Callaway X_Act Tank Chipper

Seen a few reviews on YouTube for this. But my question is, would you buy one?

To me chippers have a bad 'reputation'. If you see someone pull one out you think that they can't chip 'properly' so have resorted to a chipper. But as I put myself firmly in the camp of someone who can't chip properly I wonder if I should try one.

I think the biggest issue (aside from the comments and smirks) would be which club to leave out. Ok it has similar loft to a 9 iron but I wouldn't want to use a chipper for a 130 yard approach shot!

Probably a long iron then as I'm guessing for most people a 3 or 4 iron would be used less than a chipper.

Thoughts?

My thought is Why bother?

Chipping is one of the easiest parts of the game, it only takes a bit of practice. A 9/PW or 52 is perfectly good for doing it.

I practice my chipping every weekend but come Sunday a chip can be anything from stone dead to thinned through the green to duffed short of the green!!

I would say putting is probably the easiest part of the game (technically) but tell that to Ernie Els!!

super_realist wrote:My thought is Why bother?

Chipping is one of the easiest parts of the game, it only takes a bit of practice. A 9/PW or 52 is perfectly good for doing it.

Yeah but you drive like a Cat.
My driving is by far the best part of my game, it's not often I have more than a 7 in. However my h'cap of 7 would indicate that my short game is poor. Imagine that, someone with differing abilities shocker!

I'm well aware that people have different abilities, what I'm saying is that it doesn't take much to get better at chipping.  Like I said, it IS one of the easiest parts as you don't need strength for it, and all it takes is a bit of practice.

I used to be awful at chipping, I worked out how to do it as I realised how important it was and to be good at it and it didn't take a joke of a club like a chipper to do so.

A chipper won't improve your technique or your ability to judge distance, only practice will. If you can't get it close with a club you'd normally choose to chip with, how is this spazzy chipper going to make it any better?

Spazzy?

I have no idea what that means, in relation to a chipper!

I mean that it's a special needs club.

There you go Humpyd dont get a chipper you will look like a Joey Deacon.

If you are normal, and dont care what you look like, and as I say it means you enjoy the game more, then get a chipper!

My short games so bad my 'mates' bought me a chipper for christmas last year and made me use it. It got to the point where I was knocking it about 110 with an easyish putting stroke. However it is the only golf item I cannot bring myself to use regularly due to pishtaking. I have spent the last 10 years chip, chip, chipping and am now nearly average.

you could be worse my mate putts from 100yds out !!!! OMG

He's now bought a chipper

& he's just as bad with that !!!!

Go figure...?

SetupDeterminesTheMotion wrote:you could be worse my mate putts from 100yds out !!!!  OMG

He's now bought a chipper

& he's just as bad with that !!!!

Go figure...?

Exactly, just buying a club doesn't make you good at something.

Try one. If you like it, buy one.

Nothing anyone on here says will change the fact that you will get the back ripped out of you by some people for having one, whether that is right or wrong.

Guy at our place has one (or similar) and is deadly with it (not literally!) and fair play to him. Although, I take Soops point that practise with any club you would use for the same shot and you will (sorry should) improve and if the practise is structured appropriately you should become at least competent if not good. In and of itself, having a chipper will not improve your chipping.

But isnt that all golf clubs, people buy them with the hope it will make them better. They get sold on the marketing.

Should I buy the Taylor Made M2, because it means i will hit the ball further.

Would new irons make me more consistent.

Its golf players all over, all striving for something to make the game easier.

You never know until you buy it though. It may work out or it may not.

Exactly Ben. People fall for it all the time especially regarding Drivers, each new model promises 15 extra yards, yet people don't realise that would mean the original model would only get 50 yards in total. So it's hyperbole.

Improving your technique and practice is the only way to get better. The only shortcut to lower scores is better course management, not buying new clubs hoping for a magic panacea.
Buying a chipper won't improve your distance control or ability to read how the chip rolls out.

Super should ditch his hybrids, fancy shafts, rusty wedges and any putter that costs more than £5

Hickory mashies and niblicks worked fine for old Tom etc. If super practiced hard enough with them then he'd master them

I presume we are talking club golfers here - if I saw a tour pro use a texas wedge I'd think he was flakey - same could be said of long putters - but if a club player uses them, does it really matter?

Daive, A texas wedge is a putter used from off the green, not a chipper.

My point is that a club like a chipper, won't make you better at chipping, the art to chipping is getting the distance and line correct.

I've just had a look at this club. It actually should make chipping easier. Its a putter designed to keep your hands in front of the ball. A putting stroke is easier then any other stroke,in my view, so using this for chipping can take out a lot of things that go wrong if you dont practice your chipping or play regularly, ( me on both counts).

Cleaely it doesnt help with distance and line, but it should be an easier club to use.

Just put a putting stroke on a wedge then.

Wonder if Rory will put one in the bag?

MontysMerkin wrote:
My driving is by far the best part of my game, it's not often I have more than a 7 in.

That's because you play at a pitch and putt.

McLaren wrote:Wonder if Rory will put one in the bag?  

Doubt it, that would make his chipping as bad as his putting. Kaymer and Westwood may have considered them

I don't really understand the point of this club. It's very niche, maybe it's suitable if you play on a links course and need to play lots of similar bump and runs.

I use anything from my 58 degree wedge down to a 5 iron depending on the lie, the slopes, and the amount of green I have to work with.

I don't understand the need for a chipper. You just need to use a 7, 8 or 9 iron with a putter grip, choking down as necessary

Not sure the claw grip would work that well chipping...

raycastleunited wrote:

MontysMerkin wrote:
My driving is by far the best part of my game, it's not often I have more than a 7 in.

That's because you play at a pitch and putt.

I guess so - the course just passed 105 years old and unfortunately there isn't any room to extend much more due to land constraints, only 6426 off the tips. Lovely track though.... Having said that I have played a few newish longer places that really are awful, just smash it, find it smash it again (which to be fair I always seem to score better on)

raycastleunited wrote:

McLaren wrote:Wonder if Rory will put one in the bag?  

Doubt it, that would make his chipping as bad as his putting. Kaymer and Westwood may have considered them

Seems like he is putting everything else in his bag at the moment. Currently using the M2.

Seems reasonable to me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmZeQGjwb8U

Bet the club repairer had a busy night after that.

Not at our place (although the pro has recently moved on). Once took him 6 months to replace a 6 iron shaft. Went to the range and stupidly took the wife. She wanted a go so I let her have the 6 iron. A loud clang later and she had let go of the thing, it had hit the roof of the bay and snapped in half. She has not been since...

Ha ha, I read that as "she has not been seen since".

Foocking close, I can tell you...