The Chipping Series/Part II: Choose the Right Club

Understanding Loft, Carry, and Roll

In Part I of the Chipping Series, we established a simple way to think about every chip shot:

CARRY → LAND → ROLL

We also introduced a decision-making process that happens before we ever swing the club:

READ → PLAN → CHOOSE → EXECUTE

Now it is time to focus on that third step: CHOOSE.

One of the most common habits I see around the green is a golfer automatically reaching for the same club every time. For many players, that means grabbing a sand wedge or lob wedge regardless of the lie, the location of the hole, how much green is available, or how far the ball actually needs to travel through the air.

• Can you chip with one club?

• Absolutely.

• But should you?

• Not necessarily.

Learning to chip with several clubs can actually make the short game simpler, because instead of constantly changing the swing to produce different trajectories and distances, we can sometimes let the club do the work for us.

That is what Part II is all about. Chipping technique, angle of attack and dynamic chipping drills will be covered later in the series.

Start With the Shot, Not the Club

Before choosing a club, go back to the process we established in Part I. Read the shot.

• What is the lie?

• How much grass do I need to carry?

• How much green do I have between my landing spot and the hole?

• Is the green uphill or downhill?

• Where do I want the ball to land?

• How much will it roll after it lands?

Only after answering those questions should we choose a club.

This changes the conversation from: "Which club do I normally chip with?" to: "Which club will produce the shot I need?"

That is a much better question. PGA Professional Brad Myers in Sarasota, Florida makes a similar point in his discussion of chipping. Because the basic objective is to get the ball onto the ground relatively quickly and allow it to roll toward the target, he recommends experimenting with clubs throughout the bag rather than automatically relying on one or two highly lofted wedges. The club should fit the shot. Not the other way around.

Loft Changes the Shot

Let's start with the most obvious difference between the clubs in your bag: loft. Generally speaking, when we use a lower-lofted club for a basic chip, the ball will launch lower and roll farther after it lands. As we add loft, the ball will generally launch higher, carry farther relative to its total distance, and roll less.

Think about an 8-iron compared with a sand wedge. If we use approximately the same basic chipping motion and land both balls in a similar area, we should expect very different results.

The 8-iron will generally come out lower and release farther. The sand wedge will generally launch higher and stop sooner. Neither one is automatically better.

They are simply different tools for different jobs.

That is the key.

Carry-to-Roll Relationship

You will sometimes see chipping systems that assign specific carry-to-roll ratios to individual clubs.

For example, one traditional guideline might suggest that an 8-iron carries approximately half of its total distance and rolls the other half, while a pitching wedge carries a greater percentage and a sand wedge carries even more.

There is value in these systems as a starting point, and some teaching resources use very specific ratios. One Golf Plus instructional guide, for example, presents progressively greater carry percentages as loft increases, ranging from lower irons through lob wedge.

But I want to be careful here. I do not want you memorizing a chart and assuming those numbers will always apply to you.

Why?

Because your carry-to-roll relationship depends on much more than the number stamped on the bottom of the club.

It can change with:

• Your technique

• Your club's actual loft

• Ball position

• Shaft lean

• Clubhead speed

• Contact

• Golf ball

• Green firmness

• Green speed

• Slope

• Grain

• Lie

• Landing surface

Modern iron lofts also vary considerably from one set to another. Your 8-iron may not have the same loft as someone else's 8-iron. Please see my article on the The History of Golf Club Loft: How Pitching Wedges Went from 52° to 45° for more information about lofts.

So instead of telling you: "An 8-iron always carries X and rolls Y,"

I would rather help you discover: "What does MY 8-iron do when I hit MY standard chip?"

That information is much more useful.

I'm a big proponent of making the same stroke, but using different clubs to acheive the result I want. I know great players who use the same club for every chip shot, regardless of how far away from the hole / their target they are, the lie and/or the speed of the green. That is perfectly fine.

