Does Anyone Else Here Use a Chipper?

[3jacker]

There's also this premise that chipping is hard.

It's one of the easiest things to learn in the game.  Easier than putting, pitching and long game.

I submit that if you can't hit a chip square after a bit of practice, it won't matter if it's an 8-iron or a chipper that your blading or chunking.  

Real question here - how far can you hit a full swing chipper? Can they withstand a real swing, say 80 mph or so?

[TRUCKER]

3 hours ago, boogielicious said:

You can become better with any club and technique with practice. But the point some are trying to make is a chipper is a one shot uni-tasker. Where as with a wedge and irons you can chip, pitch, do sand and full swings. So unless you encounter a chipper situation a lot, it may be better to just work on the pitch, chip techniques with other clubs.

Then the "Square Strike Wedge" is NOT the same as a "Chipper". I can do all the shots you mentioned including a full swing with the Square Strike, but with a larger margin for error than a traditional wedge. That chipper thing looks like its just a fancy putter.

[Petrocelli]

4 hours ago, boogielicious said:

I'm glad it works for you, but what club did you take out to replace with the chipper?

I no longer carry a 5 iron.  But I never used it because I also have a 5 hybrid.

Edited February 26, 2019 by Petrocelli
typo

[David in FL]

4 hours ago, iacas said:

Which is a better recommendation or path than "oh, just give up and buy a chipper."

I’ve never said give up and buy a chipper.  Now you’re putting words in my mouth.

 What I have said, very consistently, and still maintain, is that a higher handicap golfer can take strokes immediately off his score by putting a chipper into the bag. That doesn’t mean that it’s for everyone. It certainly doesn’t mean give up trying to get better overall.  

And it’s easy for the average higher handicap player to make room in his bag for a chipper.  

3 hours ago, 3jacker said:

There's also this premise that chipping is hard.

It's one of the easiest things to learn in the game.  Easier than putting, pitching and long game.

I submit that if you can't hit a chip square after a bit of practice, it won't matter if it's an 8-iron or a chipper that your blading or chunking.  

Real question here - how far can you hit a full swing chipper? Can they withstand a real swing, say 80 mph or so?

I knew a 7 handicap that could play his chipper accurately from about 130 yards in. Not something I would recommend though!  

 He was a little nuts, even by my standards!   😁

[iacas]

37 minutes ago, David in FL said:

I’ve never said give up and buy a chipper.  Now you’re putting words in my mouth.

I’m not. I’m paraphrasing my characterization of your advice. Those are my words.

38 minutes ago, David in FL said:

What I have said, very consistently, and still maintain, is that a higher handicap golfer can take strokes immediately off his score by putting a chipper into the bag. That doesn’t mean that it’s for everyone. It certainly doesn’t mean give up trying to get better overall.

And I’m consistent in saying that for most people that’s a waste of $90 and hampers them more than it helps.

Except those who are giving up.

We know your position. Restating it endlessly isn’t changing that. We aren’t learning new things.

[ncates00]

I have a lot of chippers in my bag.  60, 56, AW, PW, 9i, 8i, 7i, even a a hybrid chipper.  Sometimes I pull out the 3w chipper when i'm in the trees.  These chippers work pretty good around the green and on full shots, partial shots, punch shots, high shots.  They do pretty much everything you'd want from a chipper and more.  Haven't seen a better chipper yet.

[David in FL]

3 hours ago, ncates00 said:

I have a lot of chippers in my bag.  60, 56, AW, PW, 9i, 8i, 7i, even a a hybrid chipper.  Sometimes I pull out the 3w chipper when i'm in the trees.  These chippers work pretty good around the green and on full shots, partial shots, punch shots, high shots.  They do pretty much everything you'd want from a chipper and more.  Haven't seen a better chipper yet.

Maybe a real chipper would get that hcp lower than “ummm”

Just a thought.  

[Larrh7]

I used to be deadly chipping with my 8 iron.  New clubs not so much.  Not sure why.  I'm buying a Cleveland Chipper this Saturday.  Glad I read this post.

[Osnola]

I have tried using a chipper, but decided it would probably be best to just learn to chip with the cubs in my bag...

[3jacker]

I'm really not trying to be rude, but the idea that chipping is too hard with a regular iron is very confusing to me.  

I don't think I'd try to play the game if I struggled with chipping.  I think that's just a notch about putting a ball on a tee in terms of difficulty.  And if I couldn't hit an 8-iron on the face while chipping, why would buying a club with "chipper" stamped on it change anything?  More bounce, maybe? But really? On a chip shot?

[Beastie]

5 minutes ago, 3jacker said:

I'm really not trying to be rude, but the idea that chipping is too hard with a regular iron is very confusing to me.  

