Fringe golf shots or shots not in the fairway involve golf tips for beginners that are different from the norm due to the high level of skill required You might be playing from high grass, from under a tree with low hanging branches, or from a severely sloping hill. Of course, since high handicappers nigh never practice this type of shot, we tend to end up with high numbers on these holes.

So it is necessary for newbies to memorize a new type of golf swing shot called a punch shot or sometimes called a knock-down shot. The punch is a weapon that can be used in save situations when you have to advance to try to keep your score down. This shot allows you to hit the ball in a low flight to a controlled distance in testing conditions via a kind of chopping gesture combined with a short swing follow through.

This golf swing is quite handy when you have hazards either over your head or at your feet and you need to be careful. The objective is to keep the ball at about 4 to 6 feet at the height of the trajectory. Your trouble spot could be low tree branches, high weeds, high winds with a narrow fairway…Whatever.

A good punch shot is a shot that has been practiced heavily by you, the user– know the distances that you can comfortably go by practicing regularly.

To get started with this shot, I just play the ball more in the back of my stance then bring the club 1/2 to 3/4 back, (play it about 3 inches further back than normal). Take one or two more club than your usual shot distance. As with other golf swing tips be sure to keep your hands ahead of the swing throughout the contact phase. Think of it as a really powerful chip shot.

So take more club, choke down and play the ball back in your stance. Keep the legs and waist area still and keep the follow through low. Virually all clubs can be “knock down clubs”, but do not play longer clubs with the ball too far back or you will end up with basically a long putt. Practice your distance because you’d be surprised how far a half shot like this can send the ball.

Final points to memorize: stand with narrow gap between feet, shift weight to leading leg, swing back as far as you think is necessary and drive it through low. The full swing in the punch shot is shorter than usual, and the arms stay closer to the body. A benefit of the ball being back in your stance is that you hit down on it more.

This shot works the same way with most clubs, but you may find different shot patterns (fades or draws) depending on the club and your natural golf swing tendencies. Through these golf tips for beginners you’ll begin to enjoy playing in the wind much more because learning the knock down shot definitely upgrades you as a golfer.

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Filed under: Golf • Golf Swing Tips

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