even look at putting, if the fairway was smooth and firm enough.  There are so many choices, and in many cases it goes to what fits your eye best.

[Golfingdad]

28 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

For me it would depend on the speed of the green, and the smoothness and firmness of the fairway.  I might use something as low as a 7-iron if its a really long ways to the flag or the green is slow, up to a 56 wedge for a fast green. Its a judgement of which club I can carry a couple feet onto the green and have it roll the right distance.  I'd even look at putting, if the fairway was smooth and firm enough.  There are so many choices, and in many cases it goes to what fits your eye best.

I do the exact same thing here.  I haven't gone quite to a 7-iron yet, but anything between putter, wedges and on down to 8-iron is on the table depending on the conditions.

[sarena1594]

51 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

For me it would depend on the speed of the green, and the smoothness and firmness of the fairway.  I might use something as low as a 7-iron if its a really long ways to the flag or the green is slow, up to a 56 wedge for a fast green. Its a judgement of which club I can carry a couple feet onto the green and have it roll the right distance.  I'd even look at putting, if the fairway was smooth and firm enough.  There are so many choices, and in many cases it goes to what fits your eye best.

 

20 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

I do the exact same thing here.  I haven't gone quite to a 7-iron yet, but anything between putter, wedges and on down to 8-iron is on the table depending on the conditions.

Thanks guys! Looks like I might have to work in a 7 or 8i into my chipping practice.  I've used those a few times on the course with varying success, which is why I feel more comfortable using a wedge.  Thus far in the season, the New England weather has made the greens quite slow, so the time to practice non-wedge chip shots would be now.

[boogielicious]

From where he is off the green, I would use Chipping with a putting method, CPM. My <20-30 foot club is the 9-iron unless it is up or down hill a lot. I will go as low as the PW or as high as the 8 iron. I am very comfortable with this method.

If I am in deeper rough or have to carry more, I would just use a pitch and vary the club by the carry and roll available. The problem with chipping as I see him do it is the potential for the club to grab the turf and chunk the shot. Even when I do a chip, I do it more like a pitch but finish differently. The back swing and pivot are similar, but I keep the hands going more toward the target. I don't use that very often because the ball tends to check up and it is harder to judge. I do practice it though.

When I do pitching and chipping practice, I try to change the launch. Example: 58 degree wedge, I will try high and soft and lower check up. Or 9 iron CPM, low running or higher launch, etc. You learn to manipulate the ball flight. Plus it keeps me from getting bored.

[StevenR84]

1 hour ago, sarena1594 said:

Quick situation that I run into often:  You're about 10 feet off the green with a good lie and nothing but grass between you and the green.  There's enough green to work with that you can bump and run a shot to the pin.  Do you use a 52" or a 56" wedge?  

I carry a 52, a 56, and a 60 (and rarely use the 60 unless I have an obstacle in the way or not much green to work with).  For the situation above, I find myself using the 56 more often, but I'm curious if other golfers prefer to take more or less loft in this situation.

7 iron all day (mostly) for me. i've stopped trying to get it in the air and just let it roll. i've found myself hitting less chunks/skull shots when i do it. Now same scenario with some junk in front of it, break out the 56.

[natureboy]

9 hours ago, saevel25 said:

I have never seen a PGA Tour player do this. Most of the time it looks like they like to pitch the ball to what ever spot they want on the green and use spin to control the roll out.

I think it's easier to gauge roll out on the green if there is less roll out because the contours of the green, how firm it is, and the green speeds can vary the numbers on the roll out greatly.

I just found it interesting that this chipping method isn't really used by Tour players. You don't see many of them pulling out 6 irons to chip around the green over long distances.

Your note about contour and green speeds is a good one. The 'rule of 12 method' needs to be calibrated relative to your game and the average green speeds you face. Pros face very slick greens regularly and this may reduce the practical range of what clubs will work with the method.

Also, landing on a downslope or upslope likely makes the runout less predictable so the pros may be roughly applying the technique, but choosing a landing spot further on the green / closer to the hole than a few feet in from the fringe if that gives them a flatter landing point.

Paul Runyan employed this method heavily, but also mixed with pitching depending on lie and contours around the green. Seve also employed the chip and run as one of his options around the green.

[Patch]

I posted on this earlier. Guess it did not make it. 

I have used method in the OP's link before. It's still in my note book. The method has been around for a while. I think I read about it in a book by Tomasi (sp?).  I also used the rule of 12 method for a while.

Several years ago I finally settled on Paul Runyon's chipping method. I found it to be the easiest, and most accurate for me. I even use it for shorter pitches these days. 

As to what method(s) the pros do, or don't use, I never really thought about it. Their expertise around the greens is light years a head of mine. Plus the conditions of the greens they play on is much better than stuff I play on. 

[RFKFREAK]

I quite possibly have the worst short game of anyone on TST and I use the rule of 12 method.

[RH31]

I got a lesson once and the pro advised always carry the ball past the first 3 feet of green as that is the most inconsistent grass on every green. She would then use whatever club would roll out to hole. She was very good at it. I could never get consistent with it.

I use my 56* and vary ball position and shaft lean for different shots. Sometimes I'll use my gap wedge if I want a little more run out. For me, it's much easier to judge how far to carry the ball than it is to judge how much roll out I'm going to get. So, if I can't get a putter on it, my shots around the green usually have more carry than roll.

[9wood]

If there is 50 ft of green in front of the pin I use a 7 iron in a putting stance and choke down on the grip. If there is only 10 feet of green in front of the pin I use my 56 degree wedge. FOR ME, it all depends on how much roll to the pin I have or if the green is on an uphill or downhill chip.

Edited May 3, 2016 by 9wood

[Dan42nepa]

It is more common in europe than here. I think the speed of the greens make it harder. Hard to judge a bump and run with very fast greens. I have been doing it since I was a kid. The best write up about it i saw was in a Ray Floyd book. Also a book called play lower handicap golf by Phil Rodgers. He measures like this:

flight to roll ratio

 

9 iron 1 part in the air 3 parts on the ground.

8 iron 1 part in the air 4 parts on the ground

7 1 part in the air 5 parts on the ground.

6 iron i part in the air 6 parts on the ground.

Its a thing of beauty when done correctly.