Anybody use a Chipper?

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, klineka said:

@Elmer proximity to the pin might have something to do with it.

It has everything to do with it. If you're 'hitting GIR and guarantee 2-putt and a few 3-putts...that's not a 15hcp. GIR and a 2 putt is par.  Add a few extra strokes for a 'few 3 putts' you're still not at 15hcp. You're seldom hitting GIR if at all. That's why despite 2 putting, and a few 3 putts...you're a 15hcp. You could vastly improve your putting to have ZERO 3 putts but it's still taking you 2.5-3 shots to get to the green...that's why you're a 15hcp. Ball striking is your goal. 

Edited August 17, 2017 by Vinsk

[klineka]

18 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

It has everything to do with it. If you're 'hitting GIR and guarantee 2-putt and a few 3-putts...that's not a 15hcp. GIR and a 2 putt is par.  Add a few extra strokes for a 'few 3 putts' you're still not at 15hcp. You're seldom hitting GIR if at all. That's why despite 2 putting, and a few 3 putts...you're a 15hcp. You could vastly improve your putting to have ZERO 3 putts but it's still taking you 2.5-3 shots to get to the green...that's why you're a 15hcp. Ball striking is your goal. 

FWIW I am right around a 15 hcp and for the 18 hole rounds that I have kept stats on this year (15 rounds), I am at 44% GIR, 34 putts per round average. Ive been as high as 61% GIR this season and as low as 28% all while playing right around that 14-15 hcp range in the 80s for the most part. couple outliers under 80 and over 90 but more often than not im in the 80s. 

[David in FL]

3 hours ago, klineka said:

FWIW I am right around a 15 hcp and for the 18 hole rounds that I have kept stats on this year (15 rounds), I am at 44% GIR, 34 putts per round average. Ive been as high as 61% GIR this season and as low as 28% all while playing right around that 14-15 hcp range in the 80s for the most part. couple outliers under 80 and over 90 but more often than not im in the 80s. 

On a par 72 course, 44% GIR and 32 putts scores 80.  Throw in a few blow up doubles, and you're still in the 82-83 range.  That's WAY better than 15 hcp, unless you're playing a ridiculously easy course.

[Midpack]

17 hours ago, David in FL said:

The question to ask is whether you would chip better with a chipper than you do with an 8-iron.  Not whether you chip better than some other dude.  

Fair enough. But he was the A player in our group and I was the B player. Seems odd his handicap is lower than mine and yet he wasn't very good around the greens, I'd wonder if the specialized chipper was helping, but if he has room in his bag - it's his choice. Again, there is no right answer for all.

[klineka]

4 minutes ago, David in FL said:

On a par 72 course, 44% GIR and 32 putts scores 80.  Throw in a few blow up doubles, and you're still in the 82-83 range.  That's WAY better than 15 hcp, unless you're playing a ridiculously easy course.

Most of the courses I play are local municipal courses that are short and easy. Personally I play them because they are the cheapest courses, Most are <$40 for 18 holes with cart even on weekends. Here are some of the course and slope ratings. Some on this list are obviously repeats of the same course. The 72.4/133 definitely kicked my butt, that was on my honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. Punta Espada golf course. By far the nicest course I've ever played.

69	125
68	109
72.4	133
69.6	122
68.4	113
69.8	121
65.4	105
65.4	105
67.5	123
65.4	105
68.4	120

[arturo28mx]

I love my Cleveland chipper. It has a shorter shaft and a heavy head and that gives me a lot of control versus chipping with a pitching wedge or other clubs. I just mimic a putting stroke. It's a magical club because it's so easy to hit well.

It also works great for getting out from under tree branches.

[Piz]

1 minute ago, arturo28mx said:

I love my Cleveland chipper. It has a shorter shaft and a heavy head and that gives me a lot of control versus chipping with a pitching wedge or other clubs. I just mimic a putting stroke. It's a magical club because it's so easy to hit well.

It also works great for getting out from under tree branches.

Same here.  I've also found that, contrary to popular opinion, I can open it up and play a cut.  It takes some time to get comfortable with; but so does everything else.

[klineka]

24 minutes ago, arturo28mx said:

I love my Cleveland chipper. It has a shorter shaft and a heavy head and that gives me a lot of control versus chipping with a pitching wedge or other clubs. I just mimic a putting stroke. It's a magical club because it's so easy to hit well.

It also works great for getting out from under tree branches.

 

5 minutes ago, Piz said:

Same here.  I've also found that, contrary to popular opinion, I can open it up and play a cut.  It takes some time to get comfortable with; but so does everything else.

