Golf swing tips - 10: How to hit a punch shot

This is the tenth article in our ten of the best golf swing tips for beginners series.

The punch is a shot that starts off low and stays low on the target line (Fig.1).

There may be times when the wind is picking up or potentially you're hitting high lofted shots with too much shape, well the answer is to keep the ball low with a punch shot. So check out my five top tips...

1. Ball in the middle of stance

It's vital that if you need to keep the ball low, it needs to be in the middle or back of your stance so you're hitting down on the ball at impact which in turn reduces the loft of the club.

2. Majority of weight on left-hand side

Another way to hit low and down on the ball is to shift the majority of your weight on your left-hand side (Fig.2, for a right-hander). Having your weight distributed 50-50 would give you a regular ball trajectory.

3. Wrists forward

As well as having a majority of your weight forward, you also need to bring your wrists forward (Fig.2) to reduce the loft of the club at impact. Start with them ahead of the ball at address and impact.

4. Three-quarter backswing and short follow-through

Having only a three-quarter backswing will give you more control on any shot and especially for a low punch. It allows you to have a stable swing while you're transferring a majority of your weight on to your left-hand side.

5. Strong wrists at impact

If you have loose wrists then at impact the clubhead may be ahead of your hands, which would add loft to the shot. So have firm wrists and keep them ahead of the ball throughout the swing.

Want any more swing tips and cures? Then check out our instructional articles on...

1. How to cure a slice
2. How to cure a hook
3. How to cure a push
4. How to cure a pull
5. How to stop shanking the ball
6. How to stop duffing the ball
7. How to stop topping the ball
8. How to hit a fade
9. How to hit a draw

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