Tom Long – Golf Professional
This shot is very useful from around the greens – especially when you are playing on firm and fast green surfaces or have an uphill slope to contend with between you and the flag.
I normally advocate playing this shot with an 8 or a 9 iron however once you have become comfortable with the technique you can also play it with a wedge.
The important thing to do is practise and get used to how much run (overspin) will be left on your golf ball after it has bumped into your chosen point short of the putting surface.
Ball position: Photograph 1 shows a narrow stance with my body weight favouring my lead leg 60/40. The ball is positioned opposite of my right big toe. This ball position will ensure that you find the ball before the turf and will fire the ball out lower than normal.
Photograph 2
Shows – level shoulders – my right shoulder is not lower than my lead (left shoulder)
- My left wrist is facing the target
- There is a slight shaft lean towards the target
Photograph 3
You will see that my hands have moved back to hip high, but I have not hinged my wrists – this ensures that the wrists stay passive on the through swing and don’t release to add loft to the club. You will want to feel that your hands stay ahead of the clubhead on both backswing and throughswing.
The throughswing – feel that you are pulling the club through into impact. Ensure that you find the ball first and stop your follow through at a similar distance to the length of your backswing – see photograph 4
