Chipping struggles

[pulledabill]

My home course

is a type of rye grass. Around some of the greens it gets really thick and the ball will sometimes fall down in it a bit. I generally will play my high bounce 58 or 54. Anything even with a hint of delicate touch required, i will sometimes duff it. I usually play it back with hsnds forward but hard to get anything close.

 

Any helpful tips? Im actually decent around the greens, but this will cost me a stroke or two at times.

[Shankster]

Try a more neutral set up. Feet your wedge blade length apart. Ball in middle, slight forward shaft lean, open stance to target, open the club-face slightly. Keep your weight 60% to your forward side. Just brush the grass, to a slight bruise.

 

Another thing to try is to keep the club head on the tallest blade of grass behind the ball, meaning don't let it sink. If you keep the blade on top of the grass it will make it easier to return it to that location.

 

Remember it's just a small swing, so you have to move your body too. Turn, turn.

 

Edit: looked over the thick grass part. Use the above for short grass chips, and below for long grass.

[Shankster]

Ah, thick stuff. I play those like a bunker shot. Not quite as far behind the ball but maybe try to get 1/2-1” behind it with some speed, not quite bunker speed but more than you'd think you would need.

 

Should come out a little warm, so plan for the roll out.

[Kenny B]

I don't chip from thick grass.  I play the ball a little more forward, basically in the middle of stance with weight a little forward.  I don't open up much, but some do.  I rotate back, picking up the club rather steep and follow through.  Basically, a mini-pitch shot with my 58º.

[Mr. 82]

I use a PW around greens. I found that regardless of lie I was more consistent with this club, versus the higher lofted wedges.

 

 

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[SteddyGolf]

I use to rush into a chip shot basically grabbing the same club with the same technique regardless of the variables. What a huge mistake. I've learned to grab a couple wedges then work them through the grass to get a little feedback before committing to a shot. I think the operative word here is committing. Far to often we all fail to commit, decelerate during the swing and end up duffing the ball.

 

A friend of mine is hilarious for he will do the same but he verbalizes his thought process out loud while taking his practice swings. Almost always it is, “that's not the one, that's not the one, that's not the one” then when he finally feels it he states out loud , “ok there it is”. I get a kick out of his process but it works for him.

 

 

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[cksurfdude]

Depending on the exact lie, plus the distance to the edge of the green and then the distance to the pin, club and setup may vary .. of course .. but in general I will try and play that type of shot as Shankster's second post or as KennyB described.

 

As mentioned, too, turning all the way through with the body is critical!

 

One modification I'd add - and again: depending on the specific lie and depth you find your ball in - is to try and feel like you're pointing the toe down through the shot .. ie. think of digging down and catching the ball with the fatter part of the wedge. Can be helpful in messy situations.

[cksurfdude]

...

A friend of mine is hilarious for he will do the same but he verbalizes his thought process out loud while taking his practice swings. Almost always it is, “that's not the one, that's not the one, that's not the one” then when he finally feels it he states out loud , “ok there it is”. I get a kick out of his process but it works for him.

...

 

Love it! Hey .. I may have to try that..... ;-)

[DPattGolf]

I'm with Shankster. Get more neutral and utilize all that bounce! 

[Shankster]

I'm with Shankster. Get more neutral and utilize all that bounce!

All about that bounce!

[Kenny B]

Since we all don't know what your lie actually plays like, trying out various clubs like Steddy suggests is a good idea.  It just sounds to me that the chipping motion is not the right shot for those conditions.  Adjust your setup and hit different clubs to see how much runout you get.  

[Kanoito]

I don't chip from thick grass.  I play the ball a little more forward, basically in the middle of stance with weight a little forward.  I don't open up much, but some do.  I rotate back, picking up the club rather steep and follow through.  Basically, a mini-pitch shot with my 58º.

 

I do this as well. Depending on the thickness, play it like a bunker shot or a flop.

[Kenny B]

I do this as well. Depending on the thickness, play it like a bunker shot or a flop.

Yes, a bunker shot is a good example.  If the pin is close, I will also move my stance so the ball is more forward

[NiftyNiblick]

My home course

is a type of rye grass. Around some of the greens it gets really thick and the ball will sometimes fall down in it a bit. I generally will play my high bounce 58 or 54. Anything even with a hint of delicate touch required, i will sometimes duff it. I usually play it back with hsnds forward but hard to get anything close.

 

Any helpful tips? Im actually decent around the greens, but this will cost me a stroke or two at times.

I play that shot with a very low bounce wedge and from forward in my stance to get the ball up quickly--just the opposite of what you do. 

 

But you're still a single digit capper and my single digit days are behind me, so while I may offer an opinion, heed it at your own peril.

[null]

I'm with Shankster. Get more neutral and utilize all that bounce! 

 

This.  Watch the handle lean.  Handle lean delofts the club, but more importantly lowers the bounce.  You want to play shots from the thick rough as neutral as possible.

[GB13]

Hmm, this is making me think, I usually open up the face and just make a chipping motion. I might have to try some different techniques.

[Shankster]

Hmm, this is making me think, I usually open up the face and just make a chipping motion. I might have to try some different techniques.

Definitely from the thick stuff. You can actually get a good amount of spin on the ball if you really open it up and give it a good go. Practice first in a safe area, you'll catch some thin at first, but just try for a bunker splash... you can widen stance for shallower attack, just mess around with it. I rarely use a “chipping” shot...

 

A 64° wedge would make this even more fun.

[revkev]

This is far more simple than what I'm reading.

