In our forums, our members have been discussing chippers. WRXer ‘JoMatty’ is considering adding one to either his or his wife’s bag and kicks off the thread saying:
“I was watching Mark Crossfield’s recent video about the smart sole wedges and chippers, and it got me thinking. My wife took up the game two years ago at 50 years of age. She has improved quite a bit and enjoys the game immensely. She has made a lot of progress, but chipping is something she really struggles with. When feasible she uses a hybrid for most chip shots, and that works fairly well.
When watching the video I thought that a chipper may be an even better option for those shots as the face would be softer, and it would be easier to get a little carry if it was necessary. She has room for an extra club or two, so it seems to be an easy decision to throw one in and see how she likes it.
Is the Cleveland Smart Sole Chipper the best option? I like the wide sole, and it appears to check all the boxes. That said, as an equipment junky, I can’t escape my nature, and my nature is to overanalyze equipment decisions. Even decisions involving chippers. Are there any other chippers I should consider or look at? Other than picking something with a wide sole I can’t imagine it matters that much.”
And our members have been sharing their thoughts in our forum.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- bnperrone: “My dad has one and loves it. I think somebody in one of his weekly groups got one, and they’re all slowly coming around to it. It doesn’t really seem like the specifics matter too much to most people. If the heft and length and sole work for the putting-type stroke them, it should work for you (or her).”
- Billfitz: “The question shouldn’t be if one should have a chipper; the question should be whether it makes sense to remove another club from the bag to make room for one. IMO it doesn’t. Anything you can do with a chipper, you can do with an iron or lofted hybrid, using the exact same putting grip and stroke. All it takes is a bit of practice.”
- jj9000: “Never…ever…play a money match with an older gentleman that has a chipper and a 2-iron in his bag. You might get worked over.”
- JShaw: “I used one for a while when I was struggling with the yips really badly. It helped me get through that period and not absolutely hate playing golf. I’m back to standard stuff now, but I wouldn’t hesitate to go back to the chipper if I felt like I needed to. If it works, use it. Mine is a brass no name that looks sort of like a lofted 8802. I picked it up somewhere for like $1-$3.”
Entire Thread: “I’m thinking of buying a chipper…“