An article by: Bobby Eldridge on 12-17-2007
Chipping Club Selection
There is one swing in chipping that you control the distance you want the ball to travel by
changing clubs. The 9 iron is for short chips, the 7 iron is for medium length chips and the 5 iron
is for longer chips.
When you practice your chipping, pay close attention to how far the three clubs travel, in the air
and on the ground. Practice on a flat green if possible so you can measure the distance between
each iron. Make sure you spend time learning uphill and downhill distances also.
Chipping - Distance ControlIf you are a
one-club-chipper you had to learn your distance control from the length of the backswing. This is a
very difficult way to chip a golf ball. Being a one-club-chipper means you have to have incredible
touch ALL of the time, however if you chip with the 5-7-9 irons, you take all of the grey area out
of your chipping game and put it in the hands of the three chipping clubs.
If you have struggled with chipping, this method is going to get you started on the right path to
improve your chipping game. The single best way to begin to see improvement is for you to start
with the 9 iron. You understand the definition of chipping and now you know which clubs to use and
soon you will learn the mechanics of chipping. The reason the 9 iron is the best place to start; it
is the easiest of the three clubs. Over the course of a lifetime most of your chip shots will be
between the 7 and 9 iron with very few chips being the longer ones. So why not start practicing
with the 9 iron?
So, you have the flat face clubs rolling along the ground and then you have the loftier clubs that
will help you get up and over a sand trap or the edge of a pond.
All golfers are very individual. I can not tell you how far your chip shots should travel however I
have posted a chart at the end of the book that will give you a general idea of how far the average
chip shots travel, both in the air and on the ground. It is very important that you spend time
practicing so you know EXACTLY how far your chip shots fly and roll. The chart is to simply provide
you with a guide to work off of.
So, short airtime, a lot of roll time for chipping. A lot of airtime and very little roll time for
pitching.
You have the definition and the club selection; let's move on to Part Three-The Method.
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