 

Pick a lofted club, short back, long through, the ball will come out just fine - then it's just a matter of practice, practice, practice so that you know how to read the lie well enough to know how far it will come out and run out.

 

Getting it out and on the green is not that tough, getting it close is tougher but that's also very advanced.

 

If you need to open the blade, you have the wrong wedge - not enough bounce - pick a different one or go buy one with more bounce.  As soon as you need to open the blade you've introduced a variable, how much?  Is it the same this time as last time? 

 

See the point.

[Har in the Hat]

Ah, thick stuff. I play those like a bunker shot. Not quite as far behind the ball but maybe try to get 1/2-1” behind it with some speed, not quite bunker speed but more than you'd think you would need.

 

Should come out a little warm, so plan for the roll out.

I never thought of that way.Hmmmm. gonna have to give it a try. I always played a chip shot with more of a descending blowm

[Shankster]

I never thought of that way.Hmmmm. gonna have to give it a try. I always played a chip shot with more of a descending blowm

There are easier ways to do it as Rev said.

 

Just the way “I” do it...

 

Maybe I'll do a video.

[Kenny B]

This is far more simple than what I'm reading.

 

Pick a lofted club, short back, long through, the ball will come out just fine - then it's just a matter of practice, practice, practice so that you know how to read the lie well enough to know how far it will come out and run out.

 

Getting it out and on the green is not that tough, getting it close is tougher but that's also very advanced.

 

If you need to open the blade, you have the wrong wedge - not enough bounce - pick a different one or go buy one with more bounce.  As soon as you need to open the blade you've introduced a variable, how much?  Is it the same this time as last time? 

 

See the point.

Exactly why I don't open my stance or the club.  I've also found that if the rough is thick, my Callaway Sure Out wedge or any high bounce wedge used for sand, works very well.

[Shankster]

Plenty of ways to make this shot happen. The one I suggested has some variables, sure, but once you master it, your short game will never be better.

[Kor.A.Door]

Play it more like a sand bunker shot. Don't think of it as a chip. Think of it as a bunker shot.

[GB13]

Definitely from the thick stuff. You can actually get a good amount of spin on the ball if you really open it up and give it a good go. Practice first in a safe area, you'll catch some thin at first, but just try for a bunker splash... you can widen stance for shallower attack, just mess around with it. I rarely use a “chipping” shot...

 

A 64° wedge would make this even more fun.

I gave this a shot today and it worked fairly well. I still need a lot more practice with it but initial impressions are good. Need to work on trusting using enough speed to get it out of tough lies.

I hit some really nice, high, soft shots. I had one shot over a bunker with about 5 feet to land on that I almost holed, saved a good par though. I used my 58° the most and that seems to be all the loft I need.

Thanks!

[Shankster]

I gave this a shot today and it worked fairly well. I still need a lot more practice with it but initial impressions are good. Need to work on trusting using enough speed to get it out of tough lies.

I hit some really nice, high, soft shots. I had one shot over a bunker with about 5 feet to land on that I almost holed, saved a good par though. I used my 58° the most and that seems to be all the loft I need.

Thanks!

No problem. Glad I could be of assistance. If I get time before it snows I'm going to do a Shanskters short game series. I have a bunch of drills I do, shots I practice. Might be helpful, even though I am not a pro.

 

And out of the rough you'll need that height to stop the ball. Don't try to catch everything like you have a clean lie, you'll make poor contact almost every time. I'll go into that when I make the thread.

[RoverRick]

Haha. I'm reminded of my shot on Sunday. We were playing skins and already 2 guys were on the green on a par 3 so at least 1 probably 2 pars. I went for the sucker pin and ended up in a deep grass bunker and short-sided. I now had to try a splash type bunker shot with the ball sitting down in about 8” of grass 5' from the green and 5' below the green and maybe 15' Total from the flag. I took a 56 but opened it up a lot and I took a big swing. 75 yard swing off of a clean lie.

It was a really hard swing. I made pretty good contact and there was a ripping sound as the ball tore through the grass. It came trickling onto the green and did a slow-motion roll passed the hole by about 2', but just missed the cup by 1/2”.

One of the guys started laughing out loud. He thought it was hilarious. Said he thought I had knocked that ball across the green, and the number 1 fairway and half way across the driving range. And it barely went 17'.

 

Moral of the story is avoid the deep grass.

 

But yes. Play it like a bunker but unlike sand. You can take practice swings to get the feel. You just can't hit the grounding it's a grass bunker like I was in.

 

If you have a lot of green, you can close the face and the ball will come out hot. I had no green to speak of and needed (expected) to pop up really high. I would not have been surprised if it would have flown over that corner of the green the flag was tucked into. But as deep as it was I knew it would be tough to get out.

 

 

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[pulledabill]

Thanks for the input...hsvent played in a week so I will hopefully give some ideas a try tomorrow.

[pulledabill]

Ive played with the face of the club, but have alaways kept the ball back.

[GB13]

Definitely from the thick stuff. You can actually get a good amount of spin on the ball if you really open it up and give it a good go. Practice first in a safe area, you'll catch some thin at first, but just try for a bunker splash... you can widen stance for shallower attack, just mess around with it. I rarely use a “chipping” shot...

 

A 64° wedge would make this even more fun.

How do you handle this out of the fairway, same open faced shot? I am struggling from about 20-50 out of the fairway.

Also, how far away do you hit this type of shot from?

[tommc23]

I hit this type up to 20 yards after that I do not. Alan may hit it further but I had issues doing so could not get the distance right

 

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