Can anyone tell me how to hit a punch/knockdown fade/slice that goes about 150 yds?

[Bigvivec]

I want to add this shot to my bag...for punching out/under trees and bending it back into the fairway when there is a tree directly in front of me...I know the textbook punch shot...problem is that when I play the ball back in my stance it is really hard to leave the face open and get solid contact...my standard solid punch is a draw/hook...it is also hard to keep the ball down with an open face...have tried a three wood but the accuracy isn't tight enough...

Any ideas for iron punches?

[petermo]

If the lie is OK the easiest club to get a good cut on is the driver - I'll tend to use it in the above scenario by choking down on the shaft aiming well left of the target and then squaring the face to the target. A good firm swing is all that's needed to get the ball out low with a fairly quick fade. One thing - the ball comes out hot so allow for quite a bit of run. At the end of the day it's all feel and practise.

[Fileygolfer]

Don't try and hit a lofted club lower, hit a longer club easier.

[Darth Fader]

Take more club,dont hit the ball hard and place it in the back of your stance,that will keep it down

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by bigvivec

Can anyone tell me how to hit a punch/knockdown fade/slice that goes about 150 yds

That's an easy one for me. I usually hit that shot when I need a 200+ yard shot that lands softly and stays on the green.

When I have to hit that shot I choke down on a 5 iron (assuming a decent lie of course), aim left of the target, open the club face, play the ball back in my stance, use a very low takeaway and and swing through the ball with abbreviated follow through. If I've executed my plan correctly the result is a low shot the travels about 125-130 yard in the air and the last 20-30 yards on the ground.

By the looks of the course you showed us, this shot would definitely have to be in my bag to score well there.

[Bigvivec]

Originally Posted by Darth Fader

Take more club,dont hit the ball hard and place it in the back of your stance,that will keep it down

Like I said, standard knockdowns are no problem...my issue is that I want a smoking hot screamer that will break 30 yards right...I like the driver idea...would take some practice, but the thing is the only club that gets it done is the two iron and I don't carry it all the time...big issue is that opening the face adds loft and I don't want it any higher than I stand...really a speciality shot, but one I'd like to have all the same...will practice with the driver...

[Johneli]

I still carry a 1 iron. It's the club for that shot. Square clubface, open stance, take it back outside your normal backswing plane, hitting down on it. Trouble is, most guys don't carry a one iron.

[Bulls9999]

This is my specialty, as my normal shot is a fade and I have learned to control it (but I can't hit a draw anymore, even if my life depended on it).

I have two types of fades, the uniform circular shot (open stance, open face, and striking the ball by cutting across it out-to-in across the line) give a fade from the get go. My other is a less open stance, but striking the ball with the face standing up but open....striking with the open face without a cutting across the ball motion (even though the club face is angled open and will do the 'cutting' by itself) I believe allows the ball to go out straight for a distance, and then finally the side spin from the open face brings on the fade. I do this last one when I'm trying to go around a tree that is still 100 yrds out there and I need to go out about that far before it starts to fade. For me, I have the ball more in the middle of my stance as if I'm using a 7-iron, although I'm better at fading with irons that don't have as much loft, just learn to control the swing (say, 4, 5, 6-irons). I don't usually try fades with high lofted clubs as I'm more apt to do fades on purpose for distance/approach shots. There is a sense of gratification when a playing partner says "wow, you were 20 yrds off the fairway and you sent that out towards the opposite rough before it started turning and you ended up rolling up the middle of the fairway onto the green".... gratification is walking towards the ball with a wide smile.

Now draw....someone needs to visit with me how to do that again (I used to be able to)...and lately, can't do it at all.

Originally Posted by Bigvivec

I want to add this shot to my bag...for punching out/under trees and bending it back into the fairway when there is a tree directly in front of me...I know the textbook punch shot...problem is that when I play the ball back in my stance it is really hard to leave the face open and get solid contact...my standard solid punch is a draw/hook...it is also hard to keep the ball down with an open face...have tried a three wood but the accuracy isn't tight enough...

Any ideas for iron punches?