The Alignment Stick Drill (or use your 4, 5, 6, and 7 irons) helps students learn how to aim for a specific spot on the fringe/green while letting the ball role out like a putt. The objective is not simply to hit each alignment stick. Pay attention to how the ball gets there.

Watch the trajectory. Notice where the ball lands. Observe how much it rolls after it lands. As you move from the sand wedge to the gap wedge, pitching wedge, and finally the 9-iron, notice how the relationship between carry and roll changes.

Keep the Motion Simple

One of the most important parts of this drill is resisting the temptation to manufacture a completely different swing for every target. Instead, allow the changing loft of the club to help produce the changing result.

The sand wedge provides more loft for the shortest target. As the targets get progressively farther away, you move into clubs with less loft and allow progressively more roll.

The drill begins teaching the golfer an important lesson: You do not always have to make a bigger swing to make the ball go farther. Sometimes you can simply change the club.

Same Motion, Different Result

This is where using multiple clubs can make chipping much easier.

Imagine that you have a straightforward chip from just off the green with plenty of putting surface between you and the hole. You identify a landing spot a few feet onto the green.

Now hit three shots using approximately the same basic motion:

8-Iron

Pitching Wedge

Sand Wedge

Try to land all three balls in the same general area. What happens?

• The 8-iron should generally launch lowest and roll farthest.

• The pitching wedge should give you more carry and less roll.

• The sand wedge should launch higher and generally roll less after landing.

The landing spot can remain similar while the club changes the outcome. PGA instructor Stuart Lambert describes a similar exercise: keep the landing zone consistent, change clubs, and observe how a lower-lofted club releases farther after landing (see Alignment Stick Drill chart above). That is a very important concept.

Instead of asking your hands to create three completely different shots with one club, you can use three different clubs and make similar motions.

Let the club help create the shot.

Why Get the Ball Rolling?

We talked about this briefly in Part I, but it deserves more attention. Once the golf ball is rolling on the putting surface, we have removed some variables. The ball is no longer flying through the air. We are no longer trying to control trajectory. We are no longer trying to predict exactly how the ball will react when it first contacts the green. It begins behaving more like a putt.

That does not mean rolling the ball is automatically easier in every situation. You still have to judge slope, speed, grain where applicable, and the contours between the landing spot and the hole.

But when conditions allow it, getting the ball onto the ground and rolling can simplify distance control. PGA instructor Stuart Lambert describes this as one of the central ideas behind the chip: relatively little rise and plenty of roll. Some may say that this is a "bump and run".

This leads us to an important short-game principle:

Use only as much loft as the shot requires.

Not the least loft possible in every circumstance.

Not the most loft you are comfortable with.

The amount of loft the shot requires.

When a Lower-Lofted Club Makes Sense

Imagine your ball is sitting on a good lie just a few feet off the putting surface. You have 30 or 40 feet of green between you and the hole. There is no bunker to carry. No significant rough. No ridge immediately in front of you. Nothing requires you to hit the ball high.

This is an excellent situation to consider a lower-lofted club.

• Maybe it is a pitching wedge.

• Maybe a 9-iron.

• Maybe an 8-iron.

• Perhaps even a hybrid.

PGA instruction specifically encourages golfers to experiment with clubs ranging from hybrids and longer irons through the wedges when playing shots around the green.

The objective is simple: Get the ball safely onto the green and let it roll.

When More Loft Makes Sense

Now change the situation. Your ball is still beside the green, but there is six feet of rough between the ball and the putting surface. Or perhaps the hole is closer to the edge of the green. Now you have less room for the ball to roll.

Your 8-iron may no longer be the best choice because you need additional carry and less rollout.

A pitching wedge, gap wedge, or sand wedge may fit the shot better. Change the situation again. Now there is a bunker between you and the green.

At this point, we may be moving away from what I would consider a basic chip and toward a pitch, because the situation requires more carry and a higher trajectory. PGA instruction similarly notes that more loft becomes appropriate when the ball must travel farther through the air and has less room to release. Again, notice what is making the decision. The shot, not habit.

