Being able to hit low, punchy golf shots on the golf course can help you save par from a number of tricky situations…
On parkland courses in particular, a decent drive that lands just a few yards off the fairway can leave your next shot obstructed by overhanging branches and foliage.
Being able to hit the ball a good distance with minimal height on the ball flight will allow you to hit the green, or somewhere near it, more often than not.
In the short video below, I cover some set up points and swing techniques to help you hit low golf shots.
It’s a type of shot that is easy to pick up and one that offers a surprising amount of control and accuracy. I recommend you practice a few low shots each time you visit the range as it will give you a greater understanding and feel for your golf swing as a whole:
Keeping The Ball Low
Club selection is determined by how much height you have to play with. You can adjust your set up and swing to reduce the ball flight height of any club so don’t feel that you have to take a very low lofted club like a 3 iron – especially if the lie is quite heavy. A mid iron is usually a low enough loft for most situations.- Because we are looking for control rather than power, take a narrower stance than normal and grip down the club.
- Play the ball from the centre of your stance or slightly back of centre. Place slightly more weight on your front side.
- Open your stance (right-handed golfers aim left of the target with your feet and hips). Because the ball is played further back in the stance it can prevent you from turning through the ball properly – resulting in a push or blocked shot. An open stance compensates for this.
- Hold off your follow through – as though you’re punching the ball forward.
- Focus on your landing area when you make your practice swings, thinking about how far you feel the ball will run out. With this type of shot, the ball can often run along the ground as much as 50% of its total distance.
- At the range, imagine a set of soccer goals (the crossbar is about 8 feet high) in front of you. Practice hitting shots under the crossbar (and that rise no higher than the crossbar during their flight) and you’ll do well in most situations on the golf course.