Greenside Chipping with a Hybrid
The club of choice for a greenside chip is the wedge. But be careful. Using a wedge along the rim of the green can cost you strokes. The wedge can pop the ball up, create too much roll, or make the ball check. In a fluffy lie, it can slip completely under the ball, causing a flubbed shot.
If you want an alternative, try your hybrid. It has few of the negatives of the wedge. The hybrid almost guarantees that the ball will get airborne a few inches and immediately start rolling toward the target. The sooner the ball hits the ground, the easier it is to control. Here are 5 keys to greenside chipping with a hybrid:
- Use a putting stroke
- Choke down on the club
- Place the ball slightly forward
- Shift your weight slightly forward
- Stroke the chip as you would a putt
Take a putting stance and use a putting stroke. Choke down on the club for better control. And plan for plenty of roll, since the ball will get airborne quickly and start rolling in a hurry. Read the green as you would a putt and don’t forget to play the break.
Using the hybrid for a greenside chip makes sense. The hybrid’s enlarged sweet spot minimizes twisting and distance loss, if you mishit hit the ball or you hit it slightly on the heel or the toe. In addition, the club’s thick sole and low weighting helps brush through the turf with sufficient momentum to prevent a flubbed shot.
While the hybrid tends to be more effective from about 10 yards in, you can chip with it beyond 10 yards with success. With practice and experimentation, chipping with the hybrid will become as natural as chipping with a wedge and just as effective, if not more effective.
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