Now we have a better idea as to how to approach a chip shot, its time to discuss the appropriate time to select the right club. This area of the short game allows us to utilize a variety of clubs in the bag in order to make the shot we’re trying to execute much easier and significantly reduce the margin for error. Using different clubs around the green may not come natural to many players, however experimenting and practicing will broaden your imagination and skill level, and you will certainly simplify getting the ball closer to the hole. As mentioned previously we can select anything from a SW to a hybrid or fairway wood. There shouldn’t be any restrictions or limitations in the clubs we use, but to give a good foundation to work from we are just going to focus on the clubs from 6 iron to SW. 

Landing Area

Whenever facing a chip shot we only ever want to be focusing on landing the ball wishing the first 2 yards of the green. Again we are trying to replicate this shots as close to a putt as possible. Therefore always landing the ball on the green will allow us to get expected and predictable results, as opposed to landing the ball in the fringe or light rough. Also by always focusing on a constant of landing within the first 2 yards of the green it can aid in taking away indecision as to which shot to choose. It provides a fixed shot and allows you to make a decision on which club will best produce a shot that gets you close to the hole, which is what we are going to discuss next. 

The Percentage Rule

There is a general rule of thumb I use that helps categorize which club would produce the best, and easiest results. This is dependent of the ratio of green and fringe we have to work with. When faced with a shot where there is a greater ratio of green to work with, we’re going to be hitting a lesser lofted club, such as a 7 iron. Consequently if there is very little green to work with we will be wanting to hit a more lofted club, in order to get the ball to land softer and stop quicker. The ratios you always want to consider are:

             Green         Fringe        Club

             ~85%         ~15%           6/7 Iron

             ~75%         ~25%           7/8 Iron

             ~65%         ~35%           8/9 Iron

             ~55%         ~45%           9/PW

             ~55%<       ~>45%.       PW/SW

Factors to Take Into Consideration

Again the figures above are an approximation and general rule of thumb, and are based on a straightforward shot from a good lie on a flat closely mown surface to a level landing area. Unfortunately out on the course we may not find such perfect conditions for every shot therefore we may need to make adjustments to the club selection based on some factors, such as;

                 – Gradient of the landing area (landing on a downslope or upslope)

                 – Gradient of the lie

                 – Quality of the lie

                 – Read of the green 

                 – Where would we want to leave our next shot (Short or long of the hole)

For instance if we were to face a shot with 30% fringe and 70% green using the percentage rule we’d likely select an 8 iron. However if we are faced with a shot where the first 2 yards of the green are sloping away from us, there is a good chance the ball may shoot off the slope and go running way past the hole. So rather than select a new landing area and completely restructure the shot, we can simply select a 9 iron or maybe a PW depending on the severity of the slope. The additional loft these clubs provide will allow the ball to land softer on the green and not run out as much.

Another example would be if the ball is sitting in some longer grass. When grass gets between the ball and the club face it can greatly affect the efficiency of strike. Many players will tend to increase club head speed in order to accommodate for this. Again in this situation it may be necessary to switch to a more lofted club as we don’t want the ball shooting through the green in the event the grass doesn’t diminish the strike as we may have expected. 

Unfortunately there are too many situations we could encounter on the course for me to thoroughly go through, but experimenting with different clubs and different situations on the practice green or course, and learning from successes and mistakes will help develop your skills and decision making.