Chipping with Your 3 Wood

A chip shot is simply a way of getting the ball to roll from the fairway or light rough towards the hole. Many  golfers prefer a 7 or an 8-iron to execute their chip shots but there are times when you will want a little more power. Sometimes you want to put more power behind the ball than the blade of an iron can provide.

For such shots you might get better results from chipping with your 3 Wood.

The 3 Wood?

Sure. The 3 Wood is an ideal club for putting more power into the ball’s roll due to its loft. A standard 3 Wood will have a loft of around 15 degrees. The standard loft of a 4 iron is approximately 24 degrees; putters provide a loft of 5 to 6 degrees (and less). So, a 3 wood serves up the low flying shot of a 4 iron and a stronger, quicker hop than your putter will provide… the best of both worlds. The 3 Wood club head is also much heftier than your iron, which means less effort to send the ball further distances.

So what is the ideal chip shot to employ your 3 Wood? Here are few scenarios where chipping with a 3 Wood can achieve better results:

1. If the green is leveled above the ball (meaning you will need to chip up) a 3 Wood can provide the necessary acceleration. Any time where there is an incline or ridge present and an iron or putter shot might tempt the chip to go awry is a good time to break out your 3 Wood.

2. The 3 Wood is perfect on a nice, wide-open chip shot where you are staring right at the green. Since there is nothing in the way and it’s just a straight line to the pin, just swing away with 3 Wood for a rolling straight shot.

3. It can be dramatically harder to get an iron to behave when chipping from short cut grass or firm ground. While longer grass and softer terrain can compensate for minor discrepancies, trying to chip on hard ground with an iron means needing to make a more precise impact with the ball. Using your 3 Wood eliminates the need to be so precise and makes chipping from firmer ground that much easier.

When chipping with the 3 Wood, its important to choke down on the club and employ a putting-like stroke. Keep your wrists firm and be sure to follow through the ball instead of stabbing at it.

The chip shot is an extremely vital part of golf and one topic with a slew of various tips and techniques. To be a competitive senior golfer it pays to have an expansive repertoire of chipping methods that utilize your equipment to its full potential – and using your 3 Wood is one such method.