Annabel Rolley on Chipping with a Hybrid (Video)

I want you to learn something specific from this video, so take a look and then I'll point it out.



Annabel says something that is very easy to overlook:

Now I want to pick a spot, a spot to land my ball. And because this is about 40 yards, 50 yards long, it's going to be one-tenth of the way and then the rest of the way, the ball is going to be releasing out.

That one-tenth is part of a good strategic approach to chipping, with irons as well as with hybrids. But that doesn't mean you always use one-tenth of the distance for a hybrid (or iron) chip. Let me explain.

I sometimes refer to this as an air-putt because that's how I think of it. You use a putting motion (Annabel mentions that) and I place the ball in the same position that I would if putting the ball on the green (she doesn't mention that). The idea is to get solid contact without getting a lot of spin on the ball because you want it to be as putt-like as you can get it... only the ball flies through the air at the beginning of its run.

The distance the ball is going to fly varies depending on the shaft length and loft of the club you're using. That 40- to 50-yard distance works for Annabel's hybrid -- note that she didn't mention what the loft is, so that distance might be different for your favorite hybrid. You'll find out the best distance for your hybrid with a little time on the practice green.

A shot like this can be a real weapon in your short game arsenal if you just take a little time to learn it. To build on what Annabel says, I'd say this shot is almost as safe as a putt but much more useful if the grass is just a bit too thick to get a good roll. You definitely want to learn it!