Golf Teaching Aid - Hitting The Approach Shot
October 26th, 2009 | 
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There is no doubt that the approach shot to the green is one of the most important shots in your golf game. Hit it high and tight to the pin and you’re set up for an excellent birdie opportunity. Hit thin or fat and you’re set up for a bogey opportunity or even worse. This is why you need to spend time on the practice range hitting approach shots.
I see many higher handicap golfers struggle with their approach shots into the green. It’s understandable as this shot can be a little tricky, but you it certainly doesn’t have to get the best of you. Here is a golf teaching aid designed to help you improve your approach shots and begin hitting more greens in regulation. Let’s get started.
You have three basic approach shots during your round of golf. The chip shot, pitch shot and the flop shot. Of course there are variations to these, but we will stick to these three.
The Pitch Shot
This is the most common of the golf approach shots. Any time you’re 50-110 yards away from the green you’ll hit a pitch shot with your pitching wedge or sand wedge.
You will want to open your stance a little more than with your other golf shots. Be sure to line up with the ball in line with your back foot. You want to take a full swing when hitting a pitch shot. Avoid trying to get fancy and hit a half, or three-quarters shot. Time and time again you will hit the fall thin or fat. To reduce the distance the golf ball travels, choke down on the club a little. Practice on the range with distances. Let the golf club do the work, don’t try and steer the ball.
The Chip Shot
Next is the chip shot. With this shot you’re not looking to hit it a great distance. The idea behind hitting a chip shot is to hit it a short distance, and let the golf ball roll on the green to the hole. The optimum way is to hit the ball 1/3 of the way to the hole, and let it roll the other 2/3 of the way to the pin. Obviously, the chip shot is used when you have a lot of green in front of you to work with.
Use a less lofted club like a 7, 8 or 9 iron to hit this shot. Put the ball back in your stance and keep your weight on the left side. If you don’t you can easily hit the ball too hard and fly it past the green. You only want a half swing for this shot, and finish with a half follow through. Again, let the club do the work and don’t try and steer it toward the target.
The Flop Shot
I’ll tell you up front; this is a difficult shot to perfect. You see Phil Mickelson hit this shot and make it look easy, but he practices for hours every week on it. When you have to fly the golf ball over a sand trap, or a small tree, etc., the flop shot can be ideal. You’ll want to use the most lofted club you have, a 60 degree wedge if possible. This shot requires you to get the ball up as high as possible and have it drop down and stick where it lands. You must have a wide-open stance and hit under the ball. This shot will take a lot of practice, so don’t be frustrated when it doesn’t happen overnight. But, once you get it down it will come in handy on the golf course.
By spending some time on the golf driving range with these three different shots, you will improve your short game dramatically. You will soon be hitting more greens in regulation and lowering your golf score.
Terry Edwards
http://www.articlesbase.com/golf-articles/golf-teaching-aid-hitting-the-approach-shot-53032.html
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How to approach every shot?
How can I approach my shots better. I mean when I go to the golf course I tend to hit 2 or 3 balls at a time to set myself up with different lies and different obstacles to better my golf experience. I’ve only been playing for about a year now and my handicap has dropped from about an 11 or 12 to a 3 or 4 so I know what Im doing. I just don’t have the experience because I am all self taught to know mentally, like to have a mental check list. I know how to judge wind and all of that, but I want to go in full depth with every shot to make it count. The only time I hit a bad shot is because I don’t fully think it through and firmly believe that I am hitting the best possible shot every time. can anybody help me?
If you’ve improved your handicap that much already, you’re obviously doing something right. That said here are a few suggestions you may want to try to see if they’ll help you get even better…
* Play with people who are better than you - many golfers find that their level of play rises or falls to match their playing partners’ skills. If you know any scratch golfers, see if you can get at least a couple rounds a month in with them. The first couple times, pay close attention to what they do before, during, and after certain shots and see how that matches up with your behavior. Ask questions if you like, but remember that it’s not a lesson so keep the requests to a minimum.
* Visualize your shot completely - make the mental aspect a stronger part of your routine by imagining as much detail as you can about the shot you’re about to hit. Your practice swing, how it will sound and feel as you strike the ball, how the ball with fly (high arc or low line drive?), where it will land and how it will bounce, roll, or spin, go even as far as to imagine if you’ll need to replace a divot or not. Then step up and do it just like you pictured.
* Read up - head to your local library and browse through the golf section. There are tons of titles, some more valuable than others, but lots has been written about the mental side of the game. I haven’t read it, but I’ve heard many people recommend "Golf is Not a Game of Perfect" by Dr. Bob Rotella as a great starting place for getting your mind right on the golf course.
One last tip - you may want to stop playing multiple balls on the course, at least some of the time. If you get into the habit of dropping a couple, you’re getting away from the structure of competitive golf. If you can keep your practice rounds more like a performance round, you may find yourself focusing more - and scoring less.
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