I see a lot of amateurs get overwhelmed around the greens by thinking each situation requires a different shot. But to get more consistent, it’s better to use the same technique in different ways. Let me explain with the simplest of all chips: the bump-and-run.
The goal is to land the ball on the green and get it rolling quickly. Here I’m flying it about a third of the way, but the ball stays down. Some people use a lob wedge, but that’s too much loft. I’ll use a 7-iron, a 5-iron or maybe even a hybrid. The shot is so much easier to control with less loft.
As for technique, I think of it as a putt that I don’t hit very hard. I play the ball centred in a narrow stance, weight forward, and I just make a nice, smooth stroke back and through, and the ball jumps off the face of the club. You can even use your putting grip to hit these shots.
In the smaller photo, I’m in thicker grass, but you can still rely on the bump-and-run technique from here with a few adjustments: use a higher-lofted club like a gap wedge – you need more loft to clear the rough – and set up with the ball a little farther back, weight still favouring your front foot and the shaft nearly upright. This will help keep the club from getting stuck in the taller grass, which is key.
Now just make that putting-stroke motion and maintain speed through the ball. It’s that simple.
Korda is a five-time winner on the LPGA Tour.
