The real secret to chipping with a hybrid

For you golf-history buffs, the photo above is of Todd Hamilton at the 2004 Open Championship. You might recall that en route to his victory, he often hit bump-and-run-type shots from off the green with a hybrid. It was one of the first times that shot was in golf’s spotlight, and more than two decades later, it’s still a super useful way to get up and down. Although putting from off the green has really gained popularity, even with tour pros who used to think of that play as “desperate,” a hybrid bump-and-run shot is going to get you super cozy to the cup from some routine lies at just about any golf course. Why would you use a hybrid instead of a putter? The first thing to consider is how far the hole is from where you stand. If you’ve got a long shot from off the green, the efficacy of putting goes way down, because you have to put so much power into the strike to get the ball to the cup. It makes solid contact and distance control a lot harder to achieve. 

The second factor is the terrain between you and the hole. Some fairway grass can be super “grabby” or “sticky,” like Bermuda grass, which means you might need a little more power for your shot than a putter can provide without a lot of effort. Again, any extra effort is going to make consistency that much more of a challenge. 

The third thing to consider is gravity. If you have an uphill shot into the green, or there’s some short fringe grass right in front of your ball that you have to get past, a putted ball is going to get slowed up a lot more than a hybrid chip. Why? The mass and loft of a hybrid clubhead means you don’t have to make as big a swing to achieve the same kind of power you do with a putter. Watch me hit one here.

Now that you know when it might be a smart choice to bump one with your hybrid, here are some factors to consider about how to play the shot. My secret? I teach the hybrid bump-and-run like it’s a “hybrid” shot. Let me explain: You hit it from a chipping setup, but you use your normal putting grip and stroke—so it’s a hybrid of two shots.

Using your putting grip, set up slightly open with the ball in about the middle of your stance. Be sure to check that your sternum (shirt buttons) are ahead of the ball, like I’m demonstrating below.

For the swing, as I said, you’re going to make a putting stroke. I want the clubhead to “fall into” the ball and not accelerate through it. Distance control with these shots requires practice. I tell members at my club to hit five of these a day and pay attention to how the ball shoots off the face simply by letting the hybrid fall into it. The follow-through is somewhat meaningless so focus more on a smooth stroke and solid contact. Here’s what the swing looks like.

You might not win the claret jug with this cool little shot like Todd Hamilton did 20 years ago, but I bet it saves you a few strokes a round.

Jason Baile, the 2025 PGA National Teacher & Coach of the Year, is director of instruction at Jupiter Hills Club in Tequesta, Fla. He is one of Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers in America.

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com