Keeping The Ball Low

[Fish]

This shot really costs me at times, even when I accept I have to take my medicine and come out at an angle or sideways but under some low branches, sometimes as low as 3ft, I still always hit the underside of a branch!

I have the ball in the back of my stance, I use a 4 iron or 5 at most depending on the lie, I don't follow through and its a short sharp punching kind of shot with the club hardly raised to waist high on follow through and still I lift the ball!

I've tried hitting down on the ball and I've tried sweeping at it but whatever I try the ball still comes up more than I want.

Anyone else struggle with this shot and any idea's on some drills or other options to try different?

 

[golfdub]

I put the ball way back in my stance , leave the face just a tiny bit closed and try not to get under it to much.
This works for me

 

[Tommo21]

You want to get it below three feet..............big ask.

 

[USER1999]

Carry an old one iron. Next to impossible to get one of these off the ground without a tee.

 

[Doh]

Try closing the face of a fairway, way back in your stance. I sometimes use my 3 wood for this if I need to keep it really low.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Try not going there in the first place
Easier said than done sometimes

I have the ball back in my stance and de loft the club by slightly bending the wrist
It's this wrist action that keeps the ball low ,
Works for me anyway

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Most folk forget the old basic 'watch the ball' and look up to early.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

This shot really costs me at times, even when I accept I have to take my medicine and come out at an angle or sideways but under some low branches, sometimes as low as 3ft, I still always hit the underside of a branch!

I have the ball in the back of my stance, I use a 4 iron or 5 at most depending on the lie, I don't follow through and its a short sharp punching kind of shot with the club hardly raised to waist high on follow through and still I lift the ball!

I've tried hitting down on the ball and I've tried sweeping at it but whatever I try the ball still comes up more than I want.

Anyone else struggle with this shot and any idea's on some drills or other options to try different?

I find using a hybrid works well, 3 feet tho' that is very low if you want any distance.

 

[Birchy]

Try knifing a wedge, that never gets high off the ground :thup:

As said above 3ft is probably just a get it out job imo, cant think about too much distance after that.

 

[Lump]

Not going to happen. 3ft is very low, much less of a hit out and more of a poke out if you need to go under something so low.
Only extra advice I would give is I always aim to hit off the toe to get the ball coming out dead (rather than spinning off a decending blow)

 

[Jay Gee]

I sometimes play this shot with a variety of clubs, but I have no idea how I do it!

 

[mcbroon]

Depending on your lie, you could use your putter...

 

[FairwayDodger]

For me this shot depends on how far you need to hit it.

If it's a short bump out of trouble I take a 7 iron, ball back in the stance, close the face a bit, short back swing with "hinge and hold" type short - no wrist action at impact. Might play it with a 6 or 5 iron if I needed to bump it a bit further.

If you need even more distance that won't work because you need to hit it harder and the ball will rise more than desired. For a shot that I want to keep that low but hit as far as possible it's a 3 wood, ball probably mid-stance, curtailed backswing and follow through, quiet wrists (possibly no wrist action at all - it's a trade off between trying to sneak a few extra yards at risk of gaining height). Just a dunt and run! Obviously, you need a decent lie to attempt this otherwise the ball isn't going to come out hitting it like that.

Many ways to skin a cat, as they say - I don't see players many trying the three wood method but it works for me.

 

[mab]

For me this shot depends on how far you need to hit it.

If it's a short bump out of trouble I take a 7 iron, ball back in the stance, close the face a bit, short back swing with "hinge and hold" type short - no wrist action at impact. Might play it with a 6 or 5 iron if I needed to bump it a bit further.

If you need even more distance that won't work because you need to hit it harder and the ball will rise more than desired. For a shot that I want to keep that low but hit as far as possible it's a 3 wood, ball probably mid-stance, curtailed backswing and follow through, quiet wrists (possibly no wrist action at all - it's a trade off between trying to sneak a few extra yards at risk of gaining height). Just a dunt and run! Obviously, you need a decent lie to attempt this otherwise the ball isn't going to come out hitting it like that.

Many ways to skin a cat, as they say - I don't see players many trying the three wood method but it works for me.

This is pretty much exactly what I do, but sometimes I close the face a lot to hit a very low running hook.

<3ft and any real distance is not a shot that any but the very best have in their toolkit...

 

[patricks148]

Driver....

i bet you won't be able to hit that more than 3 feet off the ground

 

[timchump]

i'd go for a punchy wood or hybrid

 

[Fish]

OK thanks, had the very thing happen in my winter league match this morning but very different circumstances.

On the fairway, big overhanging branch around 8-10ft high, I'm a little way back but too close to get over it and there are just more branches then anyway! Can't fade around it, too risky, so need to punch a low long-ish shot if possible still on my line under these branches down the fairway.

Got my 4 iron, back in the stance almost level with my back foot, even closed what little face I had and with no follow through punched the shot and guess what......it lifted and hit the underneath of the branch and finished directly under the branch! OK I'm clear now but its a loss of a stroke at least so really need to find a solution, even if its just 80-100 yards!

Got a 19 degree hybrid arrive today (thanks Richart) so will try and use this and see if it works but so annoying and frustrating.

On a good note, I still won my winter league match :thup:

 

[mikee247]

From what you saying there I would imagine that you coming in v steep from your backswing. As you are doing everything else correct and as suggested I would try and shallow your approach to the ball and just turn your wrists over closing your club face as you hit it and will produce a low draw/hook but should keep it low. Remember to push your hands through the ball however to finish the shot and ensure commitment