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Chipping on green

• dbaum23 25 Posts

  Mon, Jan 22 2018 6:06 AM

  I just played a match play and my opponent wouldn't putt.  He just chipped every time.  Said it avoided having to deal with breaks.  I told him it wasn't in the spirit of the game, which in my opinion it wasn't.  He said it's legal on real courses so he was going to do it.  I think it's bs...

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Mon, Jan 22 2018 6:36 AM

  I totally agree. This has been argued in the past and always comes down to "it's legal." Somebody will probably be along to point out Phil M. doing it once.

  When you run into those types just realize they're gamers, not golfers. Nothing you can do.    :-(

• dbaum23 25 Posts

  Mon, Jan 22 2018 7:09 AM

  Yeah, i'm glad i'm not the only one who feels this way.  Thanks for responding.  :)

• Robert1893 7,719 Posts

  Mon, Jan 22 2018 7:24 AM

  dbaum23:

  I just played a match play and my opponent wouldn't putt.  He just chipped every time.  Said it avoided having to deal with breaks.  I told him it wasn't in the spirit of the game, which in my opinion it wasn't.  He said it's legal on real courses so he was going to do it.  I think it's bs...

  
  
  If he's doing it all the time, I agree. 
  
  If it's done rarely (and I really mean rarely) because a person got caught in an extremely tough position (for example, the very front of the green on 17th hole, St. Andrews), I can see it. Otherwise, not so much.
  
  I think I've used a full wedge on the green maybe twice. Once was St. Andrews. The other time was on Royal St. George's when I was barely on the front of the green (4th hole, IIRC). But that's twice is almost 3 years. And I've never chipped.
  
  By the way, on RSG, I holed out for a birdie. :-) 
  
  Finally, I forgot to add: if he tried chipping all the time on a real course, he'd get an earful from either his playing partners, the course personnel, or both. They'd tell him: cut that crap out or find different playing partners and a new course to play on. 

• dbaum23 25 Posts

  Mon, Jan 22 2018 8:43 AM

  He was doing it every time except for the tap ins.  I said the same thing about doing that on real courses and he said it's allowed.  I've golfed a lot when I was younger and have never seen anyone in person do that.  From the fringe yes, but from 4 feet away, no.

• Robert1893 7,719 Posts

  Mon, Jan 22 2018 9:00 AM

  I would have been so tempted to respond, “Well, stupid is also allowed. It’s just not preferable. And it certainly shouldn’t be the norm.”

  😀

• Luckystar5 1,638 Posts

  Mon, Jan 22 2018 9:29 AM

  The rules of Golf state that a putter cannot have more than 10 degrees of loft.  10 degrees of loft will lift your ball from the surface of the green, ( if hit hard enough, long putts) hence being qualified to be called a chip! Your drivers of today have 9, or even less degrees of loft.  Years ago there was a pro that used his driver on the greens (for longer putts) quite effectively.  (Chi Chi Rodriguez)  usga rules do not say anything about what clubs that  can or cannot be used, but do state that you cannot destroy the face of the green with a club being used. Some say it's a gamer move, others say that it's a way of using your clubs the most effective way possible.  Seve B. was a master at using his 5 iron facing backwards when he needed to make a shot left handed, a gamer move? If you get beat by someone that uses his clubs differently that you, congratulate him/her on being able to utilize his equipment to the best way possible, if you beat them, just laugh,  lol  

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Mon, Jan 22 2018 9:39 AM

  Luckystar5:

  Some say it's a gamer move, others say that it's a way of using your clubs the most effective way possible.  Seve B. was a master at using his 5 iron facing backwards when he needed to make a shot left handed, a gamer move?

  Terrible analogy, this obviously falls into the category Robert pointed out. Seve's creative solution to a bad problem.

  Nobody is saying not to use the shot the OP mentions, it definitely is legal but it is also a gamer move here when it's all you do. Nothing creative about that.

• Robert1893 7,719 Posts

  Mon, Jan 22 2018 9:43 AM

  @Luckystar5
  
  There's a difference between being creative with a shot because of the circumstances and consistently using that shot as a norm. The first is taking full advantage of your clubs and skill set; the second is a gamer move. 
  
  The problem with using specific instances of pros using these shots is that they do it in isolation. They did not or do not do it all the time. So, generalizing from those specific instances is, at best, problematic. 

• Luckystar5 1,638 Posts

  Mon, Jan 22 2018 9:47 AM

  Sorry, not a terrible analogy,  he used the club in a way for which it was not designed to be used. Why can't people just accept things that are different, without putting a brand on it?  If that person beat you, accept it, don't use it as an excuse to cry! All the pros are looking for an edge to use in which to win, it's in our competitive nature.