Hitting greens in regulation is the key to breaking 80. The more you hit, the better your score. But the pin’s position and the type of green—hard or soft—often determines how aggressive you can be on a hole—especially from the fairway. When the greens are firm and the pins tucked, you need to hit it high to hold the green and get it close. Hitting it high is a challenge for many weekend golfers.
Below are five keys to hitting a high approach shot.
- Grip the club at full length
- Play the ball up a bit
- Keep back of left wrists bowed
- Shift weight to front foot
- Make a high, full finish
The secret to hitting the ball high is backspin. You need to increase the backspin on the ball by increasing swing speed. Adjusting your setup also helps you hit it high. Here are the key adjustments you need to make:
Take your normal stance for hitting an iron. Make sure you grip the club at its full length. Some golfers, like Tiger Woods, move the ball up a bit—say an inch or so— from the middle.
Place a bit more weight on your front foot at address. Moving the ball up helps keep your weight behind the ball and not on top of it. Keeping your weight back on high shots is essential.
You may want to use a different release than normal. Instead of bowing your left wrists through impact, keep the back of your left wrist pointed at the ground as long as you can. This adds loft to the shot.
Make a fuller swing than normal and finish high. Be careful you don’t overswing when trying to complete the finish.
Executing these adjustments enables you to hit really high shots—the type of shots that are ideal when you want to hold firm greens.