Being able to hit the ball high on demand is an essential tool in a golfer’s toolbox when dealing with the different situations that occur when playing a round of golf. You can hit your ball higher a few different ways, so which one is right for you? Watch the video below or read on to find out.
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Why would you want to hit the ball high?
Each and every shot we play out on the golf course asks a different question of our game. We play uphill, downhill, downwind, into the wind, over bunkers, under trees, to elevated greens and down hills, out of rough, off a tee, and so on. Instead of just practicing a standard shot from a good lie on the driving range a golfer would be better prepared to play golf if they knew how to manipulate the flight of the ball to match the situation in front of them.
There are plenty of times a golfer might want to hit the golf ball higher than normal:
- To go over an obstacle in their way
- When hitting to an elevated target
- When playing downwind for more distance
- To try to hit the ball close to a tucked pin
- To get the ball to stop quicker when landing
What needs to change to hit the ball high?
The launch characteristics a golfer can change in order to hit the ball higher are: Launch angle, Speed and Spin.
- All things being equal, hitting a ball with more loft will increase the launch angle and get the ball up in the air more quickly
- A ball hit with more speed will reach a higher peak height than when hit with less speed
- Increasing the amount of backspin the ball has will make the ball climb higher through the flight
When hitting different shots, a golfer can try to adjust 1 of the 3 characteristics or all 3 of them. It is always worthwhile for a player to spend some time on the range manipulating flight to see how much adjusting each individual launch characteristic moves the flight, and seeing which they have most success with.
Set up adjustments
A golfer can hit higher golf shots by changing how you stand to the ball:
- Moving the ball position forwards in the stance will shallow the angle of attack and increase the launch angle
- Opening the golf club face adds loft to the club, so will increase the launch angle
- Adjusting club selection and taking a higher lofted club and swinging faster will increase clubhead speed and spin
- Tilting the spine back away from the target will shallow the angle of attack and increase the launch angle
It is worth noting that doing these things TOO MUCH can affect where a golfer makes contact with the ball and the ground, so it is worth practicing to get the feel.
Swing feels to produce a high shot
A golfer can also hit higher golf shots by changing some inswing ideas:
- Lengthening the backswing will increase clubhead speed
- Feeling an earlier release with the wrists will deliver more loft to the ball at impact to increase launch angle
- Extending the hips and back through the release can shallow the angle of attack and increase the loft to boost the launch angle and increase clubhead speed
It is up to you, the golfer, to figure out which of these changes to make in order to increase the ball flight. Often golfers venture out on the course and attempt these shots without ever practicing them so choose the wrong adjustments to make which often costs them shots hitting the ground too early. It cannot be stressed enough to get out and practice this shot so you are comfortable when the situation arises in a tournament.
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