Chipping With a Putting Method

**mvmac** · November 10, 2013

Some might call it a "chitch" or a "pip" (thanks Erik). This is a style of chipping that's more reliable than the "ball back in the stance, hands forward, lean left" style of chipping. Like with a traditional chipping motion, the swing is short, there is little wrist hinge but we aren't engaging the leading edge, there's very little shaft lean. We are still using the bounce like in a pitch shot, hence the terms "chitch" or "pip". We know bounce is extremely useful because it allows the club to glide through the grass.

A traditional chip shot can still be useful on occasion but by far most of your short game shots should be utilizing the bounce, whether it's a standard pitch, bunker shot or this style of chip/pitching that I'm sharing below. This chipping with a putting stroke works great with irons off tight lies, in the video I'm using a 9 iron first and then a 7 iron at the end.

**cipher** · November 10, 2013

Great video Mike, I really like that technique. Thanks for putting that together.

**Jakester23** · November 10, 2013

Good vid mike. Is there a rule of thumb on which club to use? I struggled with this shot all season. I was primarily using my 50º wedge.

**mvmac** · November 10, 2013

Good vid mike. Is there a rule of thumb on which club to use? I struggled with this shot all season. I was primarily using my 50º wedge.

Depends on the shot and how much green you have to work with. You can use this style with any club but I think most shots will be in the gap wedge to 8 iron range.

**bubble** · November 10, 2013

on the left i dont think the player is hinging the correct direction.

**Ernest Jones** · November 10, 2013

That's cool. Pretty much exactly what I do when I'm close enough to putt but have too much fringe or rough to go through. I use a regular grip but I'm going to try out your suggestion.

For estimate air-to-roll ratio I use the rule of 12 - subtract the number of your iron from twelve to get approximate roll out ie: a 9 rion would be 12-9=3 so 3-1 ratio, seems to work pretty well for me.

**GaijinGolfer** · November 10, 2013

My chipping method is basically just like a putt. I find that Im more consistent this way, I feel like when I try to chip with the ball back in my stance, the club tends to dig into the turf too much and I come into the ball too steep, which makes it difficult to be consistent.

**Ernest Jones** · November 10, 2013

That's cool. Pretty much exactly what I do when I'm close enough to putt but have too much fringe or rough to go through. I use a regular grip but I'm going to try out your suggestion. For estimate air-to-roll ratio I use the rule of 12 - subtract the number of your iron from twelve to get approximate roll out ie: a 9 rion would be 12-9=3 so 3-1 ratio, seems to work pretty well for me.

Just wanted to add that, obviously, the rule of 12 concept is hugely impacted by green speed and uphill/downhill slope so you still need to develop good feel. Basically it's putting with loft as Ray Floyd states, so everything that you would consider in a putt you would likewise consider in a chip. Also, my irons are about ten years old, newer irons might require a little tweaking to the formula due to stronger lofts. Maybe it would be the rule of 13 or even 14 with the newer irons. YMMV but if you experiment a little with it you'll quickly figure out your formula.

**Russtopher** · November 10, 2013

I really like this technique, as it's given me much better results around the green. I don't have anywhere close to a decent short game, so while this method doesn't have as much feel, it's definitely consistent. I usually will make a lowercase Y with my arms/hands, almost like putting with a slight forward press, and just let the clubhead do the work.

**dchoye** · November 10, 2013

Good video demonstration Mike I see how using a putting stroke with 9-7 iron is effective. This leads to ask, why not just use the putter then. In the last chip in the video, wouldn't a putter work just as well or better?

**mvmac** · November 11, 2013

I find that Im more consistent this way, I feel like when I try to chip with the ball back in my stance, the club tends to dig into the turf too much and I come into the ball too steep, which makes it difficult to be consistent.

Yep exactly, we want to keep the angle of attack shallow so that doesn't happen.

**mvmac** · November 11, 2013

Good video demonstration Mike
I see how using a putting stroke with 9-7 iron is effective.
This leads to ask, why not just use the putter then. In the last chip in the video, wouldn't a putter work just as well or better?

Putting is definitely an option but then you have to rely on not getting any weird bounces in the fringe. This doesn't mean that every time you're on the fringe you have to chip or pitch it, depends on the situation. Also, if someone is not confident chipping or pitching it, then yes putt it but I think for certain shots, carrying the fringe and allowing the ball to roll out can be more consistent than a putt. Especially on the longer shots from off the fringe. Let's say I'm six paces off the green and have 30 feet of green to the hole, I can make a simple "chitch" stroke with a 7 iron where I would really have to "hit it" with a putter which can create some inconsistencies with contact and how the ball launches off the putter. Point of the video is to give people another option, go out and experiment with it and see if it works for them.

For the video I was running out of daylight so I couldn't go out on the course, decided to hit some shots on the practice short game green.

**Stretch** · November 11, 2013

Have been chipping more or less like this for a while and it's pretty lethal. Got it from Mario Bevilaqua -- he and Mike seem to be very much on the same page about controlling AoA etc.

**David in FL** · November 11, 2013

Putting is definitely an option but then you have to rely on not getting any weird bounces in the fringe. This doesn't mean that every time you're on the fringe you have to chip or pitch it, depends on the situation. Also, if someone is not confident chipping or pitching it, then yes putt it but I think for certain shots, carrying the fringe and allowing the ball to roll out can be more consistent than a putt. Especially on the longer shots from off the fringe. Let's say I'm six paces off the green and have 30 feet of green to the hole, I can make a simple "chitch" stroke with a 7 iron where I would really have to "hit it" with a putter which can create some inconsistencies with contact and how the ball launches off the putter. Point of the video is to give people another option, go out and experiment with it and see if it works for them. For the video I was running out of daylight so I couldn't go out on the course, decided to hit some shots on the practice short game green.

I'm a big fan of this technique. I'll even take it one step further and recommend that people strongly consider putting a dedicated chipper in the bag. With a shaft length and lie like those of a putter, it makes for a deadly weapon. Unfortunately, too many golfers let their ego get in the way.....

**inthehole** · November 11, 2013

I'm a big fan of this technique. I'll even take it one step further and recommend that people strongly consider putting a dedicated chipper in the bag. With a shaft length and lie like those of a putter, it makes for a deadly weapon. Unfortunately, too many golfers let their ego get in the way.....

I used a chipper my first year, but ultimately, the 14 club rule got in the way ... I think thats what keeps most people from using one (who wouldn't agree that a quality chipper is deadly from the fringe)

**David in FL** · November 11, 2013

Most mid/high hcps could easily find a club to ditch if they wanted to. Start with the damn 60* lob wedge that they think that they hit so well, but don't.... ;-) But again, ego gets in the way.

**Ernest Jones** · November 11, 2013

Most mid/high hcps could easily find a club to ditch if they wanted to. Start with the damn 60* lob wedge that they think that they hit so well, but don't.... ;-) But again, ego gets in the way.

Yeah, I think anyone that wants to add a chipper to the bag would most likely find that one of their wedges would start to see much less action as a result. I've heard some great things about the niblick and how it can easily cover both functions, chipper and wedge.

waldo1324 · November 12, 2013

wow - ive been doing this for a while ,,, so much easiers

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