Whether you’re playing with wind or just trying to avoid some low hanging obstacles, every once in a while you’ll need to hit a punch shot. A common thought is to simply club down – say, from a 9 to a 7 – but lower-loft clubs have a tendency to produce more sidespin and therefore result in more misses. Knowledge of how to hit a proper punch will save you shots and stress on the course.
Adam Young breaks down an easy punch shot tutorial, but here are some of the keys:
- Play the ball back in your stance
- Place a little more weight on your front foot than in a normal shot
- Align your shoulders (or body line) slightly left to balance out the impact of shifting the ball back in your stance
A final swing thought from Adam: swing back and down as normal, but feel as if you slam on the breaks post impact.