Blog · Basics
Irons, Chips and Putts: A Beginner's Guide
You don't need to know much about golf to enjoy it, but it helps to understand the three kinds of shots you'll make most. Mashy is built around them: irons, chips and putts.
Irons: getting close to the green
An iron is the workhorse club for shots from the fairway. Irons are numbered, and the number tells you roughly how far the ball will go:
- Lower numbers (like a 5 iron) hit the ball farther
- Higher numbers (like a 9 iron) hit it a shorter distance, with a steeper arc
That's why you'll see each club listed with a carry distance. Pick the club whose distance best matches how far you are from the pin.
Chips: the short shot near the green
A chip is a small, controlled shot played when you're just off the green. The ball flies low for a short distance, lands, and rolls toward the hole. Chips are all about touch. You're not trying to hit it far, you're trying to leave it close.
Putts: finishing the hole
A putt is played on the green, rolling the ball along the ground toward the hole. It's the softest, most precise shot in golf, and it decides many holes. Two putts is standard. One putt is a great result.
How they fit together
On a typical short hole, the sequence looks like this:
- Iron from the tee to get onto or near the green
- Chip if you missed the green and need to get closer
- Putt to finish
Choosing a club in Mashy
Before each shot you can use the arrows to change club. A quick rule of thumb:
- Far from the pin? Choose a lower-numbered iron.
- Close to the pin? Choose a higher-numbered iron or a shorter shot.
- On the green? Time to putt.
For more on improving your game, see our 7 tips to lower your score.
Try each shot
Play a hole and see all three in action.