How to Control Shot Behavior

Let's look at ways to control the behavior of your golf shots in terms of their height.

Controlling Shot Height
If you know what gives height to your shots then you will be able to figure out what to do the next time you have to hit a very low shot to get out of trouble or to reduce the impact of the wind. Or, perhaps you may need extra height to clear a tree or obstacle.

Backspin produces height. Let me repeat that. Backspin produces height.

There are three factors which produce backspin. So, if you learn how to control these three things you will learn how to control the height of your shots.

• The loft of your club
• How hard the ball is hit
• The angle of attack between club and ball

The obvious one is the loft of the golf club. The higher the loft the more backspin imparted to the ball at impact.

The second element however is not understood by many golfers. Backspin is a function of how hard the ball is hit. The harder the ball is struck the more it is compressed and the grooves have more impact on the ball, consequently producing more backspin.

The third and final element is the Angle of Attack between the club face and the ball through impact. The steeper or more descending the blow is, the more backspin it imparts . As the ball is trapped against the club face more engergy is put into the downward motion thus allowing the grooves to have more effect on the ball.

The Hit It Low Shot
Hitting a shot into a head wind is the most common situation which demands a low flying shot. The easiest way to achieve the desired trajectory is to take a club one or two numbers lower than you would normally use, choke down slightly and then take a smooth full easy swing. Move the ball back a few inches from where you would play the same shot under normal wind conditions. Taking more club reduces loft which produces less backspin and produces a naturally lower trajectory. Choking down reduces clubhead speed which also reduces spin. Moving the ball back effectively lowers the club loft.

The ball will tend to fly on a low flat trajectory and land with little back spin and will roll. Moving the ball back in your stance may produce a shot lower than necessary just for windy conditions. However, if you must keep the ball low because of an obstacle, then moving the ball back in your stance is definitely recommended.

In fact, if you need to move the ball back in your stance to accomplish the desired results, then strongly consider using the next shot to be covered...The Knock Down Shot.

The Knock Down Shot This is usually considered a special shot. However, some touring pros, play it as their regular shot anytime conditions permit. The best example of this shot is the "low stinger" may popular by Tiger Woods.

This shot will fly low and almost level. It will take one or two bounces and stop quickly. That would be descriptive of the shot played using a wound core, balata covered ball. A solid core, harder covered ball would fly a little higher and bounce farther on landing. It also would be less likely to stop as quickly. This shot will give you the same distance as your normal shot just with a lower trajectory. Obviously, there will be some slight variation, but the knock down is a full shot with a full backswing.

The application for the knock down shot is to be found anytime you want more control, lower trajectory and normal distance. It works very well in windy situations because of the boring trajectory. If you have practiced the shot it will also hold up under pressure better than the standard shot. However, there are some approach shot situations where it may be inappropriate. Such as a pin placement that is tucked in tight behind a bunker or just over water.

The set up for the Knock Down Shot includes the following: Move the ball back in your stance. Shift as much as 75% of your weight to the left side and lower your left shoulder slightly. These setup changes effectively "deloft" the club so the ball comes of the club face lower than it would with a normal setup. You will have to experiment with these setup changes to find what works best for you.

The swing is also different from your normal full swing in these important ways: Your grip pressure needs to be a little firmer with your left hand, but not to the point of putting noticeable tension in your forearm. This grip pressure change is needed because you will be hitting with a more aggressive descending blow and you don't want your right hand to cross over your left. Keeping the face square for as long as possible will increase backspin so that even though flying low, the ball will still be able to stop relatively quickly.

If you have a situation where you need to let the ball release and run more to get back to a pin or run for max distance in the fairway, then simply allow your left hand to turn over a little as your club goes through impact.

The follow through is very different. It must be kept low, as with all shots you are trying to hit low.

When you finish the shot you should be facing slightly left of your target and your hands should be at shoulder height. The club should be just an extension of your left arm with the butt of the club pointing close to the center of your chest.

Your arms will be pointing at a slight upward angle. Though the butt of the club is about even with your sternum, the head of the club is about even with your head.

This technique can also be applied with the driver. You would place the ball normally for a standard drive and tee the ball the same, but you would use the same basic setup and knock down shot follow through. You might want to shift some of the excess weight back toward the right side approaching more normal distribution since the driver is a very low lofted club to begin with.

The Hit It High Shot
To achieve extra height, play the ball forward in your stance. Notice we didn't say up off your left heel or instep. You may normally play shots from the center of your stance. So, for you, forward may mean halfway between your current ball position and the instep of your left foot. Setup with your right shoulder slightly lower than your left by tilting your upper body slightly towards your right foot. Make sure you make a full shoulder turn away from the ball, hold the club at full length, grip the club lightly with soft forearms and swing hard allowing the left hand to freely release through impact.

If you maintain soft hands and forearms while swinging hard, you should be able to maintain reasonable control.

Remember, the harder the impact between the clubface and ball the more backspin will be generated and consequently the more height will be achieved. And, as with the low shot, only change the ball position within your stance if you are trying to avoid an obstacle, in this case, by going over it.