A golf chipper is a specialized club designed to make shots around the green easier, especially for golfers struggling with traditional chipping. Can I use a chipper for all short game shots? Generally, you use a golf chipper for shots where you want the ball to roll sooner rather than fly high, much like a hybrid between a putter and a wedge.
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Deciphering the Golf Chipper
What is a golf chipper? It is a club that looks somewhat like a putter but has more loft, usually between 30 and 40 degrees. This design gives it more lift than a putter but less loft than a standard pitching wedge. Golfers often turn to this club when they have trouble thinning or blading their traditional chips. The main goal of the chipper is consistency and simplicity near the green.
The Design Advantage of a Chipper
The construction of a chipper offers several key benefits over other clubs when tackling delicate shots.
- Loft: The chipper golf club loft is usually low compared to a sand wedge but higher than a putter. This sweet spot of loft helps get the ball airborne just enough to clear fringe or light rough, promoting a low, controlled roll.
- Sole Width: Chipper soles are often wider than traditional wedges. This extra width helps prevent the club from digging into the turf, which is a common cause of poor contact. A wider sole glides through grass better.
- Shaft Angle: Many chippers have a shaft angle closer to a putter. This promotes an upright swing path, which many golfers find easier to repeat accurately when performing a golf chipper chipping technique.
Chipper Wedge vs Pitching Wedge: What’s the Difference?
Many new chipper users wonder how this club stacks up against their pitching wedge. The main difference lies in forgiveness and trajectory.
| Feature | Golf Chipper | Pitching Wedge (PW) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical Loft | 30° to 40° | 44° to 48° |
| Forgiveness | High (due to wide sole) | Moderate |
| Trajectory | Low, rolling shot | Medium to high flight |
| Best Use | Tight lies, fringe, bump and run | Standard chipping, approach shots |
If you struggle with high, short chips that often go too far, the chipper wedge vs pitching wedge comparison strongly favors the chipper for controlled roll-out.
Setting Up for a Chipper Shot
Proper setup is vital for success with any specialty club. When setting up for a chipper shot, you want to emulate your putting stance more than your full swing stance. This encourages a pendulum motion rather than a chopping action.
Stance and Ball Position
Your stance should feel stable and centered.
- Feet: Place your feet fairly close together, about shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower. This promotes a compact, controlled swing.
- Ball Position: Play the ball slightly back of center in your stance. This slight backward placement helps ensure solid contact when using the moderate chipper golf club loft.
- Weight Distribution: Keep about 60% to 70% of your weight on your front (forward) foot. Keep this weight distribution steady throughout the swing. Do not let your weight shift backward.
Grip and Posture
The grip for chipper golf shots around green should be firm but relaxed, similar to how you hold your putter.
- Grip Pressure: Use light pressure. Too tight a grip restricts wrist hinge and creates tension.
- Posture: Stand tall, but slightly bent over. Your eyes should be directly over the ball or just slightly inside the line of the ball. This alignment helps you hit down slightly on the ball without actually “hitting down” hard.
Executing the Golf Chipper Chipping Technique
The best way to utilize a chipper is through a simplified, pendulum-like motion. This is often referred to as the best chipper golf swing foundation.
The Pendulum Motion
Think of the clubhead as the bottom of a pendulum swinging from a fixed point (your shoulders/arms).
- Takeaway: Start the takeaway by moving your shoulders and arms back together. Keep your wrists firm. Avoid any early wrist set or “flipping” motion.
- Backswing: Keep the backswing short and controlled. For most chip shots using a chipper, the backswing should only go to about waist high or slightly higher. Shorter swings mean less speed and more control.
- Downswing and Impact: Allow gravity to help bring the club down through the ball. Maintain that steady forward weight bias. The goal at impact is clean contact, which is key to how to hit a golf chipper pure.
- Follow-Through: The follow-through should be short and match the length of the backswing. If your backswing was waist high, your finish should be slightly higher than waist high on the target side.
Developing Feel: Distance Control
Distance control with a chipper is managed almost entirely by the length of your swing arc.
- Short Shots (5-10 yards): Use a very short backswing (a few inches off the ground) and a matched finish.
- Medium Shots (15-25 yards): Use a backswing that reaches your lead ankle or knee height.
- Longer Shots (30+ yards): Here, the chipper starts to feel more like a short iron swing, but still maintain a constrained upper body rotation.
Using a Golf Chipper for Bump and Run
One of the primary chipper golf club advantages is its effectiveness for the bump and run shot. This shot keeps the ball low to the ground for most of its journey, rolling like a putt once it lands. This technique is perfect when you have a good lie and plenty of green to work with.
Steps for the Bump and Run with a Chipper
The setup for the bump and run with a chipper closely mirrors the standard chipper setup, but with a few crucial tweaks to encourage rolling.
- Ball Placement: Move the ball slightly further back in your stance than you would for a standard chip. Further back placement encourages the club to strike the ball slightly on the downswing, leading to less loft interaction and more roll.
- Weight Forward: Maximize your forward weight shift (75% or more). You want to feel like you cannot shift your weight back even if you tried.
- Minimal Wrist Action: This is crucial. The entire motion should be driven by the shoulders and arms. Think: “Hands lead.” If your wrists activate, you add loft, defeating the purpose of the bump and run.
- Swing Path: Keep the swing path very straight. Imagine hitting a putt, but using a club with a bit of loft.
This method minimizes variables. Since you are using a golf chipper for bump and run, you rely less on inconsistent turf interaction and more on a predictable roll.
When to Reach for the Chipper
Not every short game shot requires a chipper. Knowing when this club shines is important for lowering scores.
