PING CHIPR
Because chipping and pitching can strike fear into even the most skilled golfers, meet the new Chipr...
Chippers have always been seen as the hallmark of high-handicap golfers who lack confidence in their short game – even though lots of players swear by them.
But in this more tolerant world, Ping say now is the perfect time to resurrect the idea, believing even decent golfers can benefit from chipping with a putting motion more often.
In typical Ping fashion, the brand asked their engineers to study how many golfers suffer with poor chipping and pitching consistency. They discovered that while many people won’t admit to having a terrible short game, many golfers would like to improve theirs.
So, 47 years after the original Ping Chipo hit the market, Ping are introducing the Chipr, and its roots are planted firmly in the camp of performance enhancement.
Not for everyone
Chipping and pitching can strike fear into golfers at the highest level. New US Open champ Matt Fitzpatrick chips cack-handed, while others advocate chipping one-handed. Today, short game anxiety spreads widely through more then just highhandicap amateurs. Ping say a third of golfers are likely to benefit from using their new Chipr. The research shows how conventional wedges are duffed and thinned more often, which means a massive drop-off in consistency. When using a Chipr and a putter-style motion, golfers see a rise in shot length control and proximity to the hole consistency from 20-80 feet.
The set-up
The original Chipo had a 5-iron loft and a 9-iron shaft length. Combine those with today’s balls and green surfaces and that set-up would make it difficult to chip optimally. So, Ping have introduced the loft of a 9-iron (38.5º) and coupled it with the traditional shaft length of a putter (35in). And by using a 70º lie angle, golfers are encouraged to get more over the ball and use a putterstyle stroke to chip. A heavier head weight (more like a putter or lob wedge) also helps increase consistency and predictability.
No stone left unturned
Ping see the new Chipr very much as a performance club. The head is cast from 431 stainless steel for a familiar iron feel, and you get tighter-spaced (Micromax) grooves, just as with the brand’s brilliant i59 players’ iron. There’s a hydropearl finish to help dissipate moisture and further improve consistency and, compared to the original, the Chipr is also more compact, with more sole camber to help turf interaction.
‘EVEN DECENT GOLFERS CAN BENEFIT FROM CHIPPING WITH A PUTTING MOTION’