Perfecting the Punch Shot: 7 Actionable Tips & Drills for Better Shots
Punch shots in golf are often thought of as a way to get out of trouble. Although this can be the case, a punch shot is helpful for more than just scrambling your way around the course.
The punch keeps the ball low and controlled. It allows for a straighter approach and can be an easier shot to hit under pressure.
If you have not learned how to hit a punch shot, now is the time.
We will give you all the best tips to ensure that your punch shot is crisp, accurate, and at the correct distance. You can also use some of these punch shot drills as a great way to practice.
Better Punch Shots (Key Takeaways)
If you don’t have time to run to the range right now and work on your punch shots, save this post. Here are a few of the most important things to know about how to hit a punch shot.
- To hit great punch shots, your hands should be ahead of the ball at address and then ahead again at impact.
- A flexed lead wrist will ensure a more downward strike and a lower and controlled shot.
- Putting weight forward on a punch shot will keep the golf ball flight down and allow for a steeper angle of attack.
- Don’t forget to use punch shots from various locations around the course, not just when getting the ball out of trouble, with a clear view to a green the punch is a safe and reliable shot to consider.
7 Ways to Hit Better Punch Shots
Here are 7 ways to hit better punch shots. One thing to remember here is that when you practice hitting punch shots, you’ll want to start recording your distances.
See how far your 8-iron or 6-iron punch shot goes.
When you get to the course, you can use these distances to hit the punch close to the hole.
1. Forward Shaft Lean
To hit a great punch shot your hands need to be ahead of the golf ball when you make contact.
This forward shaft lean keeps the ball a little lower and if you strike it with a square clubface you end up with this penetrating low ball flight that cuts through the wind and heads right to the target.
To ensure you have forward shaft lean at impact, set up with some forward shaft lean for the punch shot.
Remember that this forward push does delof the club. Therefore it won’t be quite as forgiving. So you’ll want to push the hands forward just a bit no need to exaggerate it.
2. Take a Narrow Stance
Take a slightly narrower than usual stance. When you do this, you’ll have better balance and control throughout the swing. In addition, you’ll be less likely to take a big swing (which is a good thing).
If your feet are normally shoulder width apart for a standard shot start by taking a little half step in with each foot. If that doesn’t feel like enough you can move them closer.
3. Flexed Lead Wrist at Impact
Another important element to hitting a great punch shot is having the lead wrist flexed at impact.
If the lead wrist is flexed, the clubface will be square or even just slightly shot, allowing you to hit a straight and solid punch shot.
Many golfers get to a position where the lead wrist is more extended at impact. This opens the club face, and it adds loft. You won’t get the controlled punch shot you need.
You can wear your HackMotion swing analyzer to ensure your lead wrist is flexed. As the club approaches impact, it should move from extended to flexed.
This action will help you on full-swing shots as well as these shorter punch shots.
4. Move the Ball Back in The Stance
Place the ball slightly back from the center in your stance. If you have it too far forward, your angle of attack will not be steep, and you may catch the ball more on the upslope.
I find that most amateur golfers exaggerate this position of playing the ball back in the stance.
Instead of having it all the way off the back foot, think of it more as just one or two ball lengths behind center.
That is enough to catch the ball with a lower ball flight and create that penetrating punch shot.
5. Shorten the Backswing
A shorter backswing, about ¾ length, is all you need for punch shots. With this shortened backswing, you will find the ball easier to make contact with, it stays lower, and you will have an easier time maintaining that forward shaft lean.
You can take videos of your golf swing to know how far back you are taking the club. However, another way is to first start with what feels like a half swing to you. Then gradually increase just a bit.
There is no need for the club to go to parallel at the top when hitting a punch shot.
6. Controlled Follow-Through
The follow-through should be abbreviated and controlled. One of our favorite drills with HackMotion is this hit hard then stop drill that Rob Cheney teaches. You’ll be able to control ball flight and clubface angle and it helps improve overall awareness of the club.
You can use this drill to help you learn how to control the follow-through position and keep the ball flight low.
If you let your club move to that high extended finish, there’s a chance you could hit your punch shot too high.
7. Keep Your Weight Forward
When setting up to hit a punch shot, put more weight on your front foot. You want about 65% of your weight on that lead foot. Again, all we are trying to do here is promote a downward strike.
On the backswing, you will still pivot, turn, and transfer weight, but keeping your weight forward ensures the club is traveling in the right direction.
Experiment with this on the range and use it any time you want to lower that ball flight a bit.
Drills to Hit Punch Shots
Now that you have the basics of how to hit a punch shot, here are a few drills you can use as your practice.
Pitch, Punch, Knockdown Drill
One of the issues that golfers face when hitting punch shots is having some awareness of where the club is.
This pitch, punch, and knockdown drill will help you know where the club is and give you a great way to practice it on the range.
Confidence in the Punch Shot
This video offers some great tips on how to develop confidence in your punch shots. Most golfers face the problem of lack of experience. Add some punch shots to your practice routine.
Final Thoughts
You now have all the tools you need to hit great punch shots. The great thing about the punch is that it can also help you learn to make better contact with your irons.
You’ll need to work on that lead wrist position to get this down, and the HackMotion is the perfect way to do that.
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