Ten golf chippers compared on material, loft angle and club length, each with a spec table and a checklist for choosing one.
Every chipper in this list is in stock on Amazon right now, and every number below comes from the manufacturer. The field runs from a 23 dollar stainless head to a Cleveland wedge near 150 dollars, and the choice comes down to three things: the loft, whether the head plays both ways, and how wide the sole is.
The best golf chipper: ten picks at a glance
A chipper is a putter length club with iron loft, so you can use your putting stroke from the fringe instead of a wedge swing. What separates the ten below is loft, which sets how far the ball carries before it starts rolling, and the sole and hosel design, which decide how often the leading edge digs or the ball gets shanked.
Below you get the short version first: three picks for the most common cases, then the full table with all ten, then every chipper in detail with specs, strengths and weaknesses.
- The all-rounder most golfers should buyOrlimar Escape Mallet Chipper
- The premium pick with a three-tiered soleCleveland Smart Sole Full-Face 42
- Plays left or right handedPowerbilt TPS Two-Way
- The cheapest club here that still worksTrue Ace Chipper
| Chipper | Loft | Length | Head | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlimar Escape Mallet Chipperbest overall | 37 degrees | 35 in | Mallet, ultra-wide contoured sole | A first chipper that suits most golfers |
| Cleveland Smart Sole Full-Face 42best premium | 42 degrees | Steel shaft, right hand | Three-tiered sole, UltiZip grooves | Players who want spin as well as roll |
| Orlimar Escape Mid-Mallet Chippercavity back | 37 degrees | 35 in | Hollow body, cavity back, stainless | Alignment help on tight lies |
| Intech EZ Rolllowest launch | 35 degrees | 35 in | Back weighted, gooseneck hosel | Long bump-and-run shots |
| Powerbilt TPS Two-Wayambidextrous | 36 degrees | 35 in | Slim alloy head, faces on both sides | Shots you cannot play from your usual side |
| MAZEL Chipper Wedgeheaviest head | 35, 45 or 55 degrees | 35 in | 330 g head, wide low-friction sole | Picking your own loft |
| PGM 32 Degree Chippermost roll | 32 degrees | 35 in | Stainless head, alignment line | Long fringe shots that should run |
| MYKUJA Two-Way Chippersecond two-way | 36 degrees | 35.5 in | Stainless, wide sole, 350 g shaft | Senior golfers and both-handed play |
| Orlimar Tri-Sports Carbonlightest feel | 35 degrees | 34 in | Carbon shaft, 450 g total, 67 degree lie | A shorter, more upright setup |
| True Ace Chipperbest budget | 35 degrees | 35 in | Cavity back, heel-toe weighting | A first chipper on a small budget |
The ten golf chippers in detail
- Loft37 degrees
- Length35 inches, putter length
- Headmallet with a low center of gravity
- Soleultra-wide and contoured
- Hoselgooseneck, over the hosel
- Alignmentaid inside the cavity and on the top line
Best for: Anyone buying a first chipper who wants one club that works from the fringe, the apron and light rough
This is the chipper to buy if you do not want to think about chippers. The 35 inch length and the upright putter-like lie mean you set up over the ball exactly as you would with a putter, and the stroke that follows is a putting stroke rather than a wedge swing. That is the entire point of the club category, and Orlimar executes it without complications.
The two design details that matter are the sole and the hosel. The ultra-wide contoured sole skids across turf instead of cutting into it, which is what turns a slightly heavy strike into a playable shot rather than a chunk. The gooseneck hosel sets the hosel behind the leading edge, so the part of the club that causes shanks with a normal iron is out of the way. At 37 degrees the ball comes out low and runs, roughly the flight of a 7 or 8 iron.
Pros
- The 37 degree loft is versatile enough for both a short hop and a long run-out
- An ultra-wide contoured sole keeps the leading edge from digging on a fat strike
- The gooseneck hosel puts the shaft ahead of the face, which is what kills the shank
- Alignment marks sit both in the cavity and on the top line, so the face is easy to square
Cons
- Right handed only, with no left hand version of this head
- At around 45 dollars it costs twice what the cheapest clubs here do
- A single fixed loft, so you cannot tune the carry-to-roll ratio
- Loft42 degrees, the chipper loft in the Smart Sole line
- Solethree-tiered, extra wide, with added leading edge bounce
- GroovesUltiZip full-face, sharp and tightly spaced
- Face treatmentHydraZip blast and laser-milled lines
- Shaftsteel
- Handright
Best for: Golfers who want a club that chips like a chipper but still holds the green like a wedge
Cleveland sells the Smart Sole Full-Face as a family of four, and the 42 degree head is the one they call the Chipper. It exists for the bump-and-run, the shot where you want the ball on the ground and rolling quickly, but unlike every budget chipper here it also has a real wedge face.