Ideal Scenarios for Chipper Use
The chipper excels when the situation demands low trajectory and high forgiveness.
- Tight Lies on the Fringe: When the grass is cut very short around the green, a wedge can easily skip or bounce too high. The chipper’s design lets it slide cleanly under the ball for a predictable roll.
- Shots Over Short Hazards: If you only need to clear a small lip of rough or a single bunker edge before the ball hits the green and rolls out, the chipper is perfect.
- When Putting Isn’t Quite Right: If you are too far from the hole to comfortably putt but too close to feel good about a full wedge, the chipper bridges that gap.
- For High-Handicappers: For golfers who consistently struggle with inconsistent contact (thins or chunks) with wedges, the extra forgiveness makes the chipper golf club use a safer, score-saving option.
When to Avoid the Chipper
You should leave the chipper in the bag in certain situations:
- Deep Rough: The wide sole can snag in thick grass, leading to poor contact. Use a higher lofted wedge here.
- Need for High Loft/Spin: If you need the ball to stop quickly near the pin (e.g., over a deep bunker), a high-lofted wedge (sand or lob) is necessary. The chipper is designed to roll, not stop quickly.
- Longer Chip Shots: For shots approaching 40 yards or more, you generally need the trajectory and distance control provided by a gap wedge or pitching wedge.
Mastering Contact: How To Hit A Golf Chipper Pure
Hitting the ball solidly with the chipper eliminates the dreaded “flier” or the fat shot. Purity of contact relies heavily on clubface angle and consistent contact point.
Maintaining a Square Face
The most common miss with the chipper occurs when the face rotates too much open or closed during the short swing.
- Address Position Check: Before swinging, look down. Ensure the leading edge of the chipper face is perfectly square to your target line.
- Impact Focus: Concentrate on swinging the center of the clubface squarely into the center of the golf ball. Avoid manipulating the clubface through impact. Let the structure of your controlled swing do the work.
Controlling Trajectory and Spin
Since the chipper golf club loft is moderate, spin is naturally lower than a wedge. Control trajectory by focusing on the descent angle of the clubhead through impact.
- For a Lower Flight: Keep your weight firmly forward and slightly brush the turf just after the ball (shallow divot, almost like a putt).
- For a Slightly Higher Flight (Still Rolling): Allow a tiny bit more wrist action, but keep it controlled and matching the backswing length. This should only be done when the ball needs to clear a slightly higher piece of fringe.
Practice Drills for Chipper Proficiency
To truly gain confidence with this tool, regular practice focusing on feel and distance control is essential.
The Putting Gate Drill
This drill reinforces the straight path needed for effective golf chipper chipping technique.
- Place two tees about 1.5 times the width of the chipper head apart, directly in front of the ball.
- Hit several shots aiming to swing the club straight between the tees without hitting them. This mimics the best chipper golf swing path—straight back and straight through.
The Clock Drill for Distance Gapping
Use this drill to assign specific swing lengths to specific distances, helping you build a reliable yardage chart for your chipper.
- Set up targets at 5, 10, and 15 yards.
- 5 Yards: Backswing only reaches the top of your shoe.
- 10 Yards: Backswing reaches your lead knee.
- 15 Yards: Backswing reaches your lead hip.
Repeat each distance until you achieve three consecutive balls landing within a few feet of the target.
Chipper Maintenance and Selection
Choosing the right chipper and keeping it in good shape ensures you reap the full chipper golf club advantages.
Selecting the Right Chipper Loft
When purchasing, ensure the loft matches your main weakness.
- If you struggle with rolling the ball too far, look for a chipper on the higher end of the range (around 38°-40°). This club acts almost like a strong pitching wedge.
- If you struggle to get the ball out of short grass and often leave it short, select a lower loft (30°-34°). This acts more like a very lofted putter.
Club Specifications
While less critical than with a driver, specification matters for short game consistency.
| Specification | Recommendation for Chipper Use | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Shaft Flex | Stiff or Regular | Since the swing is short, overly flexible shafts can cause twisting at impact. |
| Shaft Length | Similar to a Putter | A slightly shorter shaft promotes better control and encourages the pendulum motion required for chipper golf shots around green. |
| Grip Size | Standard or Slightly Tapered | A slightly thinner grip can aid in keeping the hands quiet during the stroke. |
FAQ Section on Golf Chipper Usage
Q: Can I use my chipper like a regular putter?
A: Yes, you can. Because the loft is low (often only a few degrees more than a putter), if you have a very tight lie or need to get over a stubborn piece of fringe, the chipper can certainly be used on the green like a putter. However, remember that the slightly higher loft may cause the ball to jump forward a touch more than a pure putter.
Q: How does a chipper compare to a hybrid iron in the short game?
A: A hybrid iron is generally used for longer approach shots or shots from light rough where more height is needed. The chipper is exclusively a finesse tool for shots right around the green where keeping the ball low and rolling is the priority. The loft of a chipper is usually lower than a typical pitching hybrid.
Q: Should I take a divot when using the chipper?
A: Generally, no. You want to perform an ascending or level blow when using a golf chipper for bump and run. Taking a full divot means you are hitting too far behind the ball. You should aim to brush the surface just after impact, resulting in a very thin scrape of turf, not a deep cut. This ensures you are how to hit a golf chipper pure.
Q: Is the chipper legal in tournament play?
A: Yes, the golf chipper is a legal club in official competition, provided it conforms to the standards set by the USGA and R&A (regarding size, shape, and grooves). Most commercially available chippers meet these standards.