Punch Shot in Golf: 4 Steps to Beat the Trees and Breeze

In this article I will be talking about the punch shot in golf: what it is, how to hit it, and when it's best used.

If there's one thing I have a solid background in, it’s playing casual golf and having to use various shots to hit out from trees and other precarious positions on the course. The punch shot has often come in handy, especially when playing tree-laden courses, or links golf courses, before I fixed the slice on my driver. 

Key Takeaways

• Use a lower lofted iron to hit a punch shot from behind trees and other areas where you need to keep the ball low.

• Grip down, keep the ball closer to your back foot in your stance, and have your weight slightly forward.

• Shorten your backswing and follow-through to “punch!” the ball low with enough force to get under any obstacle and further past any rough to the fairway (or any safer lie).

• Punch shots can also be used for low trajectory in windy conditions and narrower fairways for more control. 

What is a Punch Shot in Golf?

In all my fond memories of using a punch shot, it is a shot when you find yourself in a position generally in the rough (or even further out of the parameters of the hole) where you have something in your target line blocking your next shot. 

In my experience, the most common is to have tree branches in my way when I am off the rough in the pine needles/forest or even if you are playing a hole and just happen to hit behind that one tree in the rough that is like a magnet, and branches are in your way.

The punch shot is hitting a very low trajectory ball to try and get under these obstacles with a lot of steam to roll out some distance to get yourself back into a better position on the hole for your next shot. Most of the time, it’s a “take your medicine” shot. 

How Do You Hit a Punch Shot?

Here are the 4 simple steps I recommend to hit a solid punch shot and get yourself back into play or into a good position for the next shot:

Step 1: Club Choice!

Almost every time I have hit a punch shot in my golf life, it has been using a 5 or 6 iron. The majority of the time, I use my 5 iron. It’s my lowest lofted iron, and I know I can keep the ball low through the air and control it well. I recommend a 5 or 6 iron for you as well. I have used my hybrids with a decent success rate before but stick to the lower lofted irons. 

You don’t want to use a 7, 8, or 9 iron, and DEFINITELY not any type of wedge, because you majorly increase your chances of hitting the ball straight up into the overhanging branches or whatever is in front of you that is making you hit a punch shot in the first place. 

Step 2: Stance and Ball Position

With my stance and ball position, I like to take a bit of a narrower stance than normal and have the ball slightly back towards my back foot. I would call it middle-back in my stance. This gives me much better control and the ability to hit downward to give me that excellent low trajectory under whatever trouble is in front of me. 

Step 3: Gripping Your Club 

I recommend that you grip down a bit on your club (hopefully a short iron) to give the most control over the shot. I generally leave about an inch or so of grip above my top hand, which gives me stability in my punch swing to make sure I don’t have to hit another one. 

Step 4: Short Backswing and Follow-Through

Aside from picking a lower lofted club and having the ball back in your stance, this is probably the most important step to execute the punch shot properly.

You MUST have a relatively short backswing and follow-through when hitting a punch. Your lower body should be nice and stable throughout the swing so you can smoothly, but in an abbreviated fashion, do both your backswing and follow-through. It will feel like a much quicker swing tempo.

The swing must be compact, preferably with your weight leaning a bit forward, so you get enough juice on the shot to hit it low but with enough force to get it under and away from further problems. 

Many times when I wasn’t great at the punch, I would focus so much on getting it under the tree branches (or any other obstacle) but did not hit it hard enough to get back on the fairway, and it would just end up in some deep rough on the other side of the tree.

The more you practice this contact, the better you will be. 

When Should I Hit a Punch Shot?

The most frequent time that I use a punch shot is when I have a tree in front of me with low hanging branches. I should probably use it in more scenarios because it can be a useful shot.  

Some of the main times to use a punch shot include:

• Under tree branches: If you need to keep the ball low because of tree branches in your face, this is one of the best times to use a punch shot. It may not just be branches, but the punch can also be used when you are in trees and need a more controlled shot to get out of the narrow woods.

• Windy!: This is not considered as often as it should be, but I started to hit the punch shot more when playing in windy conditions. The punch shot helps keep the ball in a more piercing trajectory under the wind and also gives me more control in the wind. 

• Tight Fairways: On occasions when I face more narrow fairways (usually tree lined), I will dabble in hitting a punch shot since I know I can control it better. It is a bit of course management to keep my ball from hitting into the woods.

• Strategically Laying Up: In some situations, positioning is more important than distance, especially when hazards or obstacles are in play. Using a punch shot allows you to strategically lay up and retain control over your ball's placement.

Another place that is useful to hit punch shots is when you're playing a traditional links golf course where there is high wind and danger beside all the fairways. The punch shot can line you up better strategically in a links style.

How Can You Practice the Punch Shot?

A large part of hitting a punch shot is obviously having control because if you play it a little loose, you run the risk of not hitting properly and either hitting the trees or just a flat out bad shot that you didn’t intend.

For the punch shot to go smoother, here are a couple of drills to get the technique more in your arsenal:

• Truncated Swing Drill: To gain better control over the punch shot, practice taking a shortened backswing and follow-through. This will help limit the height of the shot and promote a lower ball flight. 

• Ball Position: There may be times you need to hit it REALLY low, and you will understand the better ball positions needed to hit trajectories. During range sessions, try hitting a punch from a different ball position (mid to further back) in your stance. 

What are Some Mistakes When Hitting a Punch Shot?

One mistake I often see in punch shots is over rotation of the body and shoulders during the swing. This leads to less control and consistency in the shot. 

The punch shot needs a controlled swing, so I keep my arms closer to my body and rotate my shoulders just enough to generate good power in the short backswing and follow-through. 

Another easy mistake is not controlling the clubface during your punch shot. Most times, unless you are doing it on a narrow fairway, you are going to be hitting a punch shot in a lie that has rough or another crappy lie, so it’s easier for the clubface to get impacted. 

I recommend gripping the club a bit tighter than a normal shot and trying to make sure I don’t have any excess wrist movement that will change the clubface. With a slimmer margin for error, you should have a well controlled club face to get square contact to drive that golf ball low and out of harm. 

Lastly, I always use the lower lofted iron (mainly a 5 iron) and control the clubface because you want to get a lot of low trajectory momentum and less spin. If you use a higher lofted iron, the chance is higher you will hit the ball too high in the air too quickly and hit some obstacle. 

Thanks for checking out tips on the punch shot in golf!

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