Has chipping become a lost art ?

Russman

Ok, just for a bit of fun away from all the serious issues......

I know one of the criticisms of US Tour events is/used to be that they were fairly one dimensional and the heavy rough around the greens only allowed for a chop with a lob wedge. I tended to agree with that view.
Of late I've noticed that quite a number of events/courses (not just in the US) are going the route of shaved run-off areas into swales and hollows, which in theory allows for more creativity and for the more skilful players to show what they can do. Seems to make sense. But I've also noticed that more and more top players are using their putters from off the green as opposed to chipping. Yes, I know that a bad putt will be closer than a bad chip, but it just seems to be more common nowadays.
So, is it players simply being more pragmatic or defensive ? Has the harder modern ball influenced it ? Has the power game taken over to such an extent that chipping has been forgotten ? Plenty of top players are really poor at chipping but great drivers and are incredibly successful (Kaymar, Westwood, Luiten etc) while players who lose their driving end up losing their card (Eg Lawrie). Would love to know peoples thoughts, personally I love the skilful element of chipping and would ban using the putter from off the green, but that's not going to happen anytime soon !!!

Have at it lads.........

mjsc1970

If I could chip or pitch with a wedge anything near like I could 20 years ago I'd enjoy the game a whole lot more and would care about missing greens in regulation

mjsc1970

*wouldn't care*

FixdePitchmark

To be honest - that is the way the game is being taught

As less of loft as possible.

The more you de-loft , the more you lose the skill with the wedge. I've found this is compounded for me, as 80 % of my golf, is Links golf - and the apron / 8 feet off, is not much different from putting.

In general the surfaces just off modern courses are amazingly good and often tight - maybe too tight to encourage players at our level to become wedge experts.

Good story about this.

Was at the Irish Amateur in Royal Dublin 2 years ago - a top top Irish Amateur, was just off green - he had to get over a ridge about 2 feet high. For me it was a putter all day - as just wouldn't be good enough with a wedge to lift it over ridge he faced. Or have practiced it enough.

He used what looked like a 60 degree club, was only a 9 foot shot. perfect little clips about 8 times before he did it, was going to use the spin on that club to hold it and raise ball over ridge.

He hit it a little thin - went 5 foot past missed the putt back.

Old lad - about 60 next to me , a real golfer , "why on earth did he use a wedge" - lol.


Easy from the sidelines.


Sorry for side story - but , the point is , at our level - or for anybody here, who has 4 to 6 hours a week to practice with a wedge ?

If you don't have the time , you have to deloft (IMO)

galwaylad14

I putt everything I possibly can around the greens and I'd class myself as a decent chipper but the margin for error is so much bigger with the putter. Like even if you're a few yards off the green I think it needs to be an absolutley dreadful putt not to leave youself within 5 or 6 feet and with a good chance of holing out for the par. It's much easier to duff or thin a chip and leave yourself with nearly no chance of saving the par

dan_ep82

I'd have a bigger fear using a putter off the green than a using a bump and run or a 60°

I always seem to get a bad break where the ball breaks left or right due to the uneven surface, or gets held up and doesn't make it to the green or you hit it harder to get over the heavier grass only for it to fly past the hole once on the faster surface.

For me at least, on a tight lie that has to get over some heavier grass I'll bump and run all day.

If its a heavier lie I'll get it up in the air and get it as close to the hole as possible.

It's something I try to practice as much as my putting as its nearly as common in my rounds

John Divney

I never understand the bump and run craze or 'get it on the green ASAP.

You can use a 52-54 with good amount of bounce for every green side shot, short sided pin, pin 40 yards away, and never hit it fat if you use a slightly open face depending on the height you want.

If you swing along target line with a shallow attack, on the tightest of lies you will never dig the face, if the ball is on your front foot and you deliver the handle ahead of the clubhead slightly.

You can hit the ball 4 inches fat and the ball will still roll up to the hole but not blade across the green.

Ciaranra

I would always choose a putter over a wedge were a putter could be used.
About percentages a bad put is always better than a bad chip

braddun

the courses in us tours are nearly perfect, there are few rough areas,so theres little need to chip,tv stations don't want to show golfers in the rough,they want fast play,in Europe the golf courses have more rough

so you will see more chipping

mjsc1970

John Divney wrote: »

I never understand the bump and run craze or 'get it on the green ASAP.

