With a punch shot technique it is possible that something will go wrong along the way, even if you are doing your best to stick with our tips. So how do you know if your swing has gotten too steep to hit a solid punch shot? Watch for the following warning signs.
A deep divot. Of course, this is the best place to start. If you notice that you are taking deep chunks of turf out of the ground when you hit your punch shots, it is a safe bet that your downswing has gotten too steep. To correct this error, check to make sure you haven’t moved the ball too far back in your stance. You could also create a steep downswing through a lack of lower body rotation, so watch for this mistake as well. By turning your legs all the way through the shot, it will be easier to deliver the club in the correct manner.
Too much spin/ball flying too high. If you feel like you are doing everything right but the ball is still flying too high, you might be hitting down from too far above the ball. A steep downswing will lead to ample backspin, which is a great thing for standard iron shots – but not for punch shots. When your punch shots start to ‘balloon’ up into the air as they head toward the target, you might need to adjust in order to flatten out your swing plane.
Hitting the ball fat. Those swinging steeply down into the ball will often hit their punch shots fat. This is because there is very little margin for error between a solid shot and a fat shot when swinging down steeply. If you always feel like you are going to hit your punch shots fat, take some time to work on your technique and see if you can flatten your path properly.
The punch shot is one of the most valuable options you can have available in your game. If you know how to hit a solid punch shot, you will always have a place to turn when the conditions get tough, or when you get nervous. You might only use your punch shot once or twice when playing on a nice day – but you might use it on nearly every hole when playing in windy conditions. Take some time during your upcoming practice sessions to develop this shot and you will be a better golfer for the effort. We hope the advice that we have provided will go a long way toward helping you play beautiful punch shots. Good luck!
