Topic: Iron Choices - my recent experience

Brendan

Bribie is a good option for the northsider really. It’s quite inexpensive compared to Brissy courses too. I will have to put it in the equation as a course to join since I can tick the visit the folks box as well as play golf. However will need a current round at Wynnum to see how it is playing as well.

Pacific Harbour – haven’t played there yet…..need to be a veteran and get on like the folks did last week for $10 each. Used their range and had lunch there once but have yet to go for a walk. Old fella reckons its tough in the wind though.

I like Keperra. Used to play there heaps when I lived on the northside and I was a lot younger to boot.

Topic: Iron Choices - my recent experience

Hey Brendan

My foks are members at Bribie….are you retired :-))

Sub 60 year old seems like it is in the minority there. It’s a good track though – played there last Tuesday with dad.

Topic: Iron Choices - my recent experience

Seems like many of us are back after a long break….I came back to the game 8 or 9 months ago and decided to get some Pings….

Now I got G5’s which ARE game improvement clubs and I love them. They have helped my game and got me back striking the ball well….I am thinking that I will keep these for a few years and when/if I start getting close to how I played in my youth, I will upgrade to something less forgiving and more refined, but for the moment they suit me.

Topic: Iron Choices - my recent experience

I also ended up with the mp-60’s after a long break from the game….they replaced my Status Tpw’s….they just looked right to my eyes at address whereas the pings and taylor mades that i demoed looked weird….they are certainly a great iron, and i feel very confident standing over them…they are about a club and a half longer than the old irons…

Topic: Iron Choices - my recent experience

Hi lefty

A good interpretation.

Sounds like we are in a similar position…long layoff and don’t like the GI style irons – that thick topline and dozer blade sole leaves me cold. It seems if you time warped your golf and missed the introduction of the GI and Max GI irons and their take over of the market – you are a candidate for players irons only.

I always considered players irons to be the blade and muscle back irons with their fine soles and razor topline not cavity back irons. I put my old Cobra Bafflers against new “players irons” like the X Forged and the old ones have the same sole, finer top line and slightly less cavity but slightly longer heel to toe and lower sole to top at the toe end.

Funny how although I hardly consider myself hitting great yet I want to be rewarded with the pleasure of knowing I absolutely creamed the ball (in yanky speak – pured). Played yesterday at Bribie with my old man and hit a couple of absolutely beautiful shots with my irons – as long and straight as 15 years ago….or so it seems and even with 22 year old irons I could feel it. That is what I want – to know that is as good as I can hit and that is what the Tigers and Normans feel through the club.

However not knocking technological improvement, new drivers are fantastic – my Ping Rapture is magnificient – first round with it yesterday….the old man was sick of me saying how impressed I was with it. Hybrids are also another great intro – I have 3 Baffler Pro’s coming 16, 18 & 20 ex USA. Also mightly impressed with quite a few of the new cavity back “players” irons.

Topic: Iron Choices - my recent experience

I posted some of this info in a lefty specific area, but want to share some experiences in the hope that some other players might not make the same mistakes.

I returned to the game after a long break. Before the internet and ebay, you tended to stick with what you had and didn’t obsess as much about equipment.

I bought a set of Titleist 731PMs to replace my ancient Status Mk111s and really liked them. These Titleists are great clubs, but were not forgiving at all – a characteristic that I liked, because as a youngster, iron play was my strength. Anyway, after seeing my game deteriorate I told myself that I needed a bit more forgiveness and sold the Titleists and got some mid sized Bridgestone cavity backs. Now these irons were OK, but even flushed shots felt a little dead and there was no feedback. I realised that this was a mistake, even though these GC mids looked OK at address. After some discussion with golfing acquaintances and doing a lot of internet research I bought a set of Mizuno MP-60s. These are not blades, but the faces are small, (not Titleist 735 CM small, but small) and have the thin topline I like, as I am a bit of a traditionalist. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I am loving these irons and I feel my game is coming back. I don’t really buy the forged mumbo jumbo, but my point here is that in my opinion, game improvement irons can make you lazy and encourage vague ballstriking as you no longer get feedback. If you are a relatively confident iron player and you are using garden tool/shovel irons, do yourself a favour and move to a more refined iron set if you want to progress. This advice may not be for everyone, but just my 2c worth. The shallow cavity in the MP-60s give them a bit of forgiveness, but the feel is awesome. I would like to hit the MP-67s or MP-32s, but feel like the 60s are probably a good, happy medium.

Topic: Help with chipping

That’s looks like a high flop shot, like a mini pitch shot – something to aspire to when you can execute the basic chipping motion with confidence.

High risk / reward shot for most players, i.e. for chipping over bunkers with little green to work with.

Topic: Help with chipping

I agree on the wrist action comment from happyhooker, I gave that advice to my mate and it’s sliced half a dozen strokes off his game, and stopped him topping the ball across the green.

I’m going to stick with the ‘no wrist action’ method for a while yet until I feel really comfortable and consistent, then I’ll graduate to chips with a wrist action.

Here’s Tiger chipping style, using wrist action:

Topic: Help with chipping

Read the article on chipping in the Golf School on this site.

It helped me a lot recently particularly the reference to having the heel of the club lifted off the ground at address and through the chip.

Also eliminate wrist action so your effectively putting it with a lofted club.

