How To Hit a Bump and Run Chip Shot: Practical Tips & Drills for Reliable Results
To record your personal best score and lower your handicap once and for all, you must know how to hit an efficient bump and run chip.
Although it’s not the most glamorous shot in golf, it’s dependable, accurate, and valuable in many different situations around the golf course.
The good news is that it’s not as hard to learn as other shots. But that doesn’t mean you can slack off when practicing. You still need proper mechanics, theory, and dedicated time to make a comfortable part of your game.
This guide is all you need to call yourself a great bump-and-run player. Below, you will find the information explaining what you need to do and why.
There are also bump and run-specific drills to help you incorporate this efficient, yet under-appreciated shot into your game today.
Bump and Run Chip Shot (Key Takeaways)
The bump and run chip shot is not a particularly technical shot to learn, but if you neglect these key points, you may not realize the full benefits.
- A great bump-and-run chip shot requires some minor setup and address adjustments.
- Your pre-shot routine should include identifying a landing spot that allows for maximum rollout to the hole.
- Control your wrist action to achieve consistent ball contact from various lies.
- Choose the correct club based on how far you must carry to the green and the amount of room you have for roll.
- Incorporate competition into your practice routine to mimic on-course situations.
Contents
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
8 Steps to Consistently Hit Bump and Run Chip Shots
A bump and run may not be fancy, but it’s a very useful part of a complete short game practice plan that can be learned relatively quickly.
Study these tips and perform these drills to easily add this shot to your bag and be more confident when getting up and down for par.
Adjust Your Stance and Setup
To create an effective bump and run shot, it’s important to get set up correctly from the start. This includes adjusting your ball position, posture, weight distribution, and shaft angle.
Just hitting these few address checkpoints gives your body a much better chance at executing the shot successfully.
- Ball Position: Move the ball back in your stance so it’s just behind middle. This prompts a steep angle of attack, which gets the ball rolling and can be used out of any lie.
- Postur: Stand a bit more upright, with your feet closer together and slightly open to the target. You won’t need your lower body power like in a full swing, so setting up this way ensures the lower body won’t contribute.
- Weight Distribution: Move your weight to your front foot and keep it there throughout the entire swing. Once you have 65% to 75% you’re ready to make solid contact and swing the club straight down your target line.
- Shaft Angle: The butt-end of your club should be pointing at your front pocket. Having your hands ahead of the ball increases contact consistency and will also keep the ball low so it starts rolling as soon as possible.
Identify a Landing Spot
One of the most common mistakes amateurs make is focusing too much on the hole.
When attempting a bump and run shot, your target should not be the cup; it should be an imaginary circle (approximately the size of a basketball hoop) that allows for maximum roll-out.
The advantage of a bump and run is that the ball will spend more time rolling than it does in the air, which is rare in golf. So take advantage by identifying where your first bounce will be to account for the speed and break of the green.
- If you can, always choose a landing spot that is on the green. The green allows for a more predictable bounce.
- Choose a spot as close to you as possible, which will increase your chances of hitting it.
- The landing spot should allow enough space so that your ball will roll for at least half the distance of the shot.
- Video Timestamp: 8:38 – 9:31
Swing Like a Putter
Utilizing a proper setup allows you to create a swing that is simple and repeatable. A bump and run swing is more like a putting stroke and less like a pitching or full swing.
You can focus on taking the club back straight and following through along your target line.
Many advanced golfers even use their putting grip when hitting bump and runs to gain more feel on each shot. Since the ball rolls more than it’s in the air, a bump and run can be treated more like a putt.
Optimize Wrist Action
Your wrists don’t play a huge role when hitting bump and run shots, but they can harm the process if misused.
Having your wrists in a neutral position and learning to keep them there will help your bump and runs be more accurate, so you can use this shot from various distances.
The Hackmotion system is designed to alert you when your wrists get out of position. The sensors can tell exactly how your wrists are reacting and make personalized drill suggestions to address your specific tendencies.
If you don’t have Hackmotion, then the traditional method is to take practice swings and shots in front of a mirror to see for yourself how your wrists are moving.
Choose the Right Club
Bump and runs have a lot of versatility based on the length of the shot and how much rough or fairway you need to carry: the less carry required, the lower the club you can use.
The best course of action for a bump and run is to get the ball rolling as soon as possible, so choose the lowest lofted club that the shot will allow.
Use this percentage chart to determine which club to use and when. Calculate the distance needed to carry compared to the length of the entire shot. (eg. If a shot total length is 10 yards and there are 3 yards of grass between your ball and the green, that is 30% and you should use your gap wedge.)
| Total Carry Distance | |
|---|---|
| Sand Wedge | <50% |
| Gap Wedge | 40% |
| Pitching Wedge | 30% |
| 9-Iron | 20% |
| 8-Iron | 10% |
| 7-Iron | 5% |
Chopsticks for Chipping Drill
You may have heard that an effective bump and run swing is like a pendulum, but how do you create that?
This drill is specifically designed to help you incorporate your body and swing with your shoulders, rather than your arms.
Using your bigger muscles makes it easier to judge distance and will also improve your ball striking consistency.
This simple drill is excellent as part of a warm-up routine, as it will help your bump and runs, as well as many other short game shots.
- Video Timestamp: 8:10 – 10:41
Chopsticks for Chipping Drill – Step by Step
- Attach two alignment sticks with a rubber band about eight inches from one end.
- Place the long ends of the alignment sticks under each arm, creating a ‘V’ shape in front of you.
- Lay your bump and run club in the ‘V’ or the cradle of the alignment sticks and take your grip.
- The alignment sticks will force you to rotate your torso while preventing your club from getting off plane.
- You can hit balls with this to get a solid feeling of swinging the club head like a pendulum with your body and not your arms.
Lead Arm Only Drill
Getting consistent and predictable ball contact is the key to hitting your bump and runs close to the hole every time.
To do that, many experienced golfers use this lead arm drill. It helps you prevent steering the club head too much and teaches you to use your body and gravity to find the exact impact position.
Lead Arm Only Drill – Step by Step
- Take your normal stance using the bump and run setup and posture.
- Just before you initiate your swing, remove your trailing or lower hand from the club and lightly grasp the top of your lead elbow. You can also just let your trailing arm hang by your side.
- Now take your regular bump and run swing while only holding the club with your lead or top hand.
Ladder Drill
Once you’re confident in your stroke from various distances, the last step to making this a dependable part of your game is to test your technique under pressure.
This drill is more like a game, so it helps you while also being enjoyable to perform.
You can also do this drill with a friend for added competition. Keep score and either try to beat your friend or just improve on your own personal score.
If you’re wearing your Hackmotion while doing this drill, you’ll get accurate feedback about how you perform under pressure.
Ladder Drill – Step by Step
- Lay down an alignment stick or club perpendicular to your line of play at any distance you like (somewhere between five and 10 yards is best to start).
- Lay down a second alignment stick, parallel to the first, about five feet past it.
- Line up your bump and run so your shots will roll just to the side of the alignment sticks.
- Your first bump and run should pass the first alignment stick, but stop short of passing the second.
- Your second shot should pass your first shot, but still come up short of the second alignment stick.
- Your third shot should pass your second shot but still stay short of the second alignment stick.
- Continue this pattern until you hit a shot that either comes up short of your previous shot or passes the second alignment stick. Your score is based on how many shots you were able to maintain the pattern.
Final Thoughts
Lowering your handicap will be much easier if you adopt the bump and run shot. It can get you out of a variety of lies and is very dependable. It will be much more useful than other popular shots like the flop shot.
Use the drills and tips above to start using this shot immediately. Using the Hackmotion system expedites the learning process because it provides instant, personalized feedback tailored to your movements. The advanced sensors track your motions and will also help you with other aspects of your golf game.
Don’t underestimate the Hackmotion system and the benefits of a bump-and-run shot. Take this guide with you to the range next time you practice and see the results for yourself.
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