Ten chipping wedges compared on material, loft and bounce angle, each with a spec table, a buying checklist and an FAQ.
Every club in this list is in stock on Amazon right now, and every spec below comes from the manufacturer. The field runs from a 30 dollar alloy two-way chipper to a Cleveland wedge near 150 dollars, and the deciding question is not price but whether you want a putter-length club that only bumps and runs or a real wedge you can also swing.
The best chipping wedge for shots around the green
What separates a chipping wedge from a normal wedge is the geometry. Nine of these ten are built at putter length with a putter-like lie angle and the loft of a 7 iron or 8 iron, so you can use your putting stroke and the ball comes out low and rolls. The Acer publishes the ratio outright: on level ground the ball rolls roughly three times as far as it carries.
Below you get the short version first: three picks for the most common cases, then the full table with all ten, then every club in detail with specs, strengths and weaknesses.
- The two-way chipper most golfers should buyPowerBilt TPS
- Best made, and it doubles as a full wedgeCleveland Smart Sole Full-Face
- The cheapest club here that still does the jobIntech EZ Roll
- The one for left handersAcer XK
| Club | Loft | Length | Head | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PowerBilt TPS Two-Way Chipperbest overall | 36 degrees | 35 inches | Alloy, slim two-sided profile | Playing from either side of the ball |
| Cleveland Smart Sole Full-Face Wedgebest premium | 42 degrees | Standard wedge | Steel, three-tiered wide sole | Chipping and full swings from one club |
| Orlimar Escape Mid-Mallet Chipperbest build | 37 degrees | 35 inches | Stainless, hollow cavity back | Alignment help at address |
| Acer XK Chipperfor left handers | 37 degrees | 34 inches | Steel, gooseneck hosel | Left-handed golfers |
| Intech EZ Roll Chippercheapest | 35 degrees | 35 inches | Back-weighted, gooseneck hosel | Spending as little as possible |
| MYKUJA Two-Way Chipperlightest two-way | 36 degrees | 35.5 inches | Stainless steel, wide sole | A two-way club at putter weight |
| MAZEL Chipper Club Pitching Wedgealignment line | 36 degrees | 35 inches | Stainless, alignment top line | Aiming the face on short chips |
| Money Club Fire Red Chipperrear cavity | 37 degrees | Mens standard | Cast alloy, rear cavity | Getting the ball into the air |
| Rife RX5 Chipper Big Tall XLfor tall golfers | 37 degrees | One inch over standard | Wide sole, low center of gravity | Golfers who bend over a standard club |
| MAZEL Pitching and Chipper Wedgehighest loft | 55 degrees | 35 inches | Stainless, 330 gram head | Carrying the ball rather than rolling it |
The ten chipping wedges in detail
- Loft36 degrees, the loft of a modern 8 iron
- Length35 inches, normal putter length
- Headalloy, slim two-sided profile
- Handednessambidextrous, playable right or left
- Alignmenttop sightline with contrasting paint on both faces
- GripPowerBilt custom velvet on a custom steel shaft
Best for: Anyone who wants one club for every short shot around the green and does not want to think about which side of the ball they are standing on
The PowerBilt is the default recommendation because it removes a decision. Chippers are usually handed, which means the shot from the wrong side of a tree is still a problem. This one has a face on each side, so you turn around and hit the same shot from the other side.
The rest is conventional and correct. Thirty five inches is normal putter length, 36 degrees is the loft of a modern 8 iron, and together those two numbers mean a putting stroke produces a low chip that lands early and runs. The slim profile is the underrated part: it slides into places against walls and trunks where a wide-soled wedge simply will not fit behind the ball.
Pros
- Two usable faces mean you can play a left-handed chip without turning a wedge upside down
- The slim profile fits into spots a normal wedge cannot reach, against tree trunks and retaining walls
- Assembled at putter length with 8 iron loft, so your putting stroke transfers directly
- Contrasting paint fill on both faces makes the sightline readable in flat light
Cons
- An alloy head does not feel as solid at impact as the stainless clubs here
- A two-sided head cannot be cavity backed, so it is less forgiving than the Orlimar
- No loft options, 36 degrees is what you get
- Loft42 degrees in this version, the Chipper of the Smart Sole range
- Facefull-face grooves, the largest face Cleveland has put on a wedge
- GroovesUltiZip, sharp, deep and tightly spaced across the whole face
- SurfaceHydraZip blast and laser-milled lines for wet conditions
- Solethree-tiered extra wide sole with added leading edge bounce
- Shaftsteel, right hand
Best for: Golfers who want one club that bumps and runs around the green and can still take a full swing
This is the outlier in the list. Everything else is a putting stroke in a wedge-shaped head; the Smart Sole Full-Face is a real Cleveland wedge with the sole rebuilt so it cannot dig. Cleveland sells the range in four soles and this 42 degree version is the one they position as the chipper.