That face is where the money goes. UltiZip grooves run the full width of the head, so contact out toward the toe still produces friction, and the HydraZip blast keeps that friction when the grass is wet. The three-tiered sole is very wide with extra bounce at the leading edge, which is the same anti-digging idea the cheap chippers use, executed by a company that makes wedges for tour players. If you already own a decent short game and want more from one club, this is the one to buy.
Pros
- Full-face grooves mean an off-center strike near the toe still grabs the ball
- The HydraZip face keeps spin in wet grass, where cheap chippers slide
- The three-tiered sole adds bounce at the leading edge, so it resists digging from rough as well as fairway
- It is part of a matched wedge family, so a Gap, Sand and Lob version fit the same setup
Cons
- At around 147 dollars it is by far the most expensive club in this list
- At 42 degrees it flies higher and rolls less than the 32 to 37 degree chippers here
- It is a wedge length club, not a putter length one, so the stroke is not a putting stroke
- Loft37 degrees, a 7 iron loft
- Length35 inches, putter length
- Headhollow bodied, cavity back
- Materialstainless steel
- Faceglass bead face and top line
- Hoselgooseneck, shank-proof
Best for: Golfers who want the Escape formula in a smaller head with a framing top line
The Mid-Mallet is the same idea as the Escape Mallet with a smaller footprint. You get the same 37 degrees of loft and the same 35 inch putter length, but the head is more compact, which some players prefer because it sits closer to the size of an iron they already trust.
The construction is what separates it. A hollow body with a cavity back moves mass to the outside of the head, and that perimeter weighting is what keeps a heel or toe strike from dying. The glass bead finish on the face and top line is not just cosmetic: it kills glare and gives the eye a clean frame around the ball, which matters on a club you aim like a putter.
Pros
- The hollow body with a cavity back pushes weight to the perimeter, which helps on strikes off the toe
- The glass bead face and top line frame the ball, which makes the setup easier to repeat
- Stainless steel rather than alloy, so the sole holds up to being dragged through turf
- Marked for men and women, so one club fits a household
Cons
- Stock runs thin on this head and it goes in and out of availability
- Right hand only
- The mid-mallet head is smaller than the full mallet, so there is less visual reassurance behind the ball
- Loft35 degrees
- Length35 inches
- Headback weighted for a smooth roll
- Alignmentadvanced top lines
- Hoselgooseneck, shank-proof
- Warrantyone year from the manufacturer
Best for: Players who chip from a long way off the green and want the ball rolling as soon as possible
The EZ Roll is named for what it does. Thirty-five degrees is roughly an 8 iron, and paired with a putter length shaft it produces the low, quick-running shot you want when there is 20 yards of fairway between you and the flag. The back-weighted head keeps the club from twisting on strikes that are not perfect.
The rest is standard chipper hardware done cleanly: a gooseneck hosel that removes the shank, clear top line markings for aim, and a 35 inch shaft that lets you use your putting posture. Intech also builds it in a left hand version, which quietly makes this one of the few real options for left handed golfers who want a chipper at all.
Pros
- At 35 degrees the ball lands earlier and rolls further than with the 37 degree heads here
- Back weighting keeps the head stable through impact for a more consistent distance
- Available in both right and left hand versions, which most chippers are not
- A one year manufacturer warranty, which is unusual at this price
Cons
- A low loft means it cannot carry a bunker or a strip of thick rough
- Intech publishes no head material for this club, so you buy on the design rather than the spec
- One fixed loft, so the carry-to-roll ratio is whatever the club gives you
- Loft36 degrees, a modern 8 iron loft
- Length35 inches, putter length
- Headslim profile, faces on both sides
- Head materialalloy
- ShaftPowerbilt custom steel
- GripPowerbilt custom velvet
Best for: Anyone who runs into shots against a tree, a wall or a slope where their normal stance does not fit
The two-way chipper solves one problem very well: the shot you cannot stand to. Against a fence, a tree trunk or a steep bank, a right handed golfer either plays a one-handed hack or turns a symmetrical club over and plays it left handed. The TPS has a face on each side of a slim head, so the second option is a normal stroke.
