How to Hit Low Golf Shots

How to Hit Low Golf Shots

There will be times when golfers will have to adopt a low punch shot out on the golf course. You may have encountered this situation on the golf course before and wondered, How to Hit Low Golf Shots?

Maybe you hit it just up the fairway, and some overhanging branches are faced right in front of you. This is a position where golfers need to advance the ball forward, and the most important thing is to get the ball back into play.

When Will I need to hit the Golf Ball Low?

Several times throughout a round of golf, a golfer will need to hit the ball low. These include the full punch shot, when it is windy.

The other times are when golfers are faced with branches from hitting the dreaded slice or hook shot and ending up in the trees. Therefore, hitting low golf shots is essential to getting out of trouble on the golf course.

Arguably the greatest golfer of all time, Tiger Woods used to hit the ball into the trees to learn how to get out of trouble and keep the ball low. He is one of the masters of getting out of trouble on the golf course.

Five Steps

Hitting the golf ball low can be as easy as Five Steps, and with a little bit of practice, this golf shot can be mastered by golfers of any ability levels.

This will help golfers of all ability levels get out of trouble, because sometimes for the sake of your scorecard, it is better to drop the ego and reduce the damage on the golf course. Just get the ball back in play, and you still may have a chance of making par.

Use a Club with Less Loft

The first thing to adopt is to use a club with less loft.

Golfers want to club down up by at least two clubs, depending on what’s in front of them. Pick the ideal club as you have to make sure you can get over any bush or grass that you have in front of you. A popular option for this shot would be a low iron of some sort, but any club with less loft to help keep the ball low will be ideal in this situation.

The lower the loft of the club, the lower the trajectory of the shot will be.

Grip Down the Golf Club at Least Two Inches

The next step is to take your club and grip down the club at least two inches.

This will help control the golf club and is always recommended for a shorter golf shot.

The left hand for right-handed players should be around two inches lower on the golf grip for enhanced feel and control.

Remember, this shot will not require a lot of clubhead speed, as our main aim is the get the ball back into play.

Place the Ball Back in Stance

It is ideal to put the ball back two inches further than expected back in the stance to keep the golf ball low.

This helps keep the ball low by making contact with the golf club a lot earlier when the face has less loft. As a result, less loft is needed to hit the golf ball low on a descending approach angle.

Golf stance ball position

Make a Three Quarter Back Swing

Next, you want to feel comfortable over the ball and do your best to make a three-quarter backswing.

Making a three-quarter backswing helps with control, and once again, we are just trying to get the ball back into play or keep it low.

Make a Short Follow Through

The last step to keeping the golf ball low is to make sure you have a nice short follow-through.

That short follow-through will ensure that your hands are leading the club coming into the ball.

Golfers don’t want the club leading the hands, otherwise, it will send the ball up in the air. Golfers should be doing everything they can to keep the ball down and low, and keeping the hands leading the club will ensure that is achieved.

Lastly, make sure the motion is nice and smooth and don’t try to hit it too hard.  It is a softer controlled punch shot and the main aim is to get the ball back into play. This is also a good way to practice getting used to hitting the ball low, so a golfer can have confidence when faced with windy conditions.

A quick recap, ball back in the stance, grip down the club, make a smooth three-quarter swing and a short follow-through. Practice this shot a little when out on the driving range and you will be glad you did when faced with trouble out on the golf course.

Check out one of the worlds top coaches, David Leadbetter in the below video on how to keep the ball low.

Hitting low shots requires practice to develop the necessary feel and control. Spend time on the driving range or practice area, focusing on these adjustments and experimenting with different swing lengths and club selections.

If you want some more basic golf tips check out some of the posts below.

How to Chip the Golf Ball

How to Play a Bunker Shot

Basic Putting Lessons