Two things justify the price. The face is the largest Cleveland has made, with UltiZip grooves running edge to edge, so a thin or toe strike still grips. And the three-tiered sole with added leading edge bounce handles the lie a cheap chipper cannot: wet rough, a fluffy fringe, sand. HydraZip, the blasted and laser-milled surface treatment, exists for exactly the same reason.
Pros
- The only club here you can make a full swing with, so it is a wedge rather than a single-purpose chipper
- Full-face grooves mean a strike out toward the toe still gets friction on the ball
- HydraZip is aimed specifically at wet grass and wet sand, where cheap chippers slide
- The three-tiered sole with extra leading edge bounce is the most developed anti-digging design in this list
Cons
- Around three times the price of most clubs here
- At 42 degrees it flies more and rolls less than a 36 degree chipper, so distance control is a different skill
- No two-way face, and the left-handed version is a separate purchase
- Loft37 degrees, the loft of a 7 iron
- Length35 inches, putter length
- Headhollow bodied cavity back stainless steel
- Hoselgooseneck, shank-proof design
- Faceglass bead face and top line to frame the ball
- Handright, for men and women
Best for: Golfers who want the most forgiving head shape in the budget half of this list
Of the clubs built purely as chippers, this is the best made. Orlimar hollowed the body and used a cavity back, which pushes weight out to the edges of a head that is already wide, and the difference shows on strikes that miss the center.
The gooseneck hosel deserves attention if you have ever shanked a chip. Setting the hosel back from the leading edge means the ball cannot catch the hosel on the way through, and Orlimar markets it as shank-proof for that reason. The glass bead finish is cosmetic in principle and useful in practice: a matte face and top line do not throw sun back at you when you are standing over a three foot chip.
Pros
- Hollow bodied with a cavity back, which is the best weight distribution of any chipper here
- The gooseneck hosel moves the hosel back from the leading edge, which is what makes it hard to shank
- Glass bead finish on the face and top line frames the ball and kills glare at address
- Stainless steel construction rather than the cast alloy used in the cheaper clubs
Cons
- Right hand only, with no two-way face
- A mid-mallet head is bulkier than the slim PowerBilt around obstacles
- At 37 degrees it rolls out further than a 42 degree wedge, so it needs green to work with
- Loft37 degrees
- Lie angle72 degrees, a putter lie
- Length34 inches
- Shaftsteel uni-flex with a soft rubber grip
- Hoselgooseneck with an ultrawide contoured sole
- Handleft, built for left-handed golfers
Best for: Left-handed golfers, who are otherwise stuck buying a two-way club or nothing
Left-handed golfers get one honest option in this category and this is it. The alternative is a two-way head like the PowerBilt or the MYKUJA, which works but always feels like a club built for someone else.
The specs read like a putter and that is the point. Thirty four inches, a 72 degree lie angle, a soft rubber grip and an ultrawide contoured sole that does not dig in either rough or fringe. Acer also states the number most chipper makers leave out: on level ground the ball rolls about three times as far as it flies, which is the figure you need in order to pick a landing spot.
Pros
- Genuinely built for the left hand rather than a two-way compromise
- Acer publishes the fly-to-roll ratio outright, roughly three parts roll to one part carry on level ground
- A 72 degree lie and 34 inch length are closer to a putter than anything else here
- The ultrawide contoured sole glides through both rough and the close-cropped apron
Cons
- At 34 inches it is an inch shorter than most of the list, which suits shorter golfers better than tall ones
- Uni-flex is a compromise spec rather than a fitted one
- Left hand only, so it is useless to most of the market
- Loft35 degrees, the lowest loft in this list
- Length35 inches, putter length
- Headback-weighted for clean contact and a smooth roll
- Hoselgooseneck, shank-proof
- Alignmentadvanced alignment top lines
- Warrantyone year manufacturer warranty
Best for: A first chipper, or a club you want in the bag without thinking about what it cost
The EZ Roll is proof that a chipper does not need to cost much. The three features that matter in this category, putter length, a shank-proof gooseneck hosel and weight set back from the face, are all here, and Intech backs it with a one year warranty.