I'll cover pitch shots in the next series after chipping.

Do Not Forget the Putter

There is another club we should include in this conversation. Your putter. If the ball is just off the green and the surface between the ball and the putting green is relatively smooth, putting may be the simplest option.

Remember the decision-making framework from Part I: PUTT → CHIP → PITCH

We are not required to chip simply because the ball is technically off the green. If I can putt it effectively, I am going to seriously consider putting it. There is no bonus on the scorecard for using a wedge. The goal is to complete the hole in as few strokes as possible.

What About the Hybrid?

The hybrid is one of my favorite shots to show golfers around the green because many players have never considered using one for a chip shot.

I use this shot myself quite often. At TPC Louisiana in Avondale, I will use a hybrid from just off the putting green almost every round. A great example is the second hole. If your approach comes up short of the green with a front or middle hole location, a hybrid can be an excellent option because there is plenty of green available and very little trajectory is required.

The technique is simple. The motion can closely resemble a putting stroke, while the loft of the hybrid helps lift the ball over the fringe, longer grass, or a small amount of uneven turf before getting it onto the putting surface and rolling toward the hole. Think of it almost like a putt that needs a little help getting through the first few feet.

Is the hybrid the right choice for every shot? Of course not. If you need to carry significant rough, a bunker, or another obstacle, you will probably need more loft. But that is exactly the point of this article. We are building options.

Do not limit your short game by thinking you have to use a wedge simply because you missed the green. Look at the lie. Look at what is between you and the putting surface. Look at how much green you have available. Then choose the club that gives you the simplest way to execute the shot.

The more you understand what your clubs do, the less likely you are to stand over a chip thinking: "I hope this works." Instead, you begin thinking: "I know what this club does."

That creates confidence.

The Landing Spot Connects Everything

There is one concept I want you to carry from Part I through the entire Chipping Series: Pick a landing spot.

Golf Digest instruction makes this point particularly well: golfers often focus too much on the flagstick and attempt to fly the ball close to the hole rather than choosing a more manageable landing target and allowing the ball to release. The hole tells us where we ultimately want the ball to finish. The landing spot tells us what shot we need to hit.

Think about the sequence:

We are working backward from the hole. That is purposeful decision-making.

Build Your Own Carry-to-Roll Chart

Rather than giving you a generic carry-to-roll chart, I want you to create your own. This can become one of the most valuable practice sessions in the entire Chipping Series.

Take several clubs to the practice green. I would start with:

• 8-Iron

• 9-Iron

• Pitching Wedge

• Gap Wedge

• Sand Wedge

You can add a lob wedge, hybrid, or other clubs later.

Find a relatively flat area with a good lie and enough green for the ball to roll.

This type of landing-zone exercise is also recommended in PGA and other professional instruction as a way of learning how different clubs behave around the green.

Write It Down

Here is where we can really Practice With a Purpose.

Or, create your own chart:

Club	Carry	Roll	Total	Observation
8-Iron
9-Iron
PW
GW
SW
LW

Your numbers do not have to match someone else's. In fact, I would prefer that they do not. I want your numbers.

Discover what works best for you.

• You may discover that your pitching wedge rolls farther than you expected.

• You may discover that you are much more consistent with a 9-iron than a sand wedge.

• You may discover that your sand wedge launches too high for the basic chip you are trying to play.

• You may discover that the club you have automatically reached for during the past ten years is not actually the easiest club for the shot.

That is valuable information.

Note: I added the lob wedge (LW) to the chart. While I do not always recommend that double digit handicap golfers rely on a lob wedge around the green, it can be a useful tool when the shot requires additional loft, a higher trajectory, or less roll after the ball lands. Like any club, the lob wedge can be very effective when the lie and situation call for it. However, it can also be difficult to use consistently if you do not regularly practice with it, particularly with lower bounce models or from tight lies. The goal is not to avoid the lob wedge, but to understand when the shot requires it and how your lob wedge performs for you.

