When hitting a punch shot you want to select a low lofted club like a 4 or 5 iron to help minimize the height of the ball once you hit it. To his a punch shot you will need to place the ball in the back of your stance. You will want to choke down on the grip just a little bit so the club is not fully extended from your hands.

When attempting a punch shot it is best to use a hand position that is known as the forward press. This simply means your hands are pressed forward in front of the ball. You will want to take a half to three-quarters swing and a half to three-quarters follow through after striking the ball.

Punch shots are ideal in shallow rough and pine straw from the woods. Do not attempt a punch shot from the deep rough because it is harder to control and likely you will chunk it.

Have you ever watched a professional hit a golf ball with a mid to high iron? Odds are you will see them hit a huge divot. I am talking something the size of a small animal pelt goes flying through the air 10 feet in front of them. You might wonder why when you hit a divot the ball doesn’t fly into the sky? You might wonder why when you hit a divot the ball was hit flat and only goes 100 yards instead of 170. Today’s Golf Tip of the day will teach you how to create the proper divot.

Unlike most of you, professionals make their divots in front of the ball not behind it. When you make a divot behind the ball you will chunk it. When you make a divot in front of the ball you will launch it high into the sky.

You can tell a lot about a divot: such as alignment. If your divot is pointing directly at your target, then you had an excellent swing hitting the ball square. If the divot is pointing slightly to the right of the target, then you have an open swing.

Now to the important question: How do you make a divot in front of the ball? It is really quite simple, but it requires a lot of practice. You need to get your hands forward in your swing. Your hands should cross the ball before the club does.

A way to practice making divots in front of the ball is to line up at the driving range like you are taking a shot and place a tee about 2-3 inches in front of the ball. And leave the tee raised about an inch. Your goal is to hit that tee. Try to knick the top of it and make it fly up. If you take a few swings and do not hit the tee, then you are still keeping your hands back.

Keep practicing this many times until you can successfully make a proper divot.