Golf Tips: Finish Dictates Height of Shot

There are many times when being able to control the launch angle or height of a golf shot is important, if not required by a situation on the course.  Golfing in the wind for instance, would best be done with a low ball flight to keep the ball from being pushed off line.  Some scenarios where a high ball flight might be needed would be in the case where the shot must fly over a tree or perhaps carry high over a bunker and land softly on the green. The finish dictates the height of your shot So how does one take a given golf club and control the height of a particular shot?  The finish of the golf swing can have a huge bearing on the height or trajectory of the shot.  Generally speaking, the swing's finish level and the shot's launch angle are synonymous. Finishing low after impact will tend to produce a ball flight lower than the regular launch angle with practically any club but the putter. "Punch" shots or low finishing swings are great for windy golf, links golf, or punching out from under trees. Try it.  Rather than finishing with a high "Ernie Els" like swing, keep the club head as low as you can after impact.   Stop the swing at about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way through a standard finish.  It may take some practice, but you'll soon find that you have a new low shot in the bag. Conversely, finishing high will get the ball launched at a higher angle.  This higher shot is great for carrying trees, riding a tail wind or just making sure a shot lands softer on the green. Try it.  Take the same club you used in the finish-low drill and do the opposite.  Finish with higher hands and arms.  Exaggerate the height of the finish and see if the ball flies higher.  This too may take some practice to get used to, but once you figure it out you will have added the high shot to your arsenal. 40 clubs in the bag?  Is that legal? Once you've got the low and high finishes and shots down, you've literally taken one club and turned it into three.  By manipulating the height of the shot, you can control distance even more or perhaps use the contours of the hole or course conditions to a bigger advantage.  These easy swing adjustments even work with the driver.  Mastering the low, high and regular shots of the 13 clubs in the bag other than your putter, could increase your club total to 40!