The fastest way to lower scores is to reduce putts per round. The best way to do this is to master key short game shots. Mastering the 30-yard lob can help any player reduce putts per round, but it’s especially valuable for seniors who can no longer hit long bombs into the green. Learning this shot can help overcome obstacles between you and the green, like water hazards or bunkers, and boost your chances of making birdies and pars.
Below are five keys to this shot:
1. Align your feet left of target
2. Open the clubface to the right
3. Position the ball forward
4. Take a long, slow swing
5. Finish in balance
Golfers tend to lose flexibility and power as they age, preventing them from hitting long shots into the green. That’s where the 30-yard lob comes in. The key to this shot is the set up, which is similar to that for a bunker explosion shot.
Open your stance and align your feet well left of target. Open your clubface so it’s aimed well right of target. Position the ball forward in your stance, which enables you to add loft to the shot.
Now make a long, slow swing along your stance line, just like you’d do if you were hitting an explosion shot in a greenside bunker. The more you open the clubface, the higher the ball will go and the softer it will land. Finish in balance.
The 30-yard lob takes practice to master. You must get a feel for how much you need to manipulate your clubface for the various shot lengths you want to hit. The practice you put in, however, increases your chances of making pars and birdies, and reduces putts per round.