Thirty five degrees is the number to check before buying. It is the lowest loft in this list, which means the ball comes out lower and runs further than it would off a 37 degree chipper, let alone the 42 degree Cleveland. On a long green that is exactly what you want. Short-sided over a bunker it is the wrong club, and no chipper solves that shot anyway.
Pros
- The cheapest club in this list by a clear margin and it has the same core features as clubs twice the price
- Back weighting puts mass behind the ball, which is what stops the head twisting on a thin strike
- The gooseneck hosel is the same shank-proof idea as the Orlimar and the Acer
- A one year manufacturer warranty on a club at this price is unusual
Cons
- At 35 degrees it is the lowest loft here, so it runs a long way and needs green to work with
- Right hand only in this listing
- The finish and grip are basic next to the Orlimar and the Cleveland
- Loft36 degrees, the loft of a 6 iron by MYKUJA's reckoning
- Length35.5 inches, mens wedge length
- Headprecision-manufactured stainless steel with a wide sole
- Handednesstwo-way, for right and left handed golfers
- Shaft weight350 grams, chrome and white finish
- Fittight lies and short chips around the green
Best for: Golfers who want a two-way head in stainless steel rather than alloy
The MYKUJA is the stainless steel answer to the PowerBilt. Same idea, a face on each side so handedness stops mattering, but a precision stainless head instead of cast alloy, and a wide sole that resists digging on the tight lies where chips usually go wrong.
The shaft is worth noting at 350 grams. Light shafts make it easier to swing the club slowly and let the loft do the work, which is the whole technique this category asks for. Take the loft equivalence in the listing with some caution: MYKUJA calls 36 degrees a 6 iron loft, while PowerBilt calls the same 36 degrees a modern 8 iron. The degrees are the number that matters.
Pros
- A two-way face like the PowerBilt but in stainless steel rather than alloy
- The wide sole is the single most effective feature against fat contact from a tight lie
- At 350 grams the shaft is light, which makes the club easy to swing slowly and deliberately
- Half an inch longer than most chippers here, which suits taller golfers
Cons
- A two-way head cannot use a cavity back, so forgiveness comes only from the sole width
- MYKUJA quotes the loft as 6 iron equivalent, while other makers call 36 degrees an 8 iron loft, so treat that comparison loosely
- Not a known brand, and parts or replacements are unlikely
- Loft36 degrees in this version, 45 degrees also offered
- Length35 inches, putter-like length
- Alignmentalignment top line across the head
- Griphigh performance rubber, anti-slip with shock absorption
- Purposeremoving thin and fat chips from the fringe
- Handright
Best for: Golfers who miss chips because the face is open or closed at impact rather than because of contact
MAZEL sells this club on one idea: put a clear line on top of the head so you can see where the face points. That sounds trivial until you notice how many chips are pushed or pulled rather than mishit, and how hard a plain wedge topline is to aim from three feet away.
The rest is standard for the category and done properly. Thirty five inches of putter-like length, a rubber grip that damps the sting of a thin strike, and a choice of 36 or 45 degrees depending on whether you want the ball rolling or landing softly. Note it is a choice at purchase, not an adjustment.
Pros
- The alignment top line is the clearest aiming aid in the budget half of this list
- Two lofts are offered, 36 degrees for run and 45 degrees for a higher landing
- Putter length means the regular putting stroke works without modification
- The rubber grip is anti-slip and damps the shock a thin strike sends up the shaft
Cons
- Two lofts sold as separate items, so you cannot switch after buying
- No gooseneck hosel, so the shank protection of the Orlimar and Acer is missing
- The color options are cosmetic and not all colors stay in stock
- Loft37 degrees, enough to get the ball into the air
- Headcast alloy with a red finish
- Backrear cavity that doubles as an alignment aid
- Shaftstainless steel, mens standard length
- Handright
- Purposeshort chips and bump and run shots
Best for: Golfers who want a little more air under the ball than a 35 degree chipper gives
The Fire Red is a straightforward chipper with one useful design choice. The cavity in the back of the head does two jobs at once: it moves mass to the perimeter for forgiveness, and its shape gives you something to line up with when you are standing over the ball.
Thirty seven degrees is the middle of this field and a sensible default. Low enough that the ball runs out and distance control comes from a short stroke, high enough that it clears a collar of rough instead of skidding into it. The cast alloy head is where the price is saved, and it is the only real compromise.
