Most of us think Golf Swing Tips for the How, Why, and When of Punch Shots are only useful when we are faced with hitting a shot into a strong wind. Mark Blakemore, a PGA professional, tells us in this article on his own website, PGAProfessional.com, that there are many reasons one might want to use a punch shot. Read his Golf Swing Tips for the How, Why, and When of Punch Shots and keep them in mind.
“Why would you want to hit a punch shot?”
“You see touring pros on TV hit punch shots all the time. There might be many reasons for hitting a punch shot, but the most common reasons are
- To keep the trajectory of the shot down lower than usual (handy in the wind)
- To have better feel for the force applied to the shot, distance control (handy when the specific yardage you need is between clubs)
- To decrease the amount of spin on the ball (assuming decent contact, the harder the ball is hit the more spin the ball will have on it – and good players don’t always want the maximum amount of spin on the ball)
- The backswing or follow-through are obstructed in some way (unavoidable at times when you find yourself in tree trouble)”
Golf Swing Tips for the How, Why, and When of Punch Shots
“How do you hit a punch shot?”
“Punch shots are usually played by somewhat more advanced players, as they are mainly about feel. Because they are about feel techniques probably vary a bit between individuals (just as do the names for the shot). But an easy way to think about it is that it is a partial shot (i.e., not a full swing). So, as an example, a common punch shot might begin with a backswing where the hands only reach shoulder-high and finish with the hands again shoulder high on the follow-through. It is also common to exaggerate the position of the hands forward (toward the target) to decrease the loft of the face a bit and keep the trajectory down.”
Blakemore makes the point that if you’re a beginner or high handicapper, you’re probably better off sticking to your regular game rather than possibly confusing yourself even more with these golf swing tips. However, if you have a good enough game and are confident in your skills, you may want to add these Golf Swing Tips for the How, Why, and When of Punch Shots to your repertoire.
I strongly recommend visiting his website, PGAProfessional.com. Blakemore has lots of practical, sensible tips for you there.
