Bump Shot

A bump shot, better known as a bump and run, is a low golf shot that flies a short distance, lands at or just short of the green, and rolls the rest of the way to the hole like a putt.

What is a bump shot in golf?

“Bump shot” is the informal name golfers use for the bump and run, one of the oldest and most dependable plays in the short game (the collection of shots played on and around the green). The name describes the shot exactly. The player bumps the ball forward with a small swing, and the ball runs along the ground toward the hole.

Instead of lofting the ball high and asking it to stop near the flag, a bump and run keeps the ball low and lets the ground do most of the work. Golf Digest instructor Joe Plecker describes it as a shot forged in the winds of Scotland during the hickory-club era, when going low was often a golfer’s only choice.

The shot has survived for a simple reason: it removes risk. A ball in the air is exposed to gusts and to unpredictable bounces on landing. A ball rolling across a green behaves much like a putt, and rolling distance is far easier to judge than flight. That reliability is why the term comes up so often in television commentary and casual rounds alike. For a newer golfer, it is usually the first short-game shot worth learning, because the motion borrows directly from the putting stroke.

How a bump and run works

The idea rests on trading airtime for roll. The player takes a club with less loft than a wedge, often an 8-iron or 9-iron, and makes a small stroke that looks and feels like a putt. Loft is the backward tilt of the clubface, and less of it produces a lower flight with less backspin.

At address, the ball sits slightly back in the stance with the hands ahead of the clubface, which keeps the flight down. The ball pops off the face just high enough to clear the fringe (the collar of shorter grass around the green), takes a hop or two, then rolls out toward the hole.

Club choice controls the balance between flight and roll. Mel Sole of the Ritson-Sole Golf School teaches a formula in which a pitching wedge chip flies half the distance and rolls half, an 8-iron flies about a third and rolls two-thirds, and a 6-iron flies a quarter and rolls three quarters. Those ratios shift with green speed and slope, but the pattern is easy to remember: the lower the loft, the longer the run.

When golfers play a bump shot

Picture a ball sitting anywhere from a few feet to about 30 or 40 yards off the green, with nothing between it and the flag. That is bump-and-run territory. According to NJM’s instruction series with the Golf Association of Philadelphia, the shot can be played from as far as 75 yards out when conditions suit it.

Firm, fast greens favor the shot because the ball rolls true once it lands. Wind is another trigger. A low runner barely notices a gust that would knock a high pitch off line. Tight lies help too. A tight lie is a spot where little grass sits under the ball, which makes a lofted wedge easy to mishit but leaves a running shot unaffected.

The bump and run is a poor fit when something must be carried, such as a bunker or a band of thick rough between the ball and the green. It also struggles when the hole is cut close to the near edge of the green, since the ball needs room to roll out.

Bump and run vs. chip, pitch, and flop shots

Most confusion around the term comes from its overlap with the chip shot. Stix Golf’s short-game guide classifies the bump and run as a type of chip, played with a lower-lofted club so the ball spends even more of its journey on the ground. Plenty of golfers use the two terms interchangeably, though “bump and run” usually signals the lowest, longest-running version.

Shot	Flight	Roll after landing	Typical clubs
Bump and run	Lowest	Longest, rolls like a putt	7-iron to 9-iron, sometimes a hybrid
Chip	Low	Moderate	8-iron to pitching wedge
Pitch	High	Short	Pitching wedge to lob wedge
Flop	Highest	Almost none	Lob wedge

A pitch shot climbs higher, carries most of its distance in the air, and stops quickly. The flop shot is the extreme case, thrown almost straight up so it lands softly with next to no roll. PGA coach Brendon Elliott points out that most tour professionals choose the low option around the greens unless a high shot is unavoidable, because a lower flight leaves less room for error.

Related Golf Terms

Skipper — A low shot intended to skip across water or hard ground.
Three-quarter shot — A shortened swing producing a softer, more controlled shot.
Spinner — A wedge shot struck with heavy backspin that grabs and checks up.
Bladed shot — A thin mishit struck with the club’s leading edge.
Check shot — A shot that stops quickly on the green thanks to backspin.

Frequently Asked Questions

What club is used for a bump shot?

An 8-iron or 9-iron is the most common choice, according to instruction from Golf Digest and the PGA of America, with the 7-iron close behind. Some players reach for a hybrid, whose wide sole glides through fringe grass without digging.

Is a bump and run the same as a chip?

It is a version of the chip shot. Both stay low and roll toward the hole. The bump and run sits at the far end of that spectrum, with the least airtime and the most roll.

Why is it called a bump and run?

The name is literal. The player bumps the ball a short distance forward, and it runs along the ground the rest of the way to the hole.

Do professionals hit bump shots?

Yes, and often. The shot is a staple at links venues such as the Open Championship courses of Scotland, where firm turf and steady wind reward keeping the ball down.

Sources

Golf Digest. “How to hit a bump and run: A 5-step refresher on golf’s most reliable shot.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/how-to-hit-a-bump-and-run-shot-golf-digest
PGA of America. “A Six-Step Guide to Master the Bump and Run Chip.” Accessed July 4, 2026. |
https://www.pga.com/story/a-six-step-guide-to-master-the-bump-and-run-chip
NJM Insurance Group and the Golf Association of Philadelphia. “The Bump and Run.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
https://blog.njm.com/the-bump-and-run
My Golf Instructor. “The Bump and Run: Your Basic Green Side Chip Shot.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
https://www.mygolfinstructor.com/instruction/chipping/the-bump-and-run/
Ritson-Sole Golf School. “Try the 6-8-10 Chipping Method.” Accessed July 4, 2026.
https://www.ritson-sole.com/blog/golf-tips/try-the-6-8-10-chipping-method
Stix Golf. “Chip Shot vs. Pitch Shot: What’s the Difference?” Accessed July 4, 2026.
https://stix.golf/blogs/rough-thoughts/chip-shot-vs-pitch-shot-whats-the-difference