If you want to shoot lower scores consistently, you need to minimize shots around the green. I don’t care if your goal is to shoot 69 or 89 for the first time, scoring lower has a lot to do with what happens near the green.
The more shots you can get up and down, the more momentum you will have and, likely, more confidence as well. When you know that your short game is on fire, it makes it easier to swing freely on the tee box and approach shots. Because you know if things don’t go well, your short game is there to bail you out.
One of the best and most consistent shots around the green is putting – not chipping or pitching from short range. But sometimes, using a putter won’t work because of the fringe or length of the shot. Then, it’s easy to get confused and not sure what club to use for the shot.
In that case, you still want to putt… only not with an actual putter. Instead, you want to use a 3-wood or hybrid.
This “hybrid” chip shot is part putt, part bump-and-run. When executed correctly, it’s one of the easiest and most effective shots to add to your arsenal.
Keep reading to learn when you should hit this shot and the step-by-step instructions to execute it like a PGA Tour pro.
When to Putt With a 3 Wood or Hybrid
Here’s how this shot goes… you’re in a tough spot where you want to putt, but something is in your way, like a bad piece of grass. When this happens, so many golfers decide to chip but a lot can go wrong.
A common miss is to decelerate and stub it. Now you have a long putt with a red-hot temper from the poor shot you just hit a few feet (don’t worry, we’ve all been there).
The better option is to avoid chipping and pitching and instead, use your hybrid or 3 wood. This will have the power of a chip shot and will roll like a putt once it hits the green. It’s truly the best of both worlds and a great weapon to have at any golf course.
When to Skip The Hybrid Bump and Run
Before going into how to hit this shot though, let’s talk about when to hit it first and foremost after you’ve evaluated your lie. Here is when not to try the hybrid bump and run.
- Short-sided: This shot does not have any backspin, in fact, it has the opposite – forward spin. Skip it for a higher pitch or flop shot that will land softly when you’re short-sided.
- From the rough: Do not hit this shot from the rough, especially thick rough. Since the rough will close the hosel and produce more forward spin, this can make your ball easily go well past the hole.
- Slippery downhill shot: If the shot is really fast downhill and potentially going down to another tier, I would skip this shot as it’ll be hard to control the roll out.
- Big breaking putts: If you have a sidewinder putt that breaks a lot in either direction, this shot might roll out too much. It’s easy to hit it right through the break and leave yourself a long one coming back.
When to Use The Hybrid Bump and Run
However, here are plenty of instances to pull this shot out of the bag (and impress your playing partners with your creativity):
- Long chip shot: Perhaps the best time to use this shot is when you have a long way to go between you and the hole from off the green. Let’s say you have 50 feet once you’re on the green and about 10 feet of fringe to go through. If you don’t like a normal bump and run with an iron, this is a great scenario to use it. It’ll glide through the fringe and roll like a putt once it’s on the dance floor. This YouTube video is a great example of when and how to hit the shot.
- Into the grain: Chipping into the grain is tough, as it’s easy to get the club stuck in the ground. This is amplified even more on an uphill chip as well. So instead of powering a putt through the grain, this shot is a perfect alternative to stubbing a chip and getting it close to the hole.
- Short sided (and going over a small mound/hill): If you’re facing a shot you wish you could putt because it’s so short sided and has a hill in your way, this is perfect. This pop shot will make it up the hill with a smaller stroke and roll like a putt on the green.
- Fringe with obstacles: If you’re just off the green and would normally putt and something is in your way (like a dead patch of grass or sprinkler heads), this is a perfect option.
- Collar behind your golf ball: If your ball ends up on the edge of the fringe with the rough directly behind it, this is a perfect shot. You can hit down on it and avoid the rough entirely to get the ball on the green.
How to Putt With a 3 Wood (or Hybrid)
Now that you know when to hit the shot, you might wonder… why not putt it? Or, just use an iron for a bump and run type shot?
While putting from off the green or fringe is normally a good choice, sometimes a hybrid or 3 wood is better. When you make a big stroke with a putter, it’s easy for the ball to get airborne, which will throw off the speed quickly. Second, you have to take a big stroke if you’re putting through the fringe, which isn’t easy to gauge, even for the best of players.
But with a hybrid or 3 wood, the ball stays lower, rolls like a putt, and makes it through thick fringe much easier without killing speed.
So why not just use a mid to long iron instead?
One word: spin. These clubs are designed to have more spin and also have too much loft to pull off the shot. That’s why a hybrid or three wood is such a good option. Plus, it’s just easier to make good, solid contact as well.
Now, let’s go over the step-by-step process to putt with a 3-wood (or hybrid).
