Chipping Experiment

[p1n9183]

As a one club (60 degree) up/down player and a lot of post red where the debate is between doing it with only one club or many i decided to put it into the test.

Pick a spot in front of a green 12 yards from the ping sligthy uphill, 1 or 2 yards from the green, so i have a lot of green to work with. Then chipped 20 ball´s with my 60°, 20 ball´s with my PW, and then 20 ball´s with my 8 iron. Then again 20 more ball´s with each club. 40 ball´s each club, all of them dropping the ball. Some lies where with almost no grass, some with average and some with a bit more than a fairway, close so an easy rough. 

I messure each shot by point´s. 0 to 3 feet 0 points, 3 to 6 feet 1 point. 6 to 9 feet 2 point´s an so on.. 

The result were:

LW: 16+17 points= 33; average from ping = 3,7 feet; Stroke gained putting: 1,125
PW: 16+14 points= 30; average from ping = 3,4 feet; Stroke gained putting: 1,1
8I: 11+12 points= 23; average from ping = 2,6 feet; Stroke gained putting: 1,03

Used this table for stroke gained: 

 

As total points it´s clear that 8 iron were better, even in distance to the hole, a feet closer. In stroke gained was 0,1 strokes better each shot.
Not much difference between LW and PW but PW where a bit better. 

Maybe next time I have green to work with i will choose a 7 iron or even the PW over the LW, if i have little green to work with the LW it´s ok, hope this help me to get more up/down.

 

[Hatchman]

No argument from me here.  Love the 7i chippie to just get the ball over the tops of the grass towards the hole, especially on those tight lies.  Thanks for the info.

[Hacker James]

worthwhile experiment but results might vary between players. Some are very good at judging low traj approaches with 7 or 8 iron, while others may excel at lofted pitches and lobs.

[Kalnoky]

This is fascinating, thank you for posting. I have always chipped very well with an 8-iron. Late last summer I started using a 52* and a 58* because I switched to a more difficult course that has mounds defending the greens, and I need to get up and over. (Also, I wanted to replicate that shot you see the pros make where the ball will take off quickly and suddenly check up – pretty cool to pull off). Anyway, I got pretty good with those wedges – on in 3 every time, as you might expect for someone of my skill level. However, I had the opportunity to play a different course a few weeks ago and I went back to chipping with an 8-iron, and it was deadly accurate.. What is it about the 8-iron? The feel is unmatched for me. I know other people who also chip with an 8-iron.   

[Piz]

It is possible that we all have an optimal trajectory in mind...something like a underhanded toss...and an 8 iron, for many, approximates that vision.  

[Hacker James]

  On 1/7/2017 at 12:13 AM, Piz said:

It is possible that we all have an optimal trajectory in mind...something like a underhanded toss...and an 8 iron, for many, approximates that vision.  

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I would agree with that. The only caveat might be running past the hole.

[No Mulligans]

1 to 2 yards from the green...

On practice rounds I'll sometimes two balls from a spot.  When I'm on the fringe it's usually a chip followed by a putter.  I have much better results with a putter than a wedge/iron chip.

I also have better results chipping if I can use a shortish swing.  So, if possible, I like to use a putting stroke and vary the club to vary the distance.  This bit aligns itself with your results.

[Hacker James]

not long ago we had a similar discussion relative to chipping, putting, chipping with a putting stroke, using a hybrid and "walking" it up to an upright putting position (Carnoustie something or other).  However, the OP was talking about an experiment and the relevance  to strokes gained e.t.c.  I am NOT saying we are OT, just wanted to bring that back into focus. Not of particular interest to me, but may be to others.

[Buckeyebowman]

  On 1/6/2017 at 11:55 PM, Hacker James said:

worthwhile experiment but results might vary between players. Some are very good at judging low traj approaches with 7 or 8 iron, while others may excel at lofted pitches and lobs.

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I can agree with this. Back in the day my first "slightly better" set of clubs ended at the 9 iron. When the shaft on the 9 got broke I did all my greenside work with the 8 iron. To this day it remains my favorite chipping club.

On the other hand, my buddy's Son has an old Ram SW that he inherited from his Dad. I don't care if he's 2 feet from the green, if he can't putt it he likes to put some air under it and loft the ball to the hole.

Seems he has trouble judging run out, and I have trouble judging carry! But hey, whatever works for you.

