Justin Rose hits this specific shot often, and he's pretty great at it. He pulls a fairway wood, then makes a tiny little stroke at the ball. The ball then pops out, rolls, and usually ends up pretty close.
Or sometimes, even in the hole...
It looks like a kind of trick shot. Why is Justin Rose pulling his fairway wood, instead of a wedge like the rest of us? Not because it looks cool, but actually because it's easier.
That's according to a study from Dr. Andy Hoffer presented at the World Scientific Congress of Golf. He tested a group of 40 amateur golfers and measured their performance around the green, first using a wedge then using a hybrid.
The results were clear...
📈 35 of 40 golfers (87.5 percent!) chipped better with their hybrid than when they used their wedge.
There are a few good reasons for this:
- Hybrids are designed to be forgiving across the entire face, so heel and toe misses aren't punished as severely as they would've been with a wedge.
- Hybrids are also hotter off the face, producing a higher smash factor than wedges, which means golfers can make a smaller swing and the ball will still move with speed.
The way you hit this shot is pretty simple: You basically just choose your hybrid, stand a little closer, choke down on the club then make a putting stroke.
You can learn more about the specifics of how to do it here, but it really is that simple.
Obviously, you can't hit this shot everywhere. If you've got a bunker or rough between you and the hole, you'll have to take a wedge. But whenever possible, use a hybrid or fairway wood.
We discuss this in further detail in our Golf IQ podcast, which you can listen to below (and subscribe to here!).