5 Great Golf Tips For Performing The Punch
The punch shot will cut through windy conditions and lend your ball the distance it needs to keep your score nice and low. There are some subtle techniques involved in performing a proper punch shot and many of them have to do with stance and grip. Then there are the swing techniques which will determine whether your punch is ultimately successful. Let’s take a closer look at five of these.
- Ball position during your stance
- Where to place your weight
- Adjust your stance to accommodate your weight placement
- How hard you should hit
- Halt your follow through
The ball should be slightly off centre between your legs if a punch shot is to be performed. Make sure it lies ever so slightly towards the back so that your club—together with other techniques—can do what it must to make the punch shot.
Weight should also be very balanced, but slightly more weight should be placed on the left of your body. As you make your swing, this will change as per normal; but at address, be sure you have your weight properly distributed so that your body is twisted correctly to make the shot.
Your body will naturally reposition itself when you put some more weight on the left. Let this happen naturally and become comfortable with it. Your hips, waist and shoulders will now be in a position that accommodates your weight placement, and puts you in a position to punch the ball like a pro.
Although you punch the ball to achieve distance, you do not have to hit hard to do so. About 75-80% of your normal shot power can be used to make this shot so don’t pull your club all the way back before swinging. Hitting too hard may send the ball up too high and allow the wind to ruin your shot.
The most important part of the punch shot is in the follow through. Although you are pulling your club about 80% back on the upswing, it’s imperative that you don’t end the clubface at the same height in front. You should not follow through with a punch shot. Always stop the follow through at about 40% after the ball has been connected. Doing this correctly will send the ball cutting through the air nice and low and give it decent distance too.