I don't think I'd try to play the game if I struggled with chipping.  I think that's just a notch about putting a ball on a tee in terms of difficulty.  And if I couldn't hit an 8-iron on the face while chipping, why would buying a club with "chipper" stamped on it change anything?  More bounce, maybe? But really? On a chip shot?

You probably use a persimmon driver, blades and a 1960 bullseye putter. If it it helps ones game and it’s legal then go for it. 

FYI I don’t use a chipper and have no plans to either #fugly

[3jacker]

I think that's a far stretch to say that since I don't understand chippers (not because they are ugly or considered "giving up" but because I don't see their advantage but do see many disadvantages due to their limited utility), that I would be a stubborn purist of some sort. I do have blades though, but modern ones that are quite forgiving. So you got me there.

I don't get the hostility for asking honest questions.

Edited February 27, 2019 by 3jacker

[ChetlovesMer]

16 minutes ago, 3jacker said:

I'm really not trying to be rude, but the idea that chipping is too hard with a regular iron is very confusing to me.  

I don't think I'd try to play the game if I struggled with chipping.  I think that's just a notch about putting a ball on a tee in terms of difficulty.  And if I couldn't hit an 8-iron on the face while chipping, why would buying a club with "chipper" stamped on it change anything?  More bounce, maybe? But really? On a chip shot?

I'm kind of with you on this. Getting a chipper never crossed my mind. It's just not better enough to make is worth taking up one of the 14 in my bag. 

Having said that, My dad has a chipper in his bag. He's 74 years old and has about 19 or 20 clubs in his bag. For almost 30 years now he and I have been having a friendly argument over the 14 clubs in the bag rule. He cracks me. He always says "Oh that's not a REAL rule." or "That's a Bu115hit rule." I try to tell him you don't get to pick which rules you follow and which ones you don't. It would be like playing basketball and deciding that dribbling is a Bu115hit rule and therefore just carry the ball down the court. 

Perhaps, he's right though. For as long as I've known him he's been strapping his bag with a bajillion clubs onto the cart and playing. So, maybe you do get to pick which rules you follow and which you don't...????

[boogielicious]

11 minutes ago, 3jacker said:

I don't get the hostility for asking honest questions.

Agree. It is just a discussion. 

[ChetlovesMer]

1 minute ago, boogielicious said:

Agree. It is just a discussion. 

How dare you say that!

[3jacker]

7 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

I'm kind of with you on this. Getting a chipper never crossed my mind. It's just not better enough to make is worth taking up one of the 14 in my bag. 

Having said that, My dad has a chipper in his bag. He's 74 years old and has about 19 or 20 clubs in his bag. For almost 30 years now he and I have been having a friendly argument over the 14 clubs in the bag rule. He cracks me. He always says "Oh that's not a REAL rule." or "That's a Bu115hit rule." I try to tell him you don't get to pick which rules you follow and which ones you don't. It would be like playing basketball and deciding that dribbling is a Bu115hit rule and therefore just carry the ball down the court. 

Perhaps, he's right though. For as long as I've known him he's been strapping his bag with a bajillion clubs onto the cart and playing. So, maybe you do get to pick which rules you follow and which you don't...????

Sounds like my dad.  Something seems to happen in the 70s. He used to be a scratch player, very serious and very purist.  He's got about 30 clubs in his bag now. I dread hauling that thing out of the car. I don't even know where he got the oversized Callaway bag to hold them all.  Most of them are woods - he's got woods in numbers I've never imagined.  I hit his 15 wood not long ago and just remember the ball going up past my left shoulder and didn't ever see it again.

 

And on that note, I do want to clarify that anyone can play whatever they want, definitely, and if folks like chippers that's not worse than some folks liking heel-shafted vs. center-shafted putters.  I wouldn't belittle someone for having one if they enjoy because that's really the only thing that matters.  I might, however, needle them if we were competing.  Mildly. 

Edited February 27, 2019 by 3jacker

[boogielicious]

Just now, ChetlovesMer said:

How dare you say that!

I just feel that uni-taskers should be limited in your bag. If I can chip with a chipper, cool. But if I can do the same chip with a PW, with both a putting motion and a chipping motion, and do full shots, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 shots, pitch shots, and even long sand shots, then the PW becomes a much better option. Basically, from 120 in, I can use a PW for virtually every shot except maybe lob shots. And, I actually practice that!

If you don't want to practice, or don't have time, fine. But I think most folks on this site are not that type of player.

[iacas]

26 minutes ago, 3jacker said:

I think that's a far stretch

I agree, @Beastie.