Do you know the loft and the bounce of these? Do you ever hit it with a full swing? If so, what is the typical yardage you see?

[Piz]

1 minute ago, klineka said:

 

Do you know the loft and the bounce of these? Do you ever hit it with a full swing? If so, what is the typical yardage you see?

Both my Cleveland niblicks (RH and LH) are 42 degrees loft.  The length and lie is close to a sand wedge according to an unscientific living room comparison.  With a full swing I can carry the right-handed one about 120 and the left-handed one about 100.  I'm getting better from the left side but it still feels a bit odd.  That's off a mat, at the range.  I don't usually use them from that far out on the course...unless it's really dry and I'm trying to bounce one on.

[arturo28mx]

My cleveland chipping wedge has 43 degrees loft, a little less than my pitching wedge at 45 degrees loft

 

[Jack Watson]

The putt technique is why I would not bag a chipper.  It's easy with say an 8 iron.

Runyans technique is good in the right situation...

[downbylaw11]

these clubs make me laugh. I can't remember where I saw it, maybe rockbottomgolf but I saw a chipper for sale there for like 10 bucks or something, maybe less.  theres a reason for that.  they've gotta be the most dust collecting club on the planet. I've known a few guys who've had them, one used it recently because he joked about how he hadnt used it in years, and the ball probably came off about 2 feet offline when he hit it. we laughed.  My personal opinion is that if youre in a situation where one of these chippers would be a good play, you are probably close enough to the green where you might as well just ****in putt the damn thing.  or if you want to use an actual club, any of your low lofted clubs will do the trick, or a wood, or a 9ir/pw. whatever.  I think a lot of people, including myself, fall in love with the wedges around the green and try to hit every shot, including long bump and runs with a 60 degree wedge, when they could easily just stub a pw and it will come off low, bite, and run to the hole if you hit it alright. I've definitely improved my game by choosing smarter clubs around the green instead of just hitting flop shots all the time just because I can and like to show off

[Don Golfo]

On 04/09/2017 at 3:07 AM, downbylaw11 said:

these clubs make me laugh. I can't remember where I saw it, maybe rockbottomgolf but I saw a chipper for sale there for like 10 bucks or something, maybe less.  theres a reason for that.  they've gotta be the most dust collecting club on the planet. I've known a few guys who've had them, one used it recently because he joked about how he hadnt used it in years, and the ball probably came off about 2 feet offline when he hit it. we laughed.  My personal opinion is that if youre in a situation where one of these chippers would be a good play, you are probably close enough to the green where you might as well just ****in putt the damn thing.  or if you want to use an actual club, any of your low lofted clubs will do the trick, or a wood, or a 9ir/pw. whatever.  I think a lot of people, including myself, fall in love with the wedges around the green and try to hit every shot, including long bump and runs with a 60 degree wedge, when they could easily just stub a pw and it will come off low, bite, and run to the hole if you hit it alright. I've definitely improved my game by choosing smarter clubs around the green instead of just hitting flop shots all the time just because I can and like to show off

Chipper's lack street cred but they have a number of advantages over a wedge when chipping: they have a steeper lie angle and typically a shorter shaft. This all combines for better control and in theory consisconsistency.

[downbylaw11]

youre probably right.  the idea of a chipper I think is great, but in a game of 14 club max, it would be pretty difficult to carry this club legally, would it not? i mean, if you wanna carry extra clubs, then i guess it's fine to have

[David in FL]

1 hour ago, downbylaw11 said:

youre probably right.  the idea of a chipper I think is great, but in a game of 14 club max, it would be pretty difficult to carry this club legally, would it not? i mean, if you wanna carry extra clubs, then i guess it's fine to have

Most of those that would benefit from a chipper can easily drop any number of clubs that get them into more trouble than they're worth...

[arturo28mx]

2 hours ago, downbylaw11 said:

youre probably right.  the idea of a chipper I think is great, but in a game of 14 club max, it would be pretty difficult to carry this club legally, would it not? i mean, if you wanna carry extra clubs, then i guess it's fine to have

You are right. I carry a chipper because normally I play with only 12 clubs. So I have space for a couple of specialty clubs. 

[Randtrap]

My grandfather taught me how to use a 1940s Wilson chip iron and I still use it. Sweet club from 5-10' off the green!

[Piz]

I play right-handed; but I've been using my left-handed niblick more and more.  Last time out; I used it five times and got up and down three times.  The learning curve, for playing off-handed pitches and chips, is fairly flat.  It doesn't take much practice to produce acceptable results when you are only trying to figure out one thing.