Pros
- At 37 degrees the ball actually gets airborne rather than skidding low off the face
- The rear cavity moves weight to the perimeter and helps line the club up at address
- Stainless steel shaft at mens standard length, so it is not a shortened club
- The red finish is genuinely easier to find in a bag full of black grips and steel
Cons
- A cast alloy head, so the feel is duller than the stainless clubs here
- Right hand only
- Money Club is a small brand with limited support
- Loft37 degrees
- Lengthone inch over mens standard
- Solewide sole with a low center of gravity head
- Setupsets up like a putter
- Finishsatin non-glare silver glass bead with align score lines
- Shaftfirm light steel to reduce twist on impact
Best for: Tall golfers who have to stoop over a standard 35 inch chipper
Chippers are almost all built at 35 inches, which is fine at average height and a problem if you are tall enough that a standard putter already feels short. The RX5 Big Tall is an inch longer, and that inch is the entire reason to buy it.
The rest is competent rather than special. A wide sole and a low center of gravity in the head, a satin glass bead finish with alignment score lines so there is no glare, and a firm but light steel shaft chosen to reduce twist when you catch one off the toe. At 37 degrees it plays the same shots as the Money Club and the Orlimar, just from a comfortable posture.
Pros
- One inch longer than mens standard, which is the only club in this list built for tall players
- A wide sole and low center of gravity are the two features that stop a chip going fat
- Satin non-glare finish with alignment score lines on the face, so nothing reflects at address
- A firm light shaft reduces twist on impact, which keeps the face square on off-center strikes
Cons
- The extra inch is wrong for anyone of average height
- Rife is a small brand and stock on this model is limited
- Right hand only, at 37 degrees, with no other options
- Loft55 degrees in this version, 35 and 45 degrees also offered
- Head weight330 grams with a low center of gravity
- Solewide sole with shallow grooves to reduce friction
- Length35 inches, putter-like length
- Materialstainless steel, green head
- Rulesconforms to the rules of golf
Best for: Golfers who need to carry the ball over something rather than run it along the ground
This is the same MAZEL platform as the club at rank seven with the loft turned all the way up. Fifty five degrees is lob wedge territory, so instead of a low runner you get a shot that carries, lands and stops, which is what a short-sided chip over a bunker actually needs.
The head weight is the other difference. At 330 grams with a low center of gravity, it drops under the ball from a fluffy lie in a way a light head does not, and the wide sole with shallow grooves keeps it from digging in sand. MAZEL states the club conforms to the rules of golf, which matters because chippers with two faces do not always.
Pros
- At 55 degrees this is the only club here that flies the ball high and lands it soft
- A 330 gram head with a low center of gravity gets under the ball from a poor lie
- The wide sole and shallow sole grooves cut friction through turf and sand
- Conforms to the rules of golf, so it is legal in competition
Cons
- At 55 degrees it is a lob wedge in a chipper body, which is a harder club to control than a 36 degree chipper
- The heavy head takes some getting used to on short strokes
- Three lofts sold separately, and the color and loft combinations move in and out of stock
Checklist: What makes a great chipping wedge
- Material Quality: High-quality materials are crucial for durability and performance; look for wedges made from stainless steel or alloys that stand up to frequent use and maintain their condition over time.
- Wedge Loft: The right loft angle enhances versatility on the green; consider lofts between 32-55 degrees depending on your preference for chip trajectory and roll.
- Design Features: Features like two-way chipping capabilities, gooseneck hosel, or wide sole designs can minimize the risk of errors and enhance performance in various terrains.
- Club Balance: Balance affects the ease and control of your swing; look for a chipper with a weight that feels comfortable, ensures stability, and complements your swing style.
- Grip Comfort: A non-slip, comfortable grip is vital for precision and control, especially in chipping, where delicate touch is paramount, rubber grips with texture can offer the necessary confidence during swings.
- Legality for Play: Ensure that the chipping wedge conforms to official golf rules, particularly if you plan to use it in tournament play.
FAQ
What is the ideal wedge loft for improving my chipping game?
Ideal chipping wedge lofts range from 32-55 degrees, tailored to your desired chip trajectory and roll on the green.
How does the design of a chipping wedge affect my short game?
Chipping wedge designs, such as two-way capabilities or wide soles, can minimize errors and enhance shot performance on various terrains.
Are non-slip grips important for chipping wedges?
Yes, non-slip, comfortable grips are crucial for precision and control in chipping, where a delicate touch is key to accuracy.
