Hitting a lob shot can be an effective tool to add to your short game, so here’s how to hit it perfectly!
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Hitting a perfectly executed volley is a sight to behold, with the ball being launched high into the air before landing without much movement.
While lob shots are fun to hit, they can certainly be difficult – especially if you’re an amateur golfer, as a lot can go wrong when trying to hit this short game shot.
But with good technique and a little practice, you can hit fantastic shots – and I show you how below.
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1. Use only when necessary
Hitting a ball shot is scary for a number of reasons, so only use it when you really need to.
Since the ball travels so high and only a short distance, you need to use a larger swing size – which adds a lot of risk. If you use this big swing and don’t hit the ground right (or make bad contact), there’s a chance you’ll fly it and see a poor shot result.
2. Take your highest club
You probably want to use your highest club when hitting a lob shot, so, yes, now is the time to use a lob wedge (usually between 58-60 loft degrees). Using one of these clubs, the increased loft can be enough to execute the shot you want without adding too much risk.
3. Swing size controls distance
Your swing size will greatly control the distance a ball hits. Bigger swings are naturally faster and will produce more distance, while smaller swings will lead to a shorter result.
As mentioned above, for a lob shot, you’re usually taking a bigger swing to produce a bit more speed – which also helps with spin and lift.
4. You must fall to the ground
It is imperative that you hit the ground when you hit the ball, which ensures that the ball goes into the air. If you don’t, you risk catching it, watching the ball fly down and away into the high, soft ground.
To make contact with the ground, be sure to use a good golf stance and extend your arms downward.
5. Use the puff
For those unaware, the rounded end of your pitching wedges is called bounce, which allows you to hit the ground so the club slides instead of digging.
In order to use the bounce properly, place your club flat on the bottom of it so that the bounce rests on the ground. This will help it slide and minimize the risk of chipping or impacting the skull.
I personally like to see that the markings on my club grip are centered and never twisted or closed to the target. Also, having the right wedge grind and bounce rate are important – here’s why I love being equipped by TrueSpec to confirm that I have the correct clubs in my bag.
6. Lean the handle back
At the address, always avoid tilting the shaft of the club forward when hitting a ball shot, as this will reduce the loft of the club in your hand. Remember, you want the highest club, so I recommend backing it (or opening it) even more if you need to.
So make sure the bottom of the club is pointing towards the center of your body. Leaning back will help increase loft and bounce, and may just be the only adjustment you need to hit a higher ball that lands quickly.
7. Open the face
A more advanced golfer may choose to open the face just slightly by rotating the grip away from the target, which helps increase loft and bounce. When you open the clubface, the ball will automatically go higher and shorter – but that also requires a longer swing for a comparable distance, so keep that in mind.
If you choose to open the face, it tends to aim away from your target, so be aware of this and aim your face towards the target when approaching the ball.
8. Sub-release
A popular method to use to produce a beautiful ball shot is the under release – where you allow the clubhead to pass the handle on the forward swing so that the club shaft is tilted away from the target at impact.
This should feel like you’re almost turning your forehand right before impact and really dropping the clubhead, which helps increase loft and bounce.
9. Take practice swings
Since hitting the ball often requires using a longer swing from a shorter distance, I highly recommend taking a practice swing or two. This will help you feel the bottom of your club hitting the ground, as well as understand the size and pace of your swing.
10. It’s better to be tall than short
For most amateur golfers, it can be difficult to convince yourself to take a big enough swing when hitting a putt. But remember that you have more loft in the club, so you’ll need to increase your backswing to avoid going short.
I always remind myself that it’s better to be long than short on a lob shot, which helps me avoid any tall grass or sand I try to cover in front of me. It’s also a good way to convince myself to take a big enough swing.
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