JD Cuban
Many holes at TPC Sawgrass, where I teach, have run-off areas around the greens. Miss your target by just a few yards or catch an unlucky hop, and you can easily find yourself with a delicate little uphill chip from one of these collection areas. Now, you could grab your wedge or even putt the ball, but I find the easiest, most reliable method to be a 5-iron bump-and-run. It’s essentially a putt, but because there’s more heft to the club and loft on the face, the ball has an easier time getting to the hole. Here’s how to play this shot.
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JD Cuban
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At address, play the ball in the middle of your stance with your weight favoring your front foot. Grip down to the metal on the shaft and lift the heel of the clubhead off the ground so that only the toe is contacting the turf (above). This makes your 5-iron play at a similar length to your putter, enhancing your control, and also raises the shaft angle so the club can swing straighter back and through, like your putter, and not on a rounded arc.
From there, simply imagine you’re putting. Ask yourself: How hard would I have to hit a putt of the same distance to get the ball to the hole? Make a few practice strokes to the side of the ball trying to match the length of the stroke to that distance. Then, once you’re ready, repeat the same stroke in real time (top). The ball will have a little extra giddyup to it and should roll like a putt once it reaches the green surface. Don’t worry about coming up short; just get your putter and go knock in the next one to save your par.
Jordan Dempsey, one of Golf Digest’s Best Teachers in Florida, teaches at the PGA Tour Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.
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