Everything else is conventional. Thirty-six degrees is the loft of a modern 8 iron, the shaft is a standard 35 inch putter length, and the grip is Powerbilt's own velvet compound. Note that a symmetrical two-way head cannot carry an offset gooseneck, so this club does not have the shank protection the single-sided chippers here do.
Pros
- Two playable faces mean a left handed shot is just a matter of turning the club around
- The slim head profile fits into spots a mallet cannot reach, such as against a trunk or a retaining wall
- At around 30 dollars it is one of the cheapest clubs here
- Contrasting paint fill on both dark faces makes the top sightline easy to read
Cons
- A two-way head cannot be offset for both sides, so there is no gooseneck protection here
- The alloy head feels harder at impact than the stainless heads in this list
- A slim profile means less perimeter weighting than a mallet
- Loft options35, 45 or 55 degrees
- Length35 inches, putter length
- Head weight330 g
- Materialstainless steel
- Solewide, with shallow grooves to cut friction
- Rulesconforms to the rules of golf
Best for: Golfers who already know how far they want the ball to carry and want to pick the loft to match
MAZEL sells this as one model in three lofts, and that decision is the whole product. At 35 degrees it is a low runner much like the Intech. At 45 degrees it flies about as high as a pitching wedge. At 55 it is essentially a lob wedge with a putter length shaft, which is a specialist tool for a short-sided pin, not a general chipper.
The head is the other reason to look at it. Three hundred and thirty grams is heavy for this club type, and mass helps here: a heavy head swings with less hand action and is harder to decelerate on a nervous chip. The sole is wide with shallow grooves cut into it to reduce contact area, which is the same anti-drag idea Cleveland charges five times as much for.
Pros
- Three lofts from one model, so you can buy a runner at 35 degrees or a lofted club at 55
- A 330 g head is heavier than most chippers here, which keeps the stroke from decelerating
- The wide sole and shallow sole grooves reduce drag through both turf and sand
- It conforms to the rules of golf, so it is legal in competition unlike some two-way heads
Cons
- Choosing the wrong loft is easy, and the three versions play very differently
- The 55 degree version is a lob wedge in a chipper body and does not run out at all
- Colored head finishes are cosmetic and add nothing to the club
- Loft32 degrees, the lowest fixed loft here
- Length35 inches
- Headpremium stainless steel
- Alignmentbuilt-in alignment line on the head
- Griphigh-traction anti-slip chipper grip
- Handright
Best for: Golfers with a long stretch of fringe or fairway to cover, where carry is a liability
Thirty-two degrees is roughly a 6 iron, and that number defines this club. Hit it with a putting stroke and the ball comes out very low, lands early and runs a long way, which is exactly what you want from the back edge of a green or across 30 yards of dry fairway.
It is not a club for every greenside shot. Anything you need to carry, a bunker lip, a strip of thick rough, a ridge, is beyond what 32 degrees will do. Treat it as the long end of your chipping options rather than the only chipper in the bag. The build quality holds up: a stainless head, a clear crown alignment line and a grip with real traction rather than a smooth rubber sleeve.
Pros
- Thirty-two degrees is the lowest loft in this list and produces the longest run-out
- A stainless head gives a firmer, more predictable roll than alloy
- The alignment line on the crown is the clearest of any budget club here
- The high-traction grip stays put in wet hands, which is where cheap grips fail
Cons
- At 32 degrees it cannot carry a bunker or a fringe of long rough, so it is a specialist
- Stock is thin and this listing has run low before
- Right hand only
- Loft36 degrees, a 6 iron loft
- Length35.5 inches
- Headprecision cast stainless steel
- Solewide sole for forgiveness from tight lies
- Shaft weight350 g, chrome and white finish
- Handright and left, both faces playable
Best for: Senior golfers and anyone in a household where a right handed and a left handed player share clubs
The MYKUJA is the second ambidextrous club in this list and it takes a different approach from the Powerbilt. Instead of a slim blade it uses a cast stainless head with a wide sole, so it is more forgiving from a bare or tight lie at the cost of the Powerbilt's ability to squeeze against an obstacle.
Thirty-six degrees is the loft of a 6 iron by MYKUJA's own measure, which puts it in the low-flight, long-roll half of this field. The 35.5 inch shaft is a half inch longer than the standard here, which is useful if you are tall and hate crouching over a putter length club, and a nuisance if you are not.