Step 1: Evaluate the Lie and Shot
Before you go pulling out a long club around the green, you first need to make sure if it’s the best shot to play.
You want to make sure the lie itself warrants the shot from our list of scenarios above. Also, if the ball has some mud on it during a wet, winter round, this is another great time to use it.
Once you’ve assessed the situation, on to step two.
Step 2: Read the Putt
If the lie looks good, don’t forget step two – reading the putt. So many people get up and forget to read the break and then are way off on alignment or speed.
Just like a putt, you want to walk the shot off, read it from the side, and possibly from behind the hole as well. Find your apex, decide if it’s uphill/downhill/etc.
Once you have a good read, pick a landing spot. Unlike a bump and run, this doesn’t have to be on the green.
Instead, you can choose a spot on the green or on the fringe, depending on the total distance. Since you’re using a club that isn’t a putter, it will still produce plenty of forward spin even if it lands on the fringe first.
Step 3: Change Your Setup
Adjusting your setup is the key to success for this go-to shot. Think about this shot as a putt more than anything else when addressing the ball.
Since the shot isn’t going very far and you’re only “popping” onto the green, start by narrowing your stance. You’ll want them even closer together than a putt and only a few inches apart.
The second thing you want to do is move closer or “crowd” the golf ball. It should feel like you’re standing nearly directly over the ball.
Doing this will raise your hands up and allow the club to sit squarely on the surface. If you’re too far away at address, the toe will come off the ground and make the shot much harder (and much less consistent).
Also, make sure the ball position is in the middle of your stance and not too far forward. If it’s too far in the front, it’s easier to hit up on the shot and leave it well short.
The next thing to do is adjust your weight to the lead foot. You want about 70% of your weight on the lead foot, which will help create a descending blow. If your weight is in the middle or back, it’s easy to hit up on the ball, which will result in a skull or mishit.
Finally, choke all the way up on the club to shorten it and make it more like a putter length. You want your hands almost touching the shaft.
Step 4: Make a Putting Stroke
Remember, this is a shot that you want to play like a putt more than anything else. That means using a putting grip, not a traditional golf grip.
Then, take a few putting strokes like normal to get a feel for it. Simple, straight back, straight through like you’re rolling a putt. Finally, take a small forward press (by pushing your hands forward) and hit the shot.
It should result in a shot that has a slight pop, then rolls like a putt through the fringe and toward the cup. If you read it right, it might just go in!
Bonus Tip
Also, if you are liking the shot but finding it “pops” off the face too much, try to hit it more off the toe. Adjust your setup so that the ball is on the toe at address position. This is more of a “dead zone” and should minimize the pop that happens from the sweet spot.
Step 5: Practice, Practice, Practice
The final step of course is to practice this new shot on the putting or chipping green. Don’t just take it straight to the course and expect great things to happen instantly.
The good news is that this shot is pretty simple compared to learning a new shot like a Tiger stinger or flop shot.
The one thing I will say is that you don’t need a very big stroke like putting from the fringe.
Since the club is designed very differently from a putter, it will have more speed without as big of a stroke. Make sure to test out the speed using a putter vs. a hybrid to see what I mean. That way, when you use it on the course, you remember to take a slightly smaller stroke to account for the pop.
Finally, make sure to practice different lengths of the shot to see how hard you need to hit it. Test out landing it on the fringe vs. the green and different slopes so you’re comfortable on the golf course.
Inspiration to Try This Shot Out
What makes golf so great is that there is no one way to score well, especially around the greens. It’s the creativity that you have in different situations that makes golf so much fun.
If you need some inspiration to try this shot out, check out some of these highlight reel clips on YouTube. If the top players in the world trust this simple shot, it’s safe to say you should too.
- Tiger Woods 3-Wood Chip In: He made this look easy from way off the green!
- Bubba Watson Fairway Wood Chip: This is a great example of using it from a weird spot, with the rough directly behind the golf ball.
Final Thoughts
This hybrid bump and run shot can make your life so much easier around the greens. Once your setup is adjusted, it’s a very straightforward shot to hit and can give your short game tons of confidence.
The biggest thing to remember is to play like a putt, not a chip or pitch shot. The stroke is more similar to a putt than any other shot.
Possibly the best thing about this shot is that you can’t “flub” the shot like a pitch or chip.
The club will glide through the turf much easier, ensuring that you get the ball closer to the hole. Hopefully, that leads to shorter, more makeable putts to keep the momentum going.
But remember, this only works if you have the right lie and enough green to work with. If you’re in the deep stuff and/or short sided, play a different shot.
However, if you want to putt and there are obstacles in the way (or your putter is ice-cold) give this new greenside shot a try. I promise it’s easier than you think, and hope it leads to a lot more ups and downs.
