Chipping · Tip
Don't Like Chipping? Use Your Hybrid
Part of our chipping programs for distance control, chip yips. Build a program with it
If chipping makes you nervous, try a hybrid. Its weight pushes through fringe and light rough. You don't have to lift anything. Treat it like a putter. Grip down. Set up like you're putting. Make your putting stroke. The little bit of loft pops the ball out and gets it rolling fast. Judge the distance like a long putt.
Step by step
- Use a hybrid from fringe or light rough.
- Grip down and set up like a putt.
- Use a putting stroke.
- Let the club push through the grass.
- Judge it like a long putt.
Why it works
A hybrid has a wide sole and a heavier head than a wedge, so it moves through fringe and light rough without digging or snagging. The small amount of loft lifts the ball just enough to clear the grass, and then it rolls like a putt. Because you use a putting stroke, you remove the wrist hinge and the scoop that cause thin and fat chips.
Common mistakes
- You take a full grip and stand tall, so the club feels long and the stroke gets loose.Grip down to the steel or the bottom of the grip and bend from the hips like you do for a putt.
- You try to lift the ball into the air with your hands.Keep your wrists quiet and let the loft do the work while the club pushes through the grass.
- You judge the shot like a short chip and leave it short or send it past the hole.Pick a landing spot, then think of the shot as a long putt and match your stroke length to the distance.
How you'll know it's working
- The ball pops off the grass and rolls out smoothly along your start line.
- You feel the sole slide through the grass with no digging or sharp jab.
- Your shots finish at similar distances when you repeat the same stroke length.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Start from the fringe with a flat lie and a short distance to the hole.
Harder: Move to light rough or a longer shot and try to stop the ball inside a three-foot circle around the hole.
Common questions
Can I chip with a hybrid?
Yes, from fringe or light rough where the ball sits up. Use a putting-style stroke and let the club roll the ball toward the hole.
When should I not use a hybrid to chip?
Avoid it when the ball sits down in thick rough or you must carry a bunker or other hazard. In those spots you need more loft, so use a wedge.
