Are chippers legal in golf? Can you utilize this golf club in competitions or tournaments? There are several questions about playing golf and improving your golf experience. But did you know that the most valuable skill to succeed on the golf course is the short game?
Chippers are helpful golf clubs that make it easier for golf enthusiasts to beat the challenging situations around the course. They make the short game more fascinating and less daunting. For this reason, it’s vital to assess whether a golf chipper is a practical and helpful investment on your part.
Additionally, determining the pros and cons of golf chippers can help you decide whether they’re suitable for you or not. Should you wish to learn more about the question, are chippers legal, let’s go through the details below.
Contents
- What Is A Golf Chipper?
- The Upsides and Downsides Of Golf Chippers
- Should You Utilize A Golf Chipper?
- Purchase A chipper IF:
- Don’t purchase a chipper IF:
- Is It Okay To Utilize A Chipper In A Golf Competition?
- How Do You Utilize A Chipper Around The Green?
- Is A Two-Way Chipper A Legal Golf Club?
- Are Chippers Legal On The PGA Tour?
- What Are The Best Golf Chippers Available?
- Do Pro Golfers Use Chippers?
- Golf Chipper vs. Wedge
- Conclusion
What Is A Golf Chipper?
A chipper is a golf club specifically designed to allow golfers to chip with much ease and gain excellent control. It looks similar to a putter; however, it comes with a loft of approximately 30 up to37 degrees.
It’s crafted with additional weight on its base and lets users hit the ball with a putting stroke. You can choose from chippers that have putter grips or standard grips. A chipper is pretty handy, making it easy to carry with you around the green.
A golf chipper helps users make their golf experience more fun-filled, less daunting, and exciting.
The Upsides and Downsides Of Golf Chippers
Before deciding whether to get golf chipper or not, let’s look at the pros and cons first.
The Upsides
- With a golf chipper, your misses aren’t as lousy as hitting another club.
- It helps golfers make bump and run shorts with less effort.
- Chippers are smooth sailing to hit, making short games pretty easy.
- A golf chipper is ideal for mid and high handicappers.
- They can provide more control and consistency.
- It’s shorter than standard; as a result, it offers a more comfortable fit.
- You can use it from different lies on the golf course.
- It helps make the short game pretty easy.
Cons
- Chippers can only allow limited uses, such as using it from a bit farther or off the field.
- Professional golfers find chippers impractical investments and consider irons and wedges more useful.
- Chippers are not recommended for those committed to playing golf as their career.
Should You Utilize A Golf Chipper?
It’s critical to assess yourself first to decide whether or not you should use a legal chipper. If you think it can help improve your game, go for it. After all, it’s considered legal in golf, so there’s no harm in using one.
Purchase A chipper IF:
- You prefer playing a bump and run but having difficulty executing it with an iron
- You’re a golfer who likes utilizing your putter when off the field
- You are a mid to high handicapper (18 to 36) who’s having a hard time around the golf field
- You’re suffering from impaired mobility
- You habitually fat or thin your chips whenever you use a wedge despite repeated practices
Don’t purchase a chipper IF:
- You have the luxury of time practicing your short game with irons and wedges
- You’re a golfer who prefers to attain singles figures or below
- You prefer to gain more control of your golf ball
- You have complete assurance in your wedge game when close to the golf field
- You’re a low to mid handicapper (0 to 18)
- You wish to impart spin on the golf ball
Is It Okay To Utilize A Chipper In A Golf Competition?
So long as your chipper is not two-sided and equipped with a standard golf grip, you can legally utilize it in a golf competition. Furthermore, it should be part of the 14 clubs allowed to be carried in your golf bag during a tournament.
You’d need to remove one of the other clubs if you exceeded the 14 clubs permitted in your golf bag. Please remember that you need to do so before the round begins. Otherwise, you’ll earn a two-stroke handicap for each hole where you utilize the extra club.
It’s worth noting that the maximum penalty will be four strokes per round.
How Do You Utilize A Chipper Around The Green?
You can utilize a golf chipper the same way you use a putter to create an appropriate bump and run. It helps send the golf ball into the lawn and towards the hole.
It’s crucial to target the direction where you prefer to send the golf ball when using a chipper.
Meanwhile, should you wish to unveil more about premium golf clubs, this page is worth visiting.
Is A Two-Way Chipper A Legal Golf Club?
A two-way chipper is designed with two clubfaces. Since it is not a legal golf club, it is not regarded as one of the most famous options. This golf club is merely built to function as a right or left-handed club.
You can’t utilize a two-way chipper when recording your handicap or during official tournaments. Hence, you can only use it if you want to play golf for fun or leisure purposes.
Read more:10 Best Clone Golf Clubs
Are Chippers Legal On The PGA Tour?
Yes. USGA asserted that golf chippers are legal for golf since they are categorized as irons. Golf chippers designed with a single face are legal to utilize on the PGA tour.
What Are The Best Golf Chippers Available?
Some of the best picks available nowadays include:
- Ray Cook Extreme Aim Chipper (Premium Choice)
- WILSON Harmonized Golf Wedges
- Square Strike Wedge -Pitching & Chipping Wedge for Men & Women (Best Brand)
- Intech Golf EZ Roll Ladies (Best Choice for Women)
- C3i Wedge – Premium Sand Wedge, Lob Wedge for Men & Women
Do Pro Golfers Use Chippers?
No. Professional golf players don’t find golf chippers helpful. This is because golf chippers don’t provide them with maximum control over the spin of their golf ball.
Pro golfers prefer using an iron or wedge because, unlike the chipper, the former are better options. If they use a chipper, they’ll need to control their golf ball’s flight, distance, run-off, and spin.
Golf Chipper vs. Wedge
Here are the differences between wedges and golf chippers:
1. Shape
A golf chipper features a hollow face. It is ideal for providing an excellent shoot that supports forward roll when it hits the field.
On the other hand, a wedge comes with a broad and huge face. This attribute is helpful because users need to scoop the ball from difficult conditions on the golf field.
This feature also enables sleek movements through a high lawn and thick sand that allows contact with the golf ball.
Not all players can consistently hit the golf ball using a wedge on chip shots. Due to this, a chipper is a better alternative.
2. Versatility
Wedges are more versatile than chippers; nonetheless, this doesn’t make the latter a poor option for starters and high handicappers.
The primary objective of a golf chipper is to offer consistency within 20 yards only. A beginner can easily hit the ball with more confidence and great shots, but with limits.
3. Shot Height
A golf chipper puts the golf ball on a low and hollow arc. Thus, this helps reach the field instantly to support forward roll to the cup.
Golfers can use a wedge with an open face that enables them to move beneath the golf ball with impact. This technique helps avert traps and mishaps.
Moreover, this shot height allows backspin and more excellent game control.
4. Distance
You can use a wedge for full swings, but not a golf chipper. Unfortunately, it can be impossible for a chipper to ensure precision beyond 20 yards. Most golfers prefer wedges because they can function well even within 150 yards.
Conclusion
Are chippers legal in golf? In a nutshell, golf chippers can do wonders for novice golfers or short games. They’re worth a shot because they’re legal and can make your game experience in the golf course more exciting.
Ensuring accuracy on your swings and shots can be challenging at first, but not with a chipper. This golf club can be your companion to reach the hole you dream of with more confidence accurately.
Regardless, you won’t need a golf chipper if you’re already highly skilled in playing golf. That said, you better assess your situation and golf skills first before investing in one.
Read more: Who Makes Ram Golf Clubs? Knowing the Past and Present Ram Golf
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