Lesson 3

SHORT GAME SERIES FOR PGC CLUB (by Graham Webster)

Lesson 3 – The Lob Shot

The first thing one must remember when playing a short shot to a green, is work out what the distance is to get the ball onto the green and what distance you have remaining to the hole. This will determine which shot you should play.

The Lob Shot

When one misses the green and the ball is in a position where there is very little green to work with as the pin is located near the edge of the green or you have a bunker to carry. You will only have one shot option to play if you want to get the ball close to the hole. This will be the Lob Shot.

A Lob Shot is played by, pitching the ball almost all the way to the hole.

Club selection is important. You should play the pitch shot with your Sand Wedge or Lob Wedge. Good results will be achieved with a club that does not have a great deal of bounce on the sole. This allows the club to get right under the ball even when the club face has been opened.

Start by standing with your feet about 30cm apart. Grip the club in the middle of the grip. This will give you good control and feel. The club face should be opened slightly to increase the loft and get the ball to lift quickly when struck. To open the club face, start with the club resting on the ground and open the face by turning the grip. Once you have the club in this position you can now grip the golf club. You must place your hands on the grip in their normal position but with the club-face open. Never open the club-face by turning your hands open as they will return to their natural position when you swing the club and the extra loft you are trying to achieve will be lost.

Your stance should be open to the target line with the leading edge of your club aiming at the target.

Bending forward, and keeping your head perfectly still, with your weight favouring your left side (for right handed players), swing the club back on a steep line. There is a fair amount of wrist movement when playing this shot. While having practice swings take notice of where the club connects with the ground. You should feel like your shoulders are rotating around your neck.

When you move forward and take your stance to play the ball, make sure the ball is positioned in a similar position to where you were connecting with the ground when you had your practice swings. The position of the ball should be about the middle of your stance.

Work out how far you have to swing back to hit the ball a certain distance (this should be practised on the range prior to playing a round). This shot is very much a feel shot. Focus on the point on the putting surface where you would like the ball to land. The ball after landing will run a minimal amount.

You can estimate the pitching distance by how far you swing the golf club backwards on your back swing. Always use this method for working out the pitching distance. Never use power to differentiate between hitting the ball further or shorter as this is difficult to judge.

When you have mastered the action, practice this shot hitting balls to different distances on the practice green. Doing this will create what you are going to get on the golf course, which is one chance at playing the required shot.

You will soon start to get the feel of the swing and once your confidence lifts you will start to chip balls very close to the hole.

If you need further help e-mail us with your contact details and the area where you live, and we will send you details of your nearest PGA Professional who will be more than willing to help you with individual lessons or equipment advice.

Watch out for the next lesson in the series.

The Bunker shot…