How to Chip with a Hybrid: Practical Tips & Drills That Deliver Results

One of the many amazing aspects of golf is its opportunity for creativity. There’s always more than one way to approach a shot to get the job done.

Of course, we want to stick to routine and use shots we practice, but we should always practice new ways to plot the ball around the course.

Chipping with a hybrid is a very underrated shot because it lacks glamour. If you go to any practice green, you’ll probably see someone working on their flop shot.

However, the likelihood of needing this is very low. A hybrid chip is much more common and can help save par from many locations.

It’s not a fancy shot, but it does require some technique and posture training. Use the tips below to learn how to execute a hybrid chip and then try the drills to master the motion and become an expert.

Chipping with a Hybrid (Key Takeaways)

Chipping with a hybrid can add a whole new layer to your short game. If you don’t have time to practice, review these key takeaways to immediately incorporate this underused shot into your game.

• Treat your hybrid chips like putts and set up the same way while also reading the break in the green.
• Maintain neutral wrist angles with Hackmotion or concentrated practice.
• Use the toe of the hybrid to neutralize distance so your ball doesn’t explode off the club face.
• Focus on accelerating through the impact zone and creating a full and balanced follow-through.
• Use your entire upper body to rotate and create a pendulum motion with your hybrid club head.

How to Chip with a Hybrid Club

Chipping with a hybrid requires some setup, posture, and swing changes. The best golf chipping tips to consistently get up and down that you already use don’t always work when you need a hybrid to save par.

Think Like a Putter

Chipping with your hybrid is a lot like putting. You’ll need to take a similar stance and setup while also reading the break and assessing the speed of the green.

The hybrid will get the ball rolling quickly, so your preparation should be closer to that of a putt and not a regular chip.

• Choke up – Grasp your hybrid at the very bottom of the grip so you’re almost touching the bare shaft. You can use your putting grip if it’s different from your chipping/regular grip.
• Stand upright – Stand a bit closer to the ball so your eyes are almost right over the top of it and your intended target line. This will also recreate a putting feeling and help create clean and crisp contact on the ball.
• Arms hang straight – You should have no bend in your elbows or wrists. This position will encourage a pendulum swing, making it easier to control distances more precisely.
• Ball back in stance – The only difference between chipping with your hybrid and putting is that the ball position should be in the middle or a bit behind when using your hybrid. You want to still hit down on the ball to create consistent contact.

Do Not Bend Wrists

The idea behind chipping with a hybrid is that it’s more reliable than other chipping techniques.

One of the main reasons for this is that when you chip with a hybrid, you can take the wrist action in chipping completely out of the equation.

Using wrist hinge is meant to create power, but we don’t need power here. Use Hackmotion to stabilize your wrists and move them as little as possible.

The HackMotion sensor will notify you right away if your wrists are bending too much.

When setting up, apply some forward shaft lean and ensure your lead wrist is flexed.

Keeping wrist flexion at impact is important for chipping and should stay in place the entire swing.

Use the Toe

Hybrids these days are packed with cutting-edge technology designed to help you hit the ball high and far.

When we chip with a hybrid, we don’t need these features. To eliminate some of the power in the face of the hybrid, we can use the toe to control distance more effectively.

You don’t have to use the toe all the time. Chips at or exceeding 15 yards should always use the middle of the clubface since you’ll have to take a bigger swing and want the largest margin for error.

Here is when you should use the toe when chipping with a hybrid:

• Chipping downhill.
• Chipping on fast greens.
• Chipping within 1 yard of the green’s edge.
• Chipping downgrain (Bermuda grass only).

Focus on Follow Through

Nothing ruins a good chip shot like not following through.

Short, stabby strokes will not produce great results, so once you’ve practiced technique and learned how to implement chipping with a hybrid, the last thing to focus on is your follow-through.

• Always be accelerating – No matter how short the chip is or how fast the greens are, you should always be accelerating through the ball. Do this by shortening your backswing as much as necessary to allow for an extended follow-through.
• Keep your head still – During a delicate shot like this, crisp contact is paramount. The best way to consistently hit the ball solidly is to keep your head still all the way through impact until your follow-through comes to a complete stop.
• Keep your weight forward – To ensure a good finishing position, you can start with your weight forward and keep it there. Your weight distribution should be at least 75% on your front foot.

Drills to Practice Hybrid Chipping

This is not a common shot, so finding hybrid-specific chipping drills can be tough to find.

However, you can adapt some traditional chipping drills to fit your hybrid, and here are the best ones.

Hybrid to Stomach

Use this drill to hone your tempo and technique. It will give you a solid foundation that you can use on all types of chips.

Whether you’re chipping long, short, uphill, or downhill, you need your whole body to contribute. This drill also helps keep your wrists out of the equation.

You can use it in conjunction with Hackmotion to monitor your wrist positions and confirm that you’re not flexing or extending.

Target Practice Drill

This drill mimics on-course scenarios and recreates the same pressure you’ll experience when you’re out there.

Be sure to use all areas on and around the practice green during each session so you don’t become too stale on one shot.

• Video Timestamp: 0:30-0:50

Rubberband Drill

For this drill, you will need an exercise rubber band that stretches from your shoulder to your clubhead.

This will help any golfer who has trouble using their body and tends to overuse their arms.

• Video Timestamp: 23:33-26:25

One-Arm Chipping

This advanced drill will help you get more consistent contact and create a smooth tempo that will make you feel comfortable when you’re on the course.

• Video Timestamp: 2:07-6:35

Final Thoughts

When you know how to chip with a hybrid, you arm yourself with another method for getting the ball close to the hole.

This gives you options around the green that help take the pressure off and let you execute shots with complete confidence.

Not enough golfers use this shot; in most cases, it’s due to a lack of education. Many treat this too much like a chip and not enough like a putt. This forces them to use their wrists too much, which causes inconsistency.

Use Hackmotion to monitor your technique and improve it quickly and correctly.