Controlling height

[nate doggy cat]

I have been looking around on GTU for a thread about height control. I am certain that there is probably one already, but i couldn't find any. I would just like to know how you are supposed to controll the height of your shots. Any idea?

[Martin Levac]

Re: Controlling height

Open the clubface to add loft. Close the clubface to reduce loft.

Place ball forward for more height, back for less height, adjust open or closed face accordingly.

Two examples.

The flop shot. Open the clubface, open the stance, cut across the ball with a flat sweeping motion, full swing. The result is a very short distance but a very high trajectory with very little roll after the ball lands. A situation where it would be useful is when sending a ball to the green from very close with an obstacle such as a sand trap between the ball and the green.

The punch. Close the clubface, ball back, hit the ball with a steeply descending blow, half swing. The result is a very low boring trajectory with lots of roll. A situation where it would be useful is sending a ball from under a tree to a target far away.

In all cases, the adjustments will also affect the distance you send the ball so select the club accordingly.

[BrianW]

Re: Controlling height

Good reply from Martin.

Loft on the clubface creates height and as suggested there are ways of creating more or less loft with individual clubs.

[nate doggy cat]

Re: Controlling height

Yes, I understand about opening and closing the club face. That is not what I am trying to change. I would like to increase my launch angle for all shots. How?

[BrianW]

Re: Controlling height

Backspin will produce height, this is created by the loft of the club, and how you contact the ball.

The further you place your hands forward at impact the more you remove loft from the clubface, likewise as you move them back you increase loft. Check your hands at address they should be just inside your left thigh with most clubs, each club is designed so that when the sole of the club sits behind the ball and square to target the shaft will assume the correct angle and loft. Clubs with lower loft are designed to create lower ball flight with less backspin, they should contact the ball with a more sweeping action due to their position more forward in the stance as the swing arc bottoms out. Mid to shorter irons more centre of stance so that you can hit down on the ball.

To get the ball up it needs to be hit down on so it gets pinched and compressed between the clubface and the turf, this generates spin as the ball decompresses and rotates back up the clubface through impact, the more loft the more spin can be generated, thus more height.

So: Club selection, hand position, ball position, ball contact all affect the height of the shot. Ball type will also have an effect but that's for another post.