You're Correct!

We have all been in the situation where we have hit a tee shot into the trees and need that low shot out to either get the ball back into play or even be more adventurous and hit towards the green.

All golfers need to be able to play this low punch shot because whether you are a low, mid or high handicapper, we all make a visit to the trees, some more regularly than others.

The low punch shot can also be extremely useful on windy days. Elite players enjoy playing this shot as it requires a high skill set to execute this shot. The player can take an extra club or two, put the ball further back in their stance and hit a half swing. The half swing produces less speed and therefore less back spin which in turn creates less height on the shot and due to the ball being positioned further back in the stance it increases the angle of attack, producing a strong, penetrating ball flight to pierce any disrupting wind.

The ball can also be played further back in the stance when playing chip shots. Many high handicapped golfers tend to use this shot with a 7 or 8 iron as it is possibly one of the easiest shots to play once around the green. The ball goes further back in the stance and the technique is simplified to that of almost a putting stroke. The strike on the ball is relatively consistent as the balls position will aid the players angle of attack so all the player needs to do is approximately judge how hard to hit it. The ball will leave the club face with very little back spin and roll approximately two thirds of the distance of shot.

If a player needs to hit a high ball flight the ball must be positioned further forward in the stance to produce lots of back spin from a shallower angle of attack. Once the ball is positioned back in the stance, although it will create lots of back spin, the angle of attack will cause the ball to come out low. The velocity of the shot will determine the overall height of the ball. As the ball is back in the stance, the club face will also become de-lofted at impact, causing the ball to come out low. The back in the stance ball position is ideal for the low shots and the forwards in the stance ball position should be used for the higher shots.

The ball being placed further back in the stance may cause a lower ball flight. However, the thin shot is not one to be worried about in this case. The ball being placed back in the stance will create a steeper swing which in turn should allow the club to dig down into the golf ball. Topped shots should not arise from this situation.

Whether a golfer is learning the sport or is an accomplished player, they need to learn or have the ability to learn how to adjust the balls position in the stance to suit particular clubs or shot selections.

The 14 golf clubs in your bag are all required to be played a little differently. For example, the drivers ball position should be just inside the left heel and the 8 iron in the middle of stance. If a player sets every club from the front of their stance then the ball will go too high with every club, which can also cause the swing path to be affected in order for some clubs to even reach the ball with a good connection.