You can use a 52-54 with good amount of bounce for every green side shot, short sided pin, pin 40 yards away, and never hit it fat if you use a slightly open face depending on the height you want.

If you swing along target line with a shallow attack, on the tightest of lies you will never dig the face, if the ball is on your front foot and you deliver the handle ahead of the clubhead slightly.

You can hit the ball 4 inches fat and the ball will still roll up to the hole but not blade across the green.

I really wish it was that simple

whizbang

a bad put is always better than a bad chip

But around the greens, 98% of the shots, you can use a wedge. For a putter, its probably less than 80%.

So why not use your wedge, and get used to it.. but John, i love your blind faith.

John Divney

mjsc1970 wrote: »

I really wish it was that simple

Nothing easy in the game, but it is less difficult.You can hit it fat and the ball goes the distance by roll, or hit it cleaner off the turf and it flies and stops softly.

The clubhead being on the target line on a shallow path means way more error margin, so with less practice you at least aren't tipping and blading it when rusty.

mjsc1970

John Divney wrote: »

Nothing easy in the game, but it is less difficult.You can hit it fat and the ball goes the distance by roll, or hit it cleaner off the turf and it flies and stops softly.

The clubhead being on the target line on a shallow path means way more error margin, so with less practice you at least aren't tipping and blading it when rusty.

True, I find that when rusty, the short game is first to go west.
However, if you open the face of a wedge to use the bounce as designed, then swing on a shallow path, have you not then got as much as a chance of blading it rather than widening the margin of error?

John Divney

mjsc1970 wrote: »

True, I find that when rusty, the short game is first to go west.
However, if you open the face of a wedge to use the bounce as designed, then swing on a shallow path, have you not then got as much as a chance of blading it rather than widening the margin of error?

If you swing it like an old school flop shot yes, big time, when the head passes the handle, even though the bounce is used a skull is always possible.

But a straight armed back and through, will always have the handle first, and on a shallow path as long as the handle is first to the ball, you can hit the ball under its equator the ball will roll up the face.

Hit it fat and it just slides under with less spin but more roll.

mjsc1970

John Divney wrote: »

If you swing it like an old school flop shot yes, big time, when the head passes the handle, even though the bounce is used a skull is always possible.

But a straight armed back and through, will always have the handle first, and on a shallow path as long as the handle is first to the ball, you can hit the ball under its equator the ball will roll up the face.

Hit it fat and it just slides under with less spin but more roll.

Now this is all starting to make a whole lot more sense, cheers.

Montgolfier

One of the pga commentators on the pga tour said "use a putter if you short sided yourself and chip when you have more green to work with." Makes sense except if your short sided in a bunker.

galwaylad14

John Divney wrote: »

If you swing it like an old school flop shot yes, big time, when the head passes the handle, even though the bounce is used a skull is always possible.

But a straight armed back and through, will always have the handle first, and on a shallow path as long as the handle is first to the ball, you can hit the ball under its equator the ball will roll up the face.

Hit it fat and it just slides under with less spin but more roll.

Ya I chip this way too and it is very forgiving. Basically a slightly fat hit will end up in much the same spot as a well struck chip.

I've lost count of the amount of times people have complemented a chip I hit when in reality I've chunked it a bit and the ball hadn't carried in the air half as far as I intended but ended up running out twice as far as I intended so it ends up exactly where I wanted it to!

Of course I never tell then that I chunked it though!!

Ciaranra

whizbang wrote: »

But around the greens, 98% of the shots, you can use a wedge. For a putter, its probably less than 80%.

So why not use your wedge, and get used to it.. but John, i love your blind faith.

I have 4 wedges in the bag so its fair to say i like using them.
But if i can roll the ball to the hole with a putter il take that shot all day

Sugarblue

With a decent amount of green to work with (8ft+), irrespective of distance out its bump & run for me every time . Just love getting my 8 iron , one or two bounces before the green and roll up to the flag . It doesn't look the prettiest but talk about lowering scores!! Putting off green just seems to have no real feel to it, from slow to faster roll.