I'm so disgusted with my chipping/pitching that I'm seriously thinking of trying a chipper, instead of a wedge or short iron. If anyone has had success with one, what brand was it, and what is the loft?
Anyone use a Chipper?
Yes - my 7 iron. I think most chippers are 7i loft (ish). There are lots to choose from - components, OEM, Top Flite (at Dick's). Look on eBay for an old PING Chippo - they were very cool.
Chippers are real old school.
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I rarely chip with anything other than a GW (52) or PW (48), but when I do it's usually a 4i hybrid. That being said, most of my shots around the green are pitches with either a SW (56) or LW (60).
Most of the chippers I have tried have had very hot faces and I had issues controlling distance. One of the best were some Golfworks sold and I think that they were called "Frankly Frog" chippers. They were a green mallet head that kind of looked like frogs. They came in three lofts. I discovered them as they were being phased out and didn't get the higher loft that would have worked for me.
I think at least 4 guys in our weekend geezer group of about 10 players uses a chipper. I was going to pick up one of the X-Act Callaway chippers this year and give it a go. Could never find a spot in the bag I wanted to give up to make room for one. The best chipper in our group uses his 6 or 7 iron and is deadly with it. I almost always use my 52 degree wedge. That's what I've become accustomed to and do pretty well with it. Have sworn to work this winter to learn to chip with a 7 or 8 iron as it seems they would be less sensitive to "feel".
Chipping the weakness of my game. Keep trying to use various irons but can’t stop hitting them too hot. Do better with sand wedge.
I use a chipper in my A bag. It is a Lynx chipper I picked up cheap at GolfTown a few years ago like this one (except in RH):
https://www.rockbottomgolf.com/lefties/chippers/lynx-golf-lh-black-cat-chipper-left-handed/
Just use a putting motion, and practice a bit to get the distance control down. Its not like you will suddenly put the ball 3 feet from the hole all the time, but you will definitely do it more often - and you will never scull it through the green and only rarely chunk it.
I don't use a chipper in my B bag, but I still use a putting motion when I chip. I simply do it with either an 8-iron or a 4 hybrid. I'm not as consistent as I am with the chipper, but still a lot better than the traditional chipping stroke.
Yep, when I was about 10.....they were fun to hit full shots with too!
Started to use a Cleveland Smart Sole 42 chipper/wedge toward end of last season. Became one of the favorite clubs in my bag. Also have the 58 Smart Sole Sand Wedge but too much loft for me so I obtained the OMG Tille 52 and 56 wedges that will be in the bag going forward to complement the 42* Smart Sole. Will only get indoor practice till April in Western Pa but better than nothing...
If I want the same effect I move the ball back in my stance with a putter and hit down on it, the ball pops up and gets through the fringe better than rolling it the whole way and I can control it jut like a putt. I do it once in a while, but that’s the difference for me, if I’m in a spot where I need it lifted, I use a wedge, if I want to roll it, use the putter.
Although illegal for tournament play...a 2-way chipper!!
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I think a chipper would be a really nice club to have on the tightly mown area around the green, so I have been strongly considering putting one in my bag and removing my 60 degree. I can hit almost every shot I need to hit around the greens with my 56 degree, so I don't think I'll miss the 60.
Another option would be to steal my Cleveland Niblick back from my wife. That was a really fun club to hit. If I did that, I might keep the 60 in the bag and remove the PW because the niblick is a really good full swing club, too.
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Bigborgel VaughnRoss
I made myself one a couple of years ago with the advice of a guy on another forum....here's what he recommended:
1. Get a 7-8-or 9 iron, preferably one with an undercut sole (or at least a cavity back)
2. Cut the shaft down to the length of a wedge or putter (about 35 inches is pretty standard).
3. Bend the lie more upright to about the lie of a putter (most wedges are about 64, putters are about 70-71
4. Add weight with either lead tape or stick on lead weights to weigh what a putter or wedge weighs.
Presto! You have your own custom made chipper! I built one like this with an old Wilson Staff 7 iron that
worked like a charm, but eventually, I learned to chip the "right way" using the normal clubs. If you like
to tinker with clubs like a lot of guys here, this would be an easy project.
If not, this Square Strike wedge seems to make sense to me.....they've made a lot of the adjustments I
described above.....shorter, heavier, more upright, etc.
7 iron. Choke down, ball back in your stance, lean the shaft forward, almost a putting stroke......just a little wrist action.
puttnfool An "experimental" morning, today, I pulled my 4 hybrid to chip with. Used it probably 4 or 5 times today. It worked EXTREMELY well!!!! Carded a nice 77. Will need to spend some more time and see if it was a "one-off" or if this may be the beginning of the end of my chipping woes.
For tight lies ill use a 3 hybrid around the green. Otherwise I'lI use my trusty 42* Cleveland Niblick.
limpalong LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my 4i hybrid from the fringe and even further out if I have lots of green to work with...