PGA Tour player Tony Finau shares his tips for hitting incredible approach shots, focusing on different distances and different club choices.
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If there’s one pro golfer who knows a thing or two about the incredible swing, it’s Tony Finau. Sure, we know Finau is good with his driver, but it’s his approach stats that really separate him from his peers.
Look no further than this year’s stats, where Finau ranks No. 2 in SG Tour: Green Approacha key metric when it comes to hitting the greens in regulation and being in a better position to shoot low.
So what’s his secret when it comes to success in approach shots? In the video below (courtesy of Titleist’s YouTube channel), Finau offers a simple guide to dialing in your distances with different clubs—which should lead to fewer shots and lower scores in no time.
Tony Finau shares his tips for better approach shots
In the video, Finau tackles approach shots from different distances, going over how he plans the game and what helps him keep it close.
Approach shot of 140 meters
When the putt is in the middle of the green and Finau has 140 yards, he says it’s an opportunity to be aggressive and “try to land it almost close to the hole” — but the key is to understand the carry distances with your irons.
In this particular shot, Finau says he’s using a light wedge (although that doesn’t mean you will).
“I have my pitching wedge, which (I hit) somewhere between 145-150 yards, so I’m going to have to take it off a little bit,” Finau says. “I like to hit a little bit of fade, so I’m looking for it to be a little flatter from this distance and move from left to right.”
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What does success look like in this shoot for Finau?
“I would say anything from 20 meters and from that distance is a great shot.”
Finau then explains what he visualizes before hitting an approach shot from this distance with his wedge, saying he relies on “seeing a window.”
100 meter approach shot
Next, Finau tackles a 100-yard putt and discusses how he strategies to hit it into a pin in the middle of the green.
“On a 100-yard putt, I have my 56 degrees, which is about a 115-yard stock club — so (again) I have to take a little bit off that,” he explains. “I always like to fly the wedges, so fly down and fly something past the hole so that the crest brings it back to the needle.”
After his shot, Finau gives a tip on distance control, saying it’s easier to do without such a high ball flight.
“It’s easier to control the distance since it’s closer to the ground. I just see it flatter, and then on the green, there’s more spin (with a lower ball flight),” he says. “The higher you start it, there’s actually less spin. The lower you drop it, the more there actually is.”
Approach shot from approx
Every golfer knows that hitting shots from the fairway is preferred (and a little easier), but for a handicap like myself, it’s not always realistic to think that’s going to happen. What about hitting hard approach shots from roughs? Finau explains this later.
“You can predict the flight of the ball and spin a lot easier when you hit from short grass, but when you’re in the rough, you have to read the lie,” says Finau.
Since there are many different ways the ball can exit the rough. Finau says reading the lie and knowing the type of shot is critical to making good contact. So for his shot, he just wants to come out safe.
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“I’m not going to be too cute here or too creative in trying to fly it and stuff like that — those shots are more for the fairway,” Finau says. “(When hitting from the rough) the most important thing is good contact and just letting the ball do what it does.”
He adds that when hitting an approach from the rough, the ball will have less spin than it would from the fairway, so that’s a factor every golfer should consider when choosing their club and distance.
The shot of 25 meters
Finally, Finau shares how to hit a shot that stays on the green, with this particular shot requiring a 60 degree wedge given the elevated green and distance (25 yards).
“It doesn’t really allow for a lot of bump and run, so I’m going to have to fly something on the green,” he says. “That’s where I think it can be tricky for some amateurs, (but if you’re able to put the right amount of spin on it), you can get away with these types of shots.”
Finau then dives into how to hit this tricky type of court shot.
“You walk the ball first, with your weight on the lead side – which is always a must when you’re hitting a chip shot – and then you just let the ball and the club do the work for you,” he says. “When you’re shredding, you want everything to go on target. It just makes it a lot easier to get the ball and make that consistent shot.”
For those who struggle to keep their weight up front, Finau offers a simple fix – try elevating your trail legwhich forces you to balance all your weight forward and provides instant feedback.
“If you have a hard time lifting your trail foot as you chip, then you know you don’t have enough weight on that side of the lead.”
By using Finau’s tips above, not only can you hit approach shots from different distances, but you can save shots by getting up and down more often as well. Happy shooting!
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