Topic: Help with chipping

Use your putter more times than not around the green. You will get up and down more times than not.Leave your ego aside.

Topic: Help with chipping

On top of everything here, remember…

When chipping trust your putting.

There is no surer way to stuff up a chip than by creating undue pressure, believing if you don’t put it to 2’ you will miss the putt. You are better off 20 foot past and on the putting surface than 10 foot short and still off the green.

Believe that all you have to do is get the ball on the green and you can sink the putt.

Work out where to land the ball, and aim for that spot.

Topic: Help with chipping

Also, be aware of the lie of the ball and learn what is possible for you off tight lies, partial divots, in the rough, vs fluffy lies where the ball is sitting up. Also uphill / downhill, and low running chips vs high flops.

So there you go Brendan, only about 15 things to keep in mind.

Get out that bucket of balls and start playing with different grips, nil / low / high wrist action, shorter / longer backswings, different lofted irons and wedges, uphill / downhill lies, weight centred / forward etc etc. Maybe a lesson or two will accelerate the process, but you will probably still have weeks of practice to cure your yips.

Once you have ingrained a range of chipping options in practice, the rest of the process is mental – positive visualisation out on the course, and calm commitment to the execution.

Topic: Help with chipping

The one thing that has not been mentioned , try placing most of your weight on the front foot About 70% &follow through with the shot. most chips are missed because of lack of confidence. since I learnt to place my weight forward I chip like an A grader, unfortunately the rest of my game is d grade.

Topic: Help with chipping

My chipping improved when i restricted my backswing only taking the club back the minimum amount possible.

I would second that observation, I’ve found it’s better to have a shorter backswing than the follow through. Some delicate greenside chips hardly need much back lift at all, but you have to be sure not to jab at the ball – keep the motion smooth – low speed chips can still do useful things, but the ball won’t pop up very much.

Topic: Help with chipping

I’ve seen alot of duffed chips, mostly my own.. but the most frequent observation i make is that alot of players try to take the club back the same distance regardless of whether it’s a 10 ft chip or 30ft one.
My chipping improved when i restricted my backswing only taking the club back the minimum amount possible. This causes acceleration through the ball resulting in a crisper more predictable result, also, because the club doesn’t travel as far their is less potential for error’s caused by weight shift and miss hit’s.
Also make sure your head is infront of the ball, it creates a downward attack angle and prevents drop kicks and thin hit’s associated with coming up on the ball.
When you start getting a few away it does wonders for your mental game, i try to hole my chips now rather than just tring to get them somewhere near it.

Topic: Help with chipping

is it technique or mental?

If you can’t play a basic chip shot at all then a little work will sort you out.

If you can chip but struggle under pressure you need to work on the mental side.

The technique of chipping is essentially easy to learn. But even if you have it, it’s no good without the right feel.

Topic: Help with chipping

The beginner instruction I got basically went like this:
When standing over the ball, your arms and club should form a lower-case ‘y’ shape. If you swing by rotating at the shoulders, maintaing the ‘y’ shape (with no wrist movement at all if you can’t control it), and apply a downward stroke to the ball with an accelerating clubhead, the ball should pop up in the air.

Some argue that with this stance you’re de-lofting the clubhead, but I haven’t found that a huge problem with a 60 degree wedge, and the upside is you’re imparting backspin on the ball with a shot like this anyway.

The most important thing I found for me with the ‘y’ shape and shoulder rotation is that by using it I was able to bring the clubhead back to the same place time and time again, and rarely send the ball flying across the green. I’m even starting to get a little wear spot in the middle of my lob wedge, it’s great.

The golfdigest.com ‘Breaking 100-90-80-70’ series also had one excellent image for those breaking the 90s for chipping on tight lies. By maintaining the same swing path and action, but opening the face of the club, you are able to change the trajectory of your chip shot. That was something I’d not seen illustrated so well before, and it’s already paid off for me a few times. Highly recommended.

Topic: Help with chipping

I remember Jack newton said that the first thing you lose after time away from the game, is your touch/feel.

Esepcially if you only have one arm.

Topic: Help with chipping

is it technique or mental?

If you can’t play a basic chip shot at all then a little work will sort you out.

If you can chip but struggle under pressure you need to work on the mental side.

Topic: Help with chipping

play the ball back in stance and accerate through chip. The only way you will improve is to practice your chipping. The short game takes time to get back….

Topic: Help with chipping

I remember Jack newton said that the first thing you lose after time away from the game, is your touch/feel.

Post a video of your swing cos that’s the only way to determine your faults.

Topic: Help with chipping

I had a similar problem until a playing partner told me to concentrate on getting the back of my left hand through past the ball – stopped me stopping on my chips

Topic: Help with chipping

I am sure wiser heads will offer the right answer, but in the meantime…

I’ve found my chipping has improved a lot lately by letting the club swing reasonably freely without much wrist action. So only use a little cocking / uncocking, most of the club motion is a pendulum with the arms and shoulders moving back and through, a bit like an extended putting stroke. I’ve found this helps me pop the ball up nice and high with my 52 or 56 deg wedges. When I get too wristy the ball tends to squirt out unpredictably.

You will still need to have a little bit of lag in the shot, i.e. hands leading the clubhead. Even if you touch the clubhead down in front of the ball the lag helps keep the clubhead moving through, instead of stabbing into the ground and slowing down abruptly.