Get Up And Down From Anywhere By Mastering These Three Shots

What's the difference between a player with a high golf handicap and one with a low golf handicap? Often, it's the low handicapper's ability to get up and down on a hole. Or, in other words, it's the low handicapper's ability to turn three (or more) shots into two around the green. It's called scoring. And it's the low handicapper's secret weapon.

The key to getting up and down is more mental than physical. It includes:

1. Assessing the existing lie
2. Selecting the right shot
3. Choosing the right stance

This approach seems a bit daunting for some but you can simplify it. For most situations, the high floater, the stop-and-check, and the low runner chip shots will do the trick. Perfect these shots, as I stress in my golf lessons and golf tips, and you'll be well on your way to achieving the single digit golf handicap many of us dream about.

Executing these shots properly requires setting the right shaft/spine lean at address. Two golf tips to remember: leaning the shaft and spine away from the target increases the height of your shots; leaning the shaft and spine toward the target subtracts height from the shot. Also remember that it's easier to control distance when the ball is on the ground than when it's in the air.

High Floater

The high floater is a shot I teach in golf lessons. It works well on a green cut extremely close to the pin. With it, the ball lands softly on the green, rolls a little, and then stops. It's great when there's little room between you and the flag. It works in most situations but if the lie is tight use your putter. This high floater has a degree of risk to it requires a plenty of practice to learn even with the right golf instruction.

To hit the shot, position the ball somewhat forward in your stance. In addition, tilt your front shoulder up some and drop your back shoulder down a bit, effectively adding loft to the club and helping the shot fly higher than normal. Be careful not to lean the club shaft away from the target. Instead, keep it perpendicular to the ground. This set-up allows you to make maximum use of your wedge's bounce. It also lessens the chance of a miss-hit.

Stop-and-Check

The stop-and-check works well when you have a small amount of green to work with, about 20 feet or so. It requires a lie where there's some grass underneath the ball. Unlike the high floater, this shot is low risk. Nevertheless, it requires practice to master it. Effectively played, the stop-and check produces a shot where the ball hits once, checks up, and then trickles toward the hole. It's golf shot I often write about in my golf tips.

To hit this shot, position the ball toward the center of your stance and keep your shoulders level. For you to get the ball consistently close to the hole from short range, you can add or subtract loft from the clubface, which automatically decreases or increases the distance of the shot, respectively. This set-up—slight forward lean and level shoulders at address—encourages a neutral shaft lean, allowing you to make contact with the ball using the club's true loft.

The Low Runner

The low runner works well when there's plenty of green to work with. You can play it from nearly any lie, even a tight one when there's not much grass beneath the ball. Like the stop-and-check, it's a low risk shot. With this shot, the ball skids, checks up, and then runs toward the hole. It's a shot I'm often asked about in my golf lessons.

To hit this shot, position the ball back in your stance and tilt your front shoulder lower than the back. This set-up ensures the shaft lean you need to reduce the loft on the club and helps you use the leading edge of the clubface to pinch the ball crisply. The shaft lean also creates a shallow impact and keeps the ball from "climbing up" the face of the club, launching it high.

Practice these three shots until you've mastered them. (No golf instruction—regardless of how good it is—replaces practicing.) Learn when to use the shots to your best advantage and develop confidence in your decