Save Some Strokes Using a Hybrid
Chipping from an awkward lie is tricky, to say the least. But when the lie is also above the hole, your chances of chunking the shot skyrocket. Mishit the shot even a little, and you could find yourself chipping again.
Unfortunately, hitting a shot like this with a wedge only adds to the challenge. Wedges aren’t always very forgiving when hitting from awkward lies.
Using a hybrid instead is an alternative you should consider. The hybrid is more forgiving when chipping and reduces your chances of mishitting.
Six Keys to Hitting this Shot:
- Address the ball with an open stance.
- Play the ball back in your stance
- Choke down on the club slightly
- Aim the club-face in the right direction
- Make a putting stroke
- Finish with your hands held low
Hybrids are versatile clubs. They can bail you out of trouble when faced with a tricky lie above the hole.
Other Techniques to Use When Chipping with a Hybrid
- Address the shot with a slightly open stance, play the ball back from the middle, and choke down on the club a bit, which helps you control the shot. Now aim the club in the direction you want the ball to go and square the clubface to the target line.
- Once you’re set up, pick out a landing spot. Then, using minimal wrist action, make a putting stroke. Some golfers even adopt a reverse overlap grip for this shot, the kind you’d use when putting.
- Finish with your hands held low, which pops up the ball. With help from the hybrid’s clubface, the ball has enough momentum to roll through the rough and fringe, and then trickle to the green.
No one likes chipping from a tricky lie above the hole. Using a wedge for a shot like can cost you strokes. Using a hybrid instead can help you beat the challenge.