Pros
- A second usable face means one club covers both players in a mixed household
- A wide sole helps out of the tight, bare lies where a wedge leading edge digs
- At 35.5 inches it is slightly longer than most, which suits taller players
- The lighter 350 g shaft reduces fatigue over a long round
Cons
- Like every two-way head it has no offset, so shank protection is limited
- The 35.5 inch length is a poor fit for shorter players
- A less established brand, so replacement grips and parts are not stocked anywhere
- Loft35 degrees
- Lie angle67.0 degrees
- Length34.0 inches
- Total weight450 g
- Headstainless steel casting
- Shaftcarbon, wedge flex, with a TPE grip
Best for: Shorter players and anyone who prefers a light club they can feel through the whole stroke
Orlimar's Tri-Sports line is built around a carbon shaft, which is unusual in a club whose whole job is short, slow strokes. The payoff is feel: carbon absorbs the sharp shock of a strike into a hard, dry lie, and the 450 gram total weight makes the club noticeably lighter through the stroke than a steel-shafted chipper.
The other numbers matter more than the shaft. At 34 inches it is an inch shorter than everything else here and the lie is 67 degrees, which is upright. Together those mean you stand closer to the ball with a more vertical shaft, so the sole sits flat instead of on its toe. If you are short and have found every other chipper leaves you reaching, this is the geometry to look at.
Pros
- A carbon shaft is the only one in this list and damps impact vibration noticeably
- At 34 inches it is the shortest club here, which suits players under about 5 foot 8
- The 67 degree lie is upright, so the sole sits flat when you stand close to the ball
- A cast stainless head with a published weight, rather than the vague specs most budget chippers carry
Cons
- At around 65 dollars it costs more than any club here except the Cleveland
- Stock has been very low on this listing
- A carbon shaft in a club used to scrape along turf is a durability question over years, not months
- Loft35 degrees, a modern 8 iron loft
- Length35 inches, putter length
- Headcavity back with an elongated face
- Weightingheel and toe
- Hoselgooseneck, shank-proof
- Alignmentcenter cavity mark between two top line guides
Best for: A first chipper, or a club to leave in the bag and find out whether you use one at all
This is the club that makes the argument for owning a chipper at all. For the price of a sleeve of premium balls you get the three things that define the category: 35 inches of shaft so you can putt the shot, 35 degrees of loft so the ball hops and runs, and a gooseneck hosel so you cannot shank it.
The compromises are where you would expect. The plating is thin, the grip is generic, and there is no left hand version. None of that changes what happens to the ball. If you are not sure a chipper belongs in your bag, this is the cheap way to find out, and if it does you can decide later whether the Cleveland is worth six times as much.
Pros
- Under 25 dollars for a cavity back head with heel-toe weighting, which nothing else here matches
- The gooseneck hosel gives it the same shank protection as clubs three times the price
- An elongated face widens the area that still produces a usable strike
- Sold for both men and women at one standard 35 inch length
Cons
- The finish is thin and marks quickly where the sole meets turf
- A basic grip that most buyers will want to replace
- Right hand only
Checklist: What makes a great golf chipper
- Material Quality: A chipper's durability and performance are linked to its material. Look for stainless steel or alloy steel construction for longevity and a sturdy feel throughout your play.
- Loft Angle: The chipper's loft angle is integral for the desired ball trajectory. Choose a loft between 32 and 37 degrees for versatility on a variety of greenside shots.
- Club Length: Similar to a putter, the length of the chipper should promote ease and consistency in your swing. A length of 35 inches is common and suits most golfers.
- Design Features: Features such as a gooseneck hosel, alignment aids, and wide soles help avoid mishits and improve accuracy. Consider these elements for enhanced green-side control.
- Grip Comfort: A comfortable grip is essential for stability and can impact your short game. Rubber grips are popular for their secure feel and shock-absorbing properties.
- Forgiveness: Forgiving clubs with features like perimeter weighting and sole design can help reduce the impact of off-center hits, leading to more consistent chipping.
FAQ
What should I look for in a golf chipper?
Consider material quality, loft angle, club length, design features for accuracy, grip comfort, and forgiveness to ensure consistent chipping and improved short game performance.
How does club length affect my chipping?
The right club length, typically 35 inches, promotes ease and consistency in your swing, reminiscent of a putter's feel, aiding in precision around the greens.
Are wider soles on chippers beneficial?
Yes, wider soles help to glide smoothly over turf and prevent digging, which can enhance green-side control and reduce the chance of mishits during chip shots.
