The Bump & Run Shot

“The most common pitfalls I see when people try to chip are positioning the ball too far back in the stance and leaning the handle too far forward. This essentially turns the leading edge of your club into a little shovel that wants to dig into the turf. You can still hit a low chip shot with a more neutral setup. And you'll gain the advantage of using the entire sole of your wedge to glide through the shot instead of digging.” - Brandon Stooksbury

The key to a good short game is versatility. To consistently pitch and chip the golf ball close, you have to be able to adapt to a limitless variety of turf conditions, lies and green surfaces.

You have to be able to hit low shots that release and run, high shots that stop on a dime and everything in between. You have to be creative and If you only have one stock way of playing finesse shots, you're putting yourself at a big disadvantage. Fortunately, playing different types of shots doesn't have to be as complicated as we often make it.  As Titleist staff instructor Brandon Stooksbury shows in his latest video series, you can drastically change the type of shot you hit by making a few simple adjustments in club selection, ball position, how your orient the clubface and how you angle the club shaft at impact.

Try applying Brandon's principles, starting with the most basic of short game shots in the video above – the Bump & Run.  Let us know if they help you to add some shots to your short game arsenal.

And for more short game wisdom from Brandon, visit his website and check out his YouTube, Twitter and Instagram channels, too.

Thanks, Brandon!

• • •

The Short Pitch Shot

“The pitch is more challenging than the bump & run because it requires a little more force and usually little higher trajectory. Once you get set up correctly, the big key to the pitch shot is a staying centered. If you can minimize the amount of lateral movement you have when you swing, the golf ball comes out high, soft and has tons of spin.” - Brandon

• • •

Dealing with a Fluffy Lie

“This lie can embarrass you because it's easy to whiff, to swing right under the ball and leave yourself with an even tougher lie. The key to this shot is a shallow angle of attack. This ensures that you make contact with the center of the face, not the top couple of grooves.” - Brandon

• • •

Dealing with a Buried Lie

“This is a tough one, because you can't make clean contact. Lower your expectations on this shot because just keeping it on the green is a win. The keys are a steep angle of attack, a lot of loft and a lot more speed to power through the grass lying between you and the back of the ball.” - Brandon

• • •

The High, Soft Lob Shot

“Addressing the ball properly takes care of most of the work in a lob shot. Just set up for maximum loft – highest lofted club in your bag, ball position forward, club face open 15-20 degrees and the club shaft leaning back slightly. From there, you just hinge it up, drop it down and hinge it right up again.” - Brandon

#TeamTitleist