Chip Like You Putt

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By Rick V., Team Titleist Staff

  • 1 Like
  • 39 Replies
  1. Speedy

    Speedy
    East Coast, NH

    Love this quote "Air is your enemy in the short game". So true and couldn't agree more. I need to do this morning often as I've been struggling as of late with my short game.. I don't give myself enough good chances to get up and down..

    Thanks for sharing!
  2. Tom B

    Tom B
    Northborough, MA

    By the way Rick, correct me if I'm wrong but the photo of practicing your chipping looks like it's from the Atlantic from the TT outing on Labor day maybe? And the other photo Worcester's Club House in the background? Good form on both!
  3. Rick V., Team Titleist Staff

    Rick V., Team Titleist Staff
    Duxbury, MA

    Team Titleist Staff

    Tom B said:

    By the way Rick, correct me if I'm wrong but the photo of practicing your chipping looks like it's from the Atlantic from the TT outing on Labor day maybe? And the other photo Worcester's Club House in the background? Good form on both!

    You've got a good eye, Tom! Worcester CC is one of my all-time favorites and Atlantic CC is a favorite practice spot and a good test that you can walk. (Greens have around now, too). Thanks!
  4. Rick V., Team Titleist Staff

    Rick V., Team Titleist Staff
    Duxbury, MA

    Team Titleist Staff
    Thanks for all the great feedback, everyone! Much appreciated.

    For those who want to dig a little deeper into Paul Runyon's teachings, I found a couple old videos he produced on YouTube. The putting is particularly interesting, as he locked his wrists with that unusual grip and then made the stroke with his arms. Very different from the big-muscle, turn/rock the shoulders approach that is the norm now.

    www.youtube.com/watch

    www.youtube.com/watch
  5. Fred Closs

    Fred Closs
    Denton, TX

    Great article, Rick. I too was taught to putt when you can, chip......... What I to have found is to develop a "stock" chipping stroke then, change the club depending upon the distance and slope to the hole. For example, 15 yards (stimpmeter 10 greens) is a 9 iron chip. However, if the green is slower or has an uphill slope, it may require an 8 iron or 7 iron. This method has served me for over 30 years and made me a dangerous opponent.
  6. richard f

    richard f
    Shildon

    Like you I have become lazy and rarely use anything but my 60 to chip with , but I do trust it
  7. Kathy J

    Kathy J
    Portland, OR

    This is a great short game lesson!
  8. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    Right now with my short game being bad bad bad, its doesn't seem right for me to disagree..........but

    Recently the days my short game has been best I was using 1 wedge, either a 60 or a 56, I use to use only a 60, but recently I've done better with a 56.

    Just because you use a 60 or 56 doesn't mean you hit the ball high or a pro style shot.......yeaars ago I hit the low 1 hop and stop but every time I found a ball that would work they changed it, so I adapted.

    Using a single wedge from anywhere around the green takes practice and it covers every shot you may need

    Using 10 different clubs and 1 stroke takes practice, and you will discover you will need to vary the stroke(more practice) and then there are still shots you don't have in the bag...........short siding behind a bunker

    No matter what you do deep rough is a problem, you can't take the low road, you must get the ball up and out of the rough........and you'll find sand shots work well in deep rough

    So using 10 clubs 1 stroke takes practice + I still have to have a wedge shot (more practice) is not as simple and easy as practicing with a wedge and practice increases the feel.

    I tried the using many different clubs with 1 stroke(mainly) and it worked well as long as the grass I was on and between me and the green was fairway length

  9. Rick V., Team Titleist Staff

    Rick V., Team Titleist Staff
    Duxbury, MA

    Team Titleist Staff

    Quintin H said:

    Right now with my short game being bad bad bad, its doesn't seem right for me to disagree..........but

    Recently the days my short game has been best I was using 1 wedge, either a 60 or a 56, I use to use only a 60, but recently I've done better with a 56.

    Just because you use a 60 or 56 doesn't mean you hit the ball high or a pro style shot.......yeaars ago I hit the low 1 hop and stop but every time I found a ball that would work they changed it, so I adapted.

    Using a single wedge from anywhere around the green takes practice and it covers every shot you may need

    Using 10 different clubs and 1 stroke takes practice, and you will discover you will need to vary the stroke(more practice) and then there are still shots you don't have in the bag...........short siding behind a bunker

    No matter what you do deep rough is a problem, you can't take the low road, you must get the ball up and out of the rough........and you'll find sand shots work well in deep rough

    So using 10 clubs 1 stroke takes practice + I still have to have a wedge shot (more practice) is not as simple and easy as practicing with a wedge and practice increases the feel.

    I tried the using many different clubs with 1 stroke(mainly) and it worked well as long as the grass I was on and between me and the green was fairway length

    Quintin, disagree away! There are definitely pros and cons to both approaches (and to any approach). I think the debate is fun and it's always good to test out different ideas. For sure, golf is not a one-size-fits-all proposition.

    You're right about the rough, short-siding, etc., but I would make the distinction here between a chip and a pitching motion. Just like the lie determines where and when you can putt, so too does the lie determine when you can chip vs. pitch.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

    Rick
  10. dennis n

    dennis n
    San Diego, CA

    Military
    I learned that from Cesar Sanudo at Coronado, he had been a student of Paul's and Gene Littler. Simple and effective. That was at least fifteen years ago. Still works.
  11. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    Just watched a show on Golf Channel, Phil Mickelson talking about moving the ball front foot back foot, opening the face, opening the face some more

    Padrig Harrington talking about using 8,9,pw,sw,lw
  12. Sirhc

    Sirhc
    Sacramento, CA

    Our club secretary's nickname is 'the 5-wedge' because he chips like you describe whenever possible. He taught me the technique once; putter grip, toe down, heel up. I feel that I need to close the clubface slightly. Great for those with chipping 'issues'.
  13. Rick V., Team Titleist Staff

    Rick V., Team Titleist Staff
    Duxbury, MA

    Team Titleist Staff

    Sirhc said:

    Our club secretary's nickname is 'the 5-wedge' because he chips like you describe whenever possible. He taught me the technique once; putter grip, toe down, heel up. I feel that I need to close the clubface slightly. Great for those with chipping 'issues'.

    5-wedge! Love it, Sir! Thanks for sharing.

    Rick
  14. Fred Closs

    Fred Closs
    Denton, TX

    I'd like to see a picture of the grip you described. "And Craig proceeded to show me this awkward looking grip, where the palms of both of his hands were placed on the back surface of the handle. His forearms were kind of opposing each other, both at 45° angles to the shaft. Craig started to rock his arms back and forth, making little piston-like putting strokes as he began to speak. "
  15. Rick V., Team Titleist Staff

    Rick V., Team Titleist Staff
    Duxbury, MA

    Team Titleist Staff

    Hey, Fred. Here's how Chappy demonstrated holding the putter in the Paul Runyon fashion:

    Post Image

    And here's a link to a video of Runyon himself on YouTube, sharing his putting and chipping technique:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VZ_GdIYaJU

    Thanks!

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