During this next month of the golf season, you may encounter some different grass conditions, depending on your course’s overseeding schedule. I’m based in Arizona, where most courses overseed during the months of September and October, and one shot that really comes in handy this time of year — especially when you’re faced with a front or hard-to-reach back pin — is a hybrid chip.
There is nothing worse than being just short in two on a par-4 and making 6 because you bladed a chip over the green. The hybrid chip can be a lifesaver, especially when you have no green to work with or a lot of green to work with.
One thing to keep in mind: The ball comes off a hybrid pretty hot, so all it takes is a little bump to get it going. Here’s how to make this shot an effective part of your arsenal.
Set up for success
- Narrow up your stance.
- Adjust your ball position so it’s directly under your nose and in the center of your stance, to make sure you catch the ball first at impact.
- Because the motion is a lot like a putting stroke, I like using a putting grip on the club. But use the grip that feels best for you.
- Stand close to the ball, and choke down on the grip a few inches to shorten the club. The shaft should be pretty upright at address, which will help you make a straight-back, straight-through stroke. If you stand farther from the ball, the stroke will be more rounded, which makes it tougher to achieve crisp contact.
- Make a simple back-and-through stroke with firm wrists.
You may be thinking, why not just putt it? A putter has almost no loft, so trying this shot with a putter will tend to hit the ball down into the turf and come up short. The hybrid launches the ball a few inches in the air, so it skips off the fringe and rolls like a putt.
Once you get the hang of the stroke and a feel for how hard you need to hit the ball, you’re going to learn to love this little shot, and your scores will thank you!
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