Golf tip: Short cut to successful lobs

To hit a high, floating wedge over a bunker that stops quickly is a highly specialised shot.   Tour pros on TV make it look so easy but they don't show you the hours of practice we put in to achieve this perceived nonchalance.

I know from what you tell me on the forum and when amateurs visit me for a lesson that it's one of the toughest shots to master with any confidence and competence, so here's a short cut that may help you.

Normally, the lob shot is played by sliding the 58- or 60-degree wedge under the ball and holding the face open to a high finish. But there is another way to achieve the best results that many amateur golfers might find easier and involves a normal release of the clubhead.

Choose the club you would normally use to hit this parachute shot, take up your stance, and lay the face open as you might for a short bunker shot.  So far everything is the same but now, instead of taking your normal grip, place your left hand on the club (if you're a right-handed player) in a very 'weak' position - a little more under the shaft - making only one knuckle of the left hand visible at address or even less.

Make sure the right hand does not follow the left round the handle, but grips the club in its normal position.

This 'weak' grip encourages the hands to try and rotate and release the club as normal, but the sheer weak position of the left hand grip only permits the face to close a little and retains the loft.

Now, instead of having to artificially hold the club face open to create extra loft and hit a high shot, you can aggressively release the club, using your normal swing, knowing the weak grip will do all the work to keep the face from shutting and causing that dreaded duff shot.

Remember, open the clubface, weaken that left hand grip and swing normally. With just a little practice the ball will pop up for high shots which land softly, just like the pros.

John Hoskison is attached to the Newbury Golf Centre and plays on the European Seniors Tour.

For further information visit John's website at www.johnhoskisongolf.com

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