Golf Tips » July 2000 – Keeping the Ball Low

This month’s tip comes from Joe Badamo of Bergenfield, NJ who writes:

"As I spend a lot of my time in the trees, how do I keep the ball low to avoid overhanging branches, and still get some distance to advance the ball down the fairway?"

In order to keep the ball low there are three necessary requirements.

1. Club selection – You need to select a club with very little loft, perhaps a four or five iron.  (do not select a two or three iron, because the ball position is back and there is not enough loft on these clubs to get the ball airborne, and a smothered shot will result!)

2. Ball position – The ball needs to be back in the stance with the hands well ahead of the clubhead as in picture 1.

3. Follow through – The follow through must be short and straight through to the target. (A long, full follow through will result in a higher trajectory.) The finish will look like pictures 2 and 3.

 

Key Factors: Set the weight forward while executing the shot. Make sure that the left arm stays absolutely straight through impact. The slightest breakdown of the left arm will cause the clubhead to overtake the hands, and the ball trajectory will immediately go higher and crash into those overhanging branches.

This shot takes a little practice, so next time you’re on the range, experiment with different clubs, and see just how low and far you can hit the ball. It will pay dividends on the course!