Be Curious. Be Creative. Experiment

These are general guidelines, not absolute rules. Your trajectory, carry, and roll will vary based on your technique, club loft, lie, golf ball, green speed, slope, and conditions. That is why I encourage you to experiment with different clubs and learn what your clubs do for you. You need to discover this for yourself. Go out and “play” around the green. Try different clubs, trajectories, golf balls, and landing spots from a variety of lies. Pay attention to what happens when the ball lands and how far it rolls. Experiment. Be curious. Learn what works and what does not. The more shots you experience in practice, the more options you will have when you encounter those situations on the golf course.

Then Change the Conditions

Once you have established a baseline, start changing things.

• Move farther from the green.

• Move closer.

• Change the hole location.

• Try an uphill chip.

• Try a downhill chip.

• Move into light rough.

• Change the landing spot.

• Now watch how your carry-to-roll relationships change.

This is why I hesitate to give golfers one universal formula. A formula can be a useful starting point.

Experience creates adaptability.

And adaptability is what we need on the golf course. You will rarely get the exact same chip twice.

Do Not Try to Master Every Club

There is another side to this. I am not suggesting that you need to become equally skilled at chipping with all 14 clubs in your bag. That can make things unnecessarily complicated. Instead, build a small collection of reliable options.

Maybe your system becomes:

• Putter: When I can keep the ball on the ground.

• 8-Iron: Lower trajectory with more roll.

• Pitching Wedge: Medium trajectory with moderate roll.

• Gap Wedge: Slightly higher trajectory with less roll.

• Sand Wedge: Higher trajectory with more carry and less roll.

That gives you four very different options without requiring four completely different techniques.

Your clubs may be different.

That is fine. The important thing is that you know why you are choosing them.

Club Selection Is Part of the Skill

We often judge chipping ability entirely by technique.

• Did you make good contact?

• Did you control the low point?

• Did you use the bounce?

• Did the ball come off the clubface correctly?

Those things matter. But I would argue that club selection is also part of chipping skill.

You can execute a technically excellent shot with the wrong club and still finish 20 feet from the hole. You can also make a relatively ordinary motion with the right club and finish five feet away. The golf ball does not care how impressive the technique looked. It only cares about physics.

The right club gives us a better opportunity to produce the right combination of:

CARRY → LAND → ROLL

Practice With a Purpose

For this week's practice, do not spend your entire session hitting sand wedges toward a flag.

• Bring several clubs.

• Pick one landing spot.

• Hit five balls with each club.

• Observe the trajectory.

• Measure the carry.

• Measure the roll.

• Write down what happens.

• Then change the shot and do it again.

You are building your own short-game database. Eventually, when you are standing beside the green during a round, you will begin recognizing shots.

• You will see the lie.

• You will see the landing spot.

• You will visualize the roll.

• And instead of wondering which club you should use, you will have previous experience to draw from.

That is when club selection starts becoming instinctive.

READ → PLAN → CHOOSE → EXECUTE

The Chipping Series Continues

We now know what a chip shot is. We understand Carry → Land → Roll. And we are beginning to understand how changing clubs can change the relationship between those three components without requiring us to completely reinvent our technique. But now we need to build the foundation that allows us to strike those shots consistently.

• Where should the ball be positioned?

• How wide should the stance be?

• Where should our pressure be?

• Should the handle be forward?

• How close should we stand to the golf ball?

And perhaps most importantly, is there really one perfect chipping setup for every golfer and every shot?

That is where we are headed next.

The Chipping Series, Part III: Build the Setup

Creating a Simple, Balanced, and Repeatable Chipping Position

Because once we have read the shot, made a plan, and chosen the club, we need a setup that gives us the best opportunity to execute it.

Practice With a Purpose. Play With a Purpose. Get Up & Down.

Stuart Lambert, PGA Lambert Golf Academy