We all know that golf shots can be divided into four different types, including putting, short-game, driving, and approach. Among these, which one do you think plays the biggest part in your overall score?
Many people might say it is putting or driving. However, it is actually the approach shot that affects your performance. In fact, it accounts for up to 40% of scoring advantages among many golf professionals.
In this post, we will show you some useful golf approach shot tips that can help improve the precision and performance of your golf game.
The importance of an approach shot in golf:
Among four types of shots in golf, approach shots are the broadest one. They include all shots which often begin at least 100 yards or more from the hole. In most cases, it does not take into account tee shots on par-5’s and par-4.
In simple words, an approach shot is the 2nd and 3rd shot from a fairway in a par-5 and par-4. Par-3’s does not often use this type of shot as you will need to hit the green off the tee shot.
Whether you are professional or an amateur player, approach shots are the most important part that will decide most of the scores and performance. Therefore, you can follow these simple golf approach shot tips to improve your game and lower your overall score.
1. Focus on alignment
Many golf beginners often try to improve the distance of their shot. This is good for most type of shots, except approach shots. Instead of focusing on distance, you need to focus on your stance and posture. It is very important to align your body properly as this will allow for better strength, precision, and flexibility when you hit the golf ball.
In fact, many golfers often take this aspect for granted and spend most of their time only practicing swings. Keep in mind that the wrong alignment would affect your overall performance, especially the distance and accuracy. Therefore, practice the alignment first is very important.
2. Measure the angle
An important thing to know when making an approach shot is the direction or angle from which you start. This will determine how you can sink the golf ball into the hole. Does the ground to the green look sloppy?
Take the overall landscape into consideration before beginning so that you can stay away from any water hazard or bunker. Also, decide where you want the misses to land, depending on your ball’s position in association with the pin. In general, they should land on an area which makes it more likely to hole out on the shot.
3. Make use of the wedges
One of the most useful golf approach shot tips is to make use of the wedges golf club. This is important if you want to participate and compete in higher tournaments. Wedges are without doubt the best irons for most approach shots.
Wedges are able to get the golf ball to fly and land on the fairway as they have more loft than other types of club. For a shot with the distance between 50 to 100 yards far from the green, the best option can be a pitching wedge. It would keep the distance of your shot in check, thus preventing the golf ball from flying too far from the green surface.
Be sure and to check out our post on Golf Wedges Explained Everything You Need To Know.
4. Figure out the average approach shot
To measure the average of your approach shots, you need to hit at least 40 to 60 golf balls with each club type. Eliminate the top five highest and lowest scores, then figure out the average score of the remaining ones.
The results will suggest the average distance that you would achieve with each club when making an approach shot. Knowing this information would be very helpful for you in selecting the right club type for different situations and games.
5. Select a suitable type of club
While wedges are often the best options for approach shots, your choice of club type can vary, depending on many factors. For a backspin, you might need 9, 8, or 7 irons, while a high approach shot often requires irons from 3 to 9.
It is important to understand how you approach each golf shot so that you could select the right type for maximized distance and accuracy.
The bottom line
With these simple golf approach shot tips, you can improve your overall performance and scores on the course. However, make sure to practice regularly as it is the key to precision and consistency for your shots. Once you have mastered this skill, everything will become much simpler to perform.
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