[Hacker James]

  On 1/7/2017 at 2:28 AM, Buckeyebowman said:

I can agree with this. Back in the day my first "slightly better" set of clubs ended at the 9 iron. When the shaft on the 9 got broke I did all my greenside work with the 8 iron. To this day it remains my favorite chipping club.

On the other hand, my buddy's Son has an old Ram SW that he inherited from his Dad. I don't care if he's 2 feet from the green, if he can't putt it he likes to put some air under it and loft the ball to the hole.

Seems he has trouble judging run out, and I have trouble judging carry! But hey, whatever works for you.

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well, both would be nice.

[Buckeyebowman]

  On 1/7/2017 at 3:39 AM, Hacker James said:

well, both would be nice.

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I agree, but it doesn't seem to be that way. If you had both, maybe you should sign up for Q School!

[Hacker James]

  On 1/8/2017 at 3:57 AM, Buckeyebowman said:

I agree, but it doesn't seem to be that way. If you had both, maybe you should sign up for Q School!

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naw, doubt if I could teach them all that much

[dave s]

The reason we don't get closer to pin with the high-lofted wedges is because it's difficult to convince yourself to swing the club enough to get the ball all the way to the hole. I know this and still leave them short!

For example, my 58* wedge and usual ball results in high, soft shots that roll out 3 feet or less sometimes.  This means I need to fly the ball nearly ALL the way to the hole on a 30-40' chip shot.  Mentally, this is hard to do.

Another choice is a lesser lofted wedge, (I usually choose PW) choke down and use more of a putting stoke.  Clip it clean and you'll get good roll out.

I used to use everything from LW down to 8-iron around the greens.  Now it's just my 58* for clearing hazards/bad stuff or the PW for pitches with rollout.  Simplify.

[Ernest Jones]

  On 1/8/2017 at 3:59 PM, dave s said:

The reason we don't get closer to pin with the high-lofted wedges is because it's difficult to convince yourself to swing the club enough to get the ball all the way to the hole. I know this and still leave them short!

For example, my 58* wedge and usual ball results in high, soft shots that roll out 3 feet or less sometimes.  This means I need to fly the ball nearly ALL the way to the hole on a 30-40' chip shot.  Mentally, this is hard to do.

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Agree with this. Plus, one of the secrets to good pitches is speed. If you chicken out, you're done. 

[Piz]

  On 1/8/2017 at 5:12 PM, Ernest Jones said:

Agree with this. Plus, one of the secrets to good pitches is speed. If you chicken out, you're done. 

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Easily the most disheartening failure in golf.  I'd rather miss a 3 foot putt.

[natureboy]

Kudos for doing some testing. Was this done on your sand greens? I would expect that a higher trajectory on a sand surface may deaden the shot more than a lower, more glancing landing angle.

Also the 'right' club is going to depend on stimp. Back in the day when Paul Runyan's chipping technique was developed, average green speeds on tour were slower on average. Today pros rarely use more than three clubs for chipping, because the lower lofted clubs just carry too much horizontal energy and don't slow down quickly enough to stay close.

[IndianaDundee]

Interesting experiment, but I think my results would be the opposite.  My chipping shots (bump and run) with a putting stroke, can get close (sometimes in the hole) but I find that many times my putter will do just as good of a job.  If I have a fluffier lie than I trust my putter in, I tend to overswing, making a putting style chip run off the back of the green or a pitching swing fly past the hole and sometimes fly over the whole green.  With a high lofted pitch or even flop shot my ball tends to land close to the pin but not have enough spin to stop there.  Still putting but at least on the green as opposed to facing another chip sounds like a good trade off to me.  

I base my shot type on the lie of the ball.  A fluffy uphill lie my lob wedge will go right under the ball and leave it in the rough where my PW will fly the green and die.  But a downhill tight lie my lobber is the only way to get enough spin to stop.

I am also curious if there is an optimal trajectory for more common chipping situations.  But how can you call an 8 iron the right club since I have seen an 44 degree 8 iron and a 35 degree 8 iron. I own a 42 degree PW so if your 8 iron is from an old set my new PW  has the same loft.  On the other hand if your 8 iron that is ideal for chipping is of the newer 35 degree type, then I have an old 6 iron with a 36 degree loft that my leave you a few feet short.

[natureboy]

  On 1/8/2017 at 8:45 PM, natureboy said:

Kudos for doing some testing. Was this done on your sand greens? I would expect that a higher trajectory on a sand surface may deaden the shot even more than a lower, more glancing landing angle does compared to a grass green / turf surface.

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@p1n9183, I meant to say the above.