Bump and run for par 3s?

[Moxley]

Hi ,

Bit of a hacker's question here . I play on a course semi-competitively once a month with quite a few short-medium length par 3's. 2 of these are flat/downhill enough that the folks who duff the ball who occasionally get lucky and pretty much get there anyway on a dry day. Both greens are protected with bunkers to the right, and various issues to the left after a small amount of rough.  My idea was to do a bump and run all the way (~110 yards for one , ~160 for the other , both with 30-40 yards of fairway in front) more or less taking hazards out of play as a really safe shot. Something that would allow for basically a quarter swing so I can guarantee keeping clubface straight ,which lands around start of fairway.

I know this is not a skillful way to play, but I'm far more interested in the result .Anyway, I think different ways to play a hole are interesting. 

My question is , has anybody tried this approach for holes of these sorts of length, and with any success? Any particular club suited for it? 3 wood or 5 wood maybe? 

Thanks,

Matthew

 

[alfriday]

Using a bump and run (or punch shot) is a very skillful way to play certain holes.  I have used the shot quite a bit on links courses.  My home course is not set up for the shot (the ground in front of the greens tends to be soft), so I don't get a lot of opportunities to use the shot, but I practice it regularly in the range.  For me, a half swing will travel 3/4 of the distance a full swing goes.  The flight is lower so the roll is more.  It's a great shot to have, whether from the tee on a par three or from the fairway.  It comes in very handy in the wind.      

[Moxley]

Just now, alfriday said:

Using a bump and run (or punch shot) is a very skillful way to play certain holes.  I have used the shot quite a bit on links courses.  My home course is not set up for the shot (the ground in front of the greens tends to be soft), so I don't get a lot of opportunities to use the shot, but I practice it regularly in the range.  For me, a half swing will travel 3/4 of the distance a full swing goes.  The flight is lower so the roll is more.  It's a great shot to have, whether from the tee on a par three or from the fairway.  It comes in very handy in the wind.      

Thanks Alfriday. 

Just to clarify - when I said not skillful, I'm only describing my perception of the shot, which I'd be very happy to accept may not be accurate :) 

[Kalnoky]

I think it's a risky shot that can easily run off the back of the green. 

9 minutes ago, alfriday said:

 My home course is not set up for the shot (the ground in front of the greens tends to be soft)

Yes, if you don't get the first bounce just right the ball will die short and you'll be making 2 bump and run shots just to get on. And man is that ever frustrating.

 

[klineka]

22 minutes ago, Moxley said:

My question is , has anybody tried this approach for holes of these sorts of length, and with any success? Any particular club suited for it? 3 wood or 5 wood maybe? 

Welcome to TST!  I think the particular club you should use depends on the distance. I probably wouldnt use a wedge for this especially since it pretty much will always be 100+ yds. I recommend working through your different clubs at the range practicing the different distances. Example, I can hit my 7, 8, and 9 iron 150 yds, and I know how hard I need to swing each of those. Learning how to hit the same distance with multiple clubs will be very important for you when hitting these shots.

If you always use a 3 wood for your 160 yd chip and run, lets say the 3 wood carries 60 and rolls 100, what are you going to do if there is water in front of the green where you have to carry 100 yds and only roll 60? 

I recommend working on it at the range over time and then trying it on the course, even a practice round where you hit 2-3 balls off the tee but use a different club each time and try to get them to go the same distance. 

[DaveP043]

23 minutes ago, Moxley said:

 My idea was to do a bump and run all the way (~110 yards for one , ~160 for the other , both with 30-40 yards of fairway in front) more or less taking hazards out of play as a really safe shot. Something that would allow for basically a quarter swing so I can guarantee keeping clubface straight ,which lands around start of fairway.

I know this is not a skillful way to play, but I'm far more interested in the result .Anyway, I think different ways to play a hole are interesting. 

My question is , has anybody tried this approach for holes of these sorts of length, and with any success? Any particular club suited for it? 3 wood or 5 wood maybe? 

First, I think this would be an incredibly skillful way to play these holes, very inventive.  I don't get much chance to play anything like that in my area, our soil and grass types wouldn't allow for the roll needed.  But I remember on my trips to Scotland and Ireland, how firm the fairways were.  I generally was hoping to land the ball just short of the green and have it bounce on.  There's no reason you couldn't play it much shorter than that, as long as your shot was low enough to roll the rest of the way.  I think it might take some experimentation to figure out the right club and swing combination, and you may find that its just not a reliable option, but its worth trying.

