Hitting a lower trajectory?

[Lemay427]

This season I am wanting to try different techniques to help my score a little. I have been watching the pros come in at pins with a lower ball flight and they still have the spin to stop it. I tried to decrease loft at impact (hitting more down on it) but I am ballooning it. I know this is because I am putting more backspin on the ball and its catching in the wind. Anybody have any tips for acheiving a lower ball flight and still getting the neccesary spin?

My assumption is that I shouldnt come down on the ball too much but come through with a decrease of loft?

Any thoughts or help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[hawkeye]

I'd be interested in responses to this as I am struggling to keep the ball down.

I hit down on the ball in a big way - i come at it very steeply. The ball goes way up! When I hit punch shots (try to at least!) I put the ball urther back, reduce how much i cock my wrists, make a 3/4 swing or less, and try to sweep the club back rather than "lifting" the club up (what i currently do - very steep).

I'm going to the range tonight so hopefully there'll be some more tips here before then!

[BritBoy]

take your wrists out of the shot. This should help keep a lower flight

[golf_junkie27]

This season I am wanting to try different techniques to help my score a little. I have been watching the pros come in at pins with a lower ball flight and they still have the spin to stop it. I tried to decrease loft at impact (hitting more down on it) but I am ballooning it. I know this is because I am putting more backspin on the ball and its catching in the wind. Anybody have any tips for acheiving a lower ball flight and still getting the neccesary spin?

I read an article by Zach Johnson regarding low shots. He said to envision a park bench in front of you. As you are swinging through the ball, you want the club to stay low, as if you were finishing underneath the bench.

Give it a try and see if it works.

[Raidermatt]

Here's what I do when I want to keep the ball low through the wind or under a tree:

1- Play the ball back in my stance.
2- Set my hands ahead of the ball.
3- Try to maintain that wrist angle through the backswing and follow-through.
4- Focus on making a low sweeping swing.
5- Take about a 3/4 backswing.

One thing I fight with this is keeping the swing nice and relaxed while still maintaining the wrist angle. When I do misfire, it's almost always a hook.

[joseywales]

I concentrate on two things: 1) Like others have said, don't flip your wrist or release the club after impact. Really try to hit the ball with the back of your lead hand.
2) Try to stay down and don't come up and out of the shot with a high follow through like a normal shot. This will help the ball stay down and keep a lower trajectory.

[geezer]

Take an extra club (swing easier, less spin on the ball therefore it won't go as high)
Play it back in your stance.
Also I like to saw off my followthrough to about shoulder height (watch Tiger hit a stinger and you'll know what I mean)
Think sweep (you still want to hit down firmly but not quite as much as normal) Long shallow divots *hopefully*

[JackieTreehorn]

I had the same problem throughout high school and college and you should definitely try to learn to hit the ball lower. I was using Ping Eye 2's and probably regular flex shafts with a fast swing speed for the longest time. I used to hit mile-high iron shots...pretty hard to control.

I tried these tips listed above (specifically keeping the ball a little more back in my stance and hands ahead at address), but the big change came when I got blade irons and extra-stiff shafts, and an extra stiff shaft on my driver. I am convinced that a lot of cavity back clubs like Ping Eye 2 launch the ball too high for good players.

I like my trajectory control now all the way down to PW, but I still want to get my sand wedges lower...

[DBake]

Hitting it low is boring.

[TGMTeacher]

1) play the ball back in your stance.

or

2) use a less lofted club and make a shorter swing.

[kehanra99]

Hitting it low is boring.

BRILLIANT!

[Lemay427]

good tips... thank you


im going to try and get the wrists out of it and take more club. I'll see how this work later this week when the weather clears.

[DBake]

1) play the ball back in your stance.

Do both of these and thats how it is done.

[fusioncal]

This is weird as I've been trying to enlightened myself to produce higher ball flight. I've been a very low ball hitter. How low? It's like the half of your normal ball flight.

But I'm beginning to get over it and I think I can give some inputs on doing what I did.

First of all you definitely have to hit down on the ball, well that's how you hit good irons, isn't it? Just let the loft do the work. Get the feeling that you're hitting down the turf and actually take divot about 3 inches in front of the ball.

Secondly, which I'd done for few months, is my right arm (I'm a RH golfer) always finished at shoulder high or slightly above the chest, but due to momentum thing it actually finished at around my ear's high. The key in doing this is to stop your swing (don't let it finish) just after the club head impacts the ball.

Third, just watch the ball takes off lower than normal, penetrating and spins like crazy.

Hope my experience helps.

[Lemay427]

hitting down on the ball doesnt mean the shot will be low. i hit down on it and harder i hit down i produce more backspin, which sends the ball higher than normal. my main focus on hitting it lower was watching the pros bring in their under 100 yard shots in real low and checking them up. it seems that they can control distance because they arent worried about having the ball spin back on them. i watch tiger just check his approach shots in perfect while others send it in high and they spin it back to much (what i do). it makes sense if you look at the angle the ball is coming in at. if the ball has the same amount of spin regardless if you hit it low or high, the lower ball will less likely spin back as it coming in with a more penetrating ball flight. it will just check up, which is key when your trying to master the wedges.

[Johstan]

I took several lesson from our local pro last year to address that issue. He had me tee the ball lower. It seemed to work for me.

[fusioncal]

hitting down on the ball doesnt mean the shot will be low. i hit down on it and harder i hit down i produce more backspin, which sends the ball higher than normal...it makes sense if you look at the angle the ball is coming in at. if the ball has the same amount of spin regardless if you hit it low or high, the lower ball will less likely spin back as it coming in with a more penetrating ball flight.

I agree with you, but if I may I would like to add that low trajectory ball flight is produced with low finish (it's like you're holding off). Moreover, the emblem/logo of your glove move towards the target more instead of going up during the beginning of follow through/after impact.

Similar concept with bunker shots. You finish high to get the ball out higher and you finish low to get lower trajectory.

I took several lesson from our local pro last year to address that issue. He had me tee the ball lower. It seemed to work for me.

I thought the ball is in the fairway as we speak?