How to Hit a Bump and Run
The bump-and-run is a very useful shot to have in your arsenal when playing on fast or unreceptive greens. Hitting a high spinning or even a low spinning shot into this type of green will not work. So what should you do? Hit a low shot that runs out, called the bump-and-run.
So what is the bump-and-run? It is a low spin, running shot that usually lands short of the green or just on the green and roles out to the hole. It is a great shot because it is not affected by the wind, and is very useful on fast greens.
Below are very simple steps that outline how to hit an effective bump-and-run.
- Start with the ball back in your stance and your weight on your left foot. (Or your right foot if you are left-handed.)
- Bring your feet close together and turn them to the left 30 degrees (if you are left-handed, then you turn your feet to the right 30 degrees.)
- Make sure that the ball is positioned off your back heel.
- Place the club head behind the goofball and set your hands forward – this means closing down the club face by moving your hands towards the hole. Your hands should be just off the inside of your left thigh (if you are left-handed then your hands should be just off the inside of your right thigh.)
- Start your swing by turning your shoulders and only swing back so that the club is a couple feet away from the ball. (If you go any further you might hinge your wrists and this makes it impossible to hit a bump-and-run.)
- Start your downswing by turning your hips towards the hole – this will cause your arms to follow and you will come down and impact the ball consistently. Make sure not to start your downswing with your upper-body at all, as this ruins consistency and predictability.
- Accelerate through the ball and watch how it behaves, you can learn how to hit a better bump-and-run by watching every single shot that you hit and learning how the ball behaves when rolling out.
To hit a bump-and-run effectively, you need to get a feel for how far out the ball rolls when hit by different clubs. A good way to do this is to start with a pitching wedge and hit a bump-and-run, then move up to a 9 iron, 8 irons, and so on. When doing this try to take the same exact swing, or as close to it as you can, so you can see the difference in distances for different clubs. You should try to do this on a flat, large green.
Use the above steps to hit a bump-and-run and improve your short game on fast greens! Good luck and happy golfing.