An applicable story, I was a marshall at the US Open in Pinehurst in 2014, on the long (210 to 230 yard) par-3 6th hole.  In a practice round, all of the guys would hit these beautiful high long irons, everyone hit a similar shot until Phil Mickelson came up.  He played the ball back in his stance and took about a half swing, hit a low shot that carried maybe 150 yards, and bounced and rolled all the way to the middle of the green.  He walked off with a huge grin.  If you can imagine the shot, there's no reason you shouldn't give it a try at least once.

[saevel25]

I never tried this on a par 3. I had a shot on a par 4 where the entire fairway gradually went down hill and banked to the right to the green. I had to keep the ball low under a tree. I decided to hit a punch 7 iron to about 100 yards before the green. The ball hit right where I wanted and rolled up onto the green for about a 30-40 FT birdie putt. Really fun shot to pull off.

 

[Foot Wedge]

I don't know what kind of course this is or how often you play it, but if you're out there alone and can play 2 balls, you could use it as practice for those low punch out shots.  A 100 yard 4 iron (or whatever your situation may be) can be extremely useful if you end up under trees or somewhere else that would require you to keep it low, but still gives you a look at rolling it up to the green.  You could use these holes to develop the feel for these rescue shots.

[Patch]

Nothing wrong with using a bump and run shot. In fact, I even practice this shot with various clubs to get an idea what the distance might be with various clubs, under different conditions. 

I actually spent 30 minutes on this shot today. Everyone should have this shot in their bag. 

[Piz]

A bump and run can, at times, be the most sensible (i.e. intelligent) approach.  Being somewhat obtuse; intelligent and creative are, for me, more or less synonymous.

[Hardspoon]

There is nothing wrong with playing the bump-and-run as an option on a par-3. Personally, though, I've never played a par-3 where it was a better option. If the "throat" of the green is narrower than the green itself, you're actually giving yourself less margin for error left/right.

Also, if you play it so low that you have to move the ball back in your stance, it may actually be tougher to start the ball online, negating any advantage. I definitely have a more difficult time with clubface control when the ball is back.

I've used that type of shot inside 100 yards on approaches to par-4 and -5 holes, though.

[mcanadiens]

One of the courses that I play on a regular basis (Miami Shores, Troy, OH) has rather firm greens that are unprotected in the front. Not really a bump-and-run, but the smart play is to hit just short of the green and let the ball bounce on. At this particular course, I'll do this on all sorts of holes, not just par-3s.

The direct route requires more altitude than a lot us high-handicap types have. 

Edited July 14, 2017 by mcanadiens

[David in FL]

There's not enough room in those little boxes on the scorecard for a picture.  Just a number.  

[Jeremie Boop]

30 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

One of the courses that I play on a regular basis (Miami Shores, Troy, OH) has rather firm greens that are unprotected in the front. Not really a bump-and-run, but the smart play is to hit just short of the green and let the ball bounce on. At this particular course, I'll do this on all sorts of holes, not just par-3s.

The direct route requires more altitude than a lot us high-handicap types have. 

Even with a high ball flight, some greens just aren't receptive. I've watched as my ball bounced what seemed like higher than the flag when hitting shots into some greens.... My league course doesn't have the nickname "springrock" for nothing

 

[mcanadiens]

9 minutes ago, Jeremie Boop said:

Even with a high ball flight, some greens just aren't receptive. I've watched as my ball bounced what seemed like higher than the flag when hitting shots into some greens.... My league course doesn't have the nickname "springrock" for nothing

 

Some of my courses have nicknames as well. Not all of them are fit for a family web site such as this.

All part of the joy of being a daily fee golfer in western Ohio. 

[Jack Watson]

I have better distance control by not bump and running.

Cant think of the last time I did it that was not inside fifty yards or a trouble shot.

[Valleygolfer]

I have a 200 yardish par 3 that I have a helluva time hitting a decent full swing accurate shot. I can hit a low stinger shot to the green more easily than my regular shot. If it doesn't make it to the green I am still left in the fairway grass for a chip up. This seems to be the best way for me to play this hole. Whatever gets the job done the most efficiently is what I say.

[Moxley]

Thanks all, some really encouraging responses. 

Played the course with my group at the weekend but chickened out and ended up going the direct/high route, slicing way right and getting a 5 on both  . Worst 2 holes of my round. So I'm definitely going to practice the bump and run approach now. 

The 2 ball shot is a good idea, Foot Wedge, and I doubt anybody at my course would have an issue if they weren't waiting, so I'll give that a go next time I go round,

Cheers,

Matthew