Chipping, Save Shots around the Greens

by Scott Shouldice CPGA Professional FGCC

For golfers of all skill levels, one of the easiest ways to knock strokes off your score is to improve your chipping from around the greens. Chipping the ball close can help you save par and lower your scores.

When approaching a shot close to the green, the first thing you should do is decide what type of shot you are going to play. The three most common types of chip shots are the bump and run, pitch shot, and lob shot or flop shot.

BUMP AND RUN - The bump and run should be used when your ball is just off the green and you have lots of green to work with. It is designed to keep the ball low and roll the ball most of the way to the pin. The ball should be played off your back foot (right foot for a right handed golfer, or left foot for a left handed golfer) and you want to put more weight than usual on your front foot (left foot for a right hander, or right foot for a lefty). When hitting the shot, you want to feel like you’re hitting down on the ball a little steeper than you normally would. Having the weight on the front foot and hitting down on the ball will help you keep the ball low and let it roll most of the way to the hole.

PITCH SHOT - The pitch shot is used when you are a little farther away from the green, and don’t have quite as much green to work with. It is going to go a little higher than the bump and run, and land softer, meaning you will fly the ball about half way to the pin and let it roll the rest of the way. With this shot, you want to play the ball in the middle of your stance, keeping the weight evenly distributed between your two feet. Unlike the bump and run, you are not going to hit down on the ball quite as much. You want to take your normal swing but try to judge how hard to swing for the length of the shot.

LOB SHOT OR FLOP SHOT - The lob or flop shot should be used when you don’t have very much green to work with and you need to hit it high and land it soft by the pin. For example if you have a sand trap in front of you and the pin is just barely on the green, the flop shot is your only chance to get the ball close. With this shot, you want to open up your stance (point your feet to the left for a right handed golfer, or to the right for a lefty), and play the ball somewhere between the center of your stance and your front foot. You want to take a bigger swing than the bump and run and pitch shots, and the goal is to get underneath the ball causing it to go higher with more spin and to have very little roll once it hits the green.

Once you have decided which type of chip will work best for the shot you are facing, take a few practice swings to get a feel for the shot, pick a spot on the green that you want to land the ball on and step up and try to land the ball on that spot!

So next time you’re out practicing, experiment with these different types of chip shots. Choosing the right shot can help you chip the ball close and help lower your scores!