You're 20 yards off the green at the end of the fairway, and here it is again, that time of the round where you lose those precious strokes, turning your tally into a number too long to fit on a regulation score card.
Do you take out your pitching wedge and try your best Phil Mickelson flop shot? Best leave that to Phil! Maybe you take out your putter, then grip it and rip it to sink that 60-footer from the fairway? Only if you're prepared to 12-putt.
Your best bet? Take out a high iron and prepare to bump-and-run.
The bump-and-run shot is easy to execute and carries relatively low risk, especially if you've got two particular conditions in your favor.
Condition #1: A green that runs towards you. In other words, a "backboard" to protect your ball, should you skull it. Don't worry, you're not going to skull it. (Ok, who are we kidding? You might skull it, but that's what the backboard is for!)
Condition #2: a slight hill running up to the green, allowing your ball to "bump" before it runs.
You don't always need these conditions to apply, but having one or both will certainly increase your chances of success.
I often use this shot on the second hole on my home course (Pine Meadows in Lexington, MA). This hole features Condition #2, a slight hill before the green, but lacks Condition #1, the backboard. The reason I often use the bump-and-run on this hole is because the green is a "turtleback" design. This means that the edge of the green runs away from the hole in all directions in a way that makes you want to travel back in time and slap the course architect and ask them what you did to deserve a green like this. ALL directions? Three wasn't enough? Sorry...back to our shot.
For the bump and run, I always use an 8-iron to give me enough loft to get the golf ball in the air, but still have some of the forward momentum I need. You can play the ball right from the middle of your stance or towards the inside of your back foot. Playing it too far forward could give you more lift than you want for this shot.
Now, pick a spot a few yards short of the green. If the pin is close to the slope you're aiming for, then you can either take some power off your swing or aim lower on the slope.
Once you've picked your spot, take a quarter or half backswing and finish with your club low. If all goes to plan, the ball will have a low flight, hit the slope, and roll into the cup, as your golf buddies carry you triumphantly to the clubhouse until realizing that you're only on the second hole. The good news is that you've got sixteen more holes to bump-and-run!
Here is PGA Tour professional golfer Jim Furyk with a visual golf tip on the bump and run shot.
BIO: Brian Adams
Brian Adams is a left-handed golfer and financial professional from the Greater Boston area who occasionally writes, performs stand-up comedy, and directs music videos in order to scratch his artistic itch. You can find some of his videos on the Orange Aura Productions Facebook page.
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