In this swing tip video we are going to look at how to play a bump and run golf shot correctly.

A bump and run golf shot is a shot where the ball is struck relatively low to the ground and once it lands, or bumps, it runs, or rolls along the ground for longer than it was in the air. It is typically played around the green but it is also a great recovery shot to play if you have hit your ball into the trees just off the fairway and you need a low shot to escape back on to the fairway.

As this shot is played relatively low and runs along the ground more than it is in the air, play the shot with clubs that have straighter faces. Traditionally, this shot would be played with a 7 iron, but experiment using different clubs such as your hybrid, with the same technique. If you are playing this shot along the green, you will notice that when correctly struck, a 7 iron bump and run travels approximately one quarter of it's total shot distance in the air, to it's first bounce and then three quarters of the total shot distance will be roll. Using different clubs with the same technique will just give you different fractions for the amount of the shot in the air and the amount that the shot rolls.

To play a bump and run shot, set your club face next to the ball so that it is aiming towards the target. Stand closer to the ball than you would for a full shot and hold lower down on the handle, this will give you more control over the club head movement. Keep a stance that is narrower than shoulder width apart to encourage your balance and move your left foot directly back until it looks about half way down your right shoe. This will move your left hip out of the way so that you find it easier to swing through the shot and down the target line. Have the ball positioned in the middle of your stance and place slightly more weight on to your left foot. This will encourage you to make a downward strike on the ball and help you achieve a crisp connection. Your weight will remain in the same position, slightly on the left foot during your backswing.

Create a forward lean in the club shaft, have the handle of the club pointing towards your left side, not pointing up towards your belly button. To play this shot well, it is really important to have your hands forward, or more to the left than the club head is, so create forward lean in the shaft so that the club face forces the ball upwards into the air and does the work for you. Create a straight line that runs from your left shoulder, down your left arm to your left hand and then down the shaft to the club head. Swing this straight line to the left of the ball and then swing the straight line through the ball, bumping the ground under the ball as you swing, so that you hear the club head brush the mat or ground. This will ensure that the club head strikes down as it is connecting with the ball and the ball will be forced up the club face and into the air.

Swing the left line away from the ball and then through the ball, brushing the grass or mat under the ball as you do this and hold your follow through. Look to see you have maintained the straight line from the left shoulder, down the left arm to the left hand and then into the shaft of the club and to the club head. This will produce a finish position where the club head remains relatively low to the floor and lower than your hands are. Using this technique, you will see that the ball will pop up from the ground and then land and run forwards.

Try this out on the course and if you remember to generally land the ball one quarter of the way to the target with your 7 iron, you will see some really accurate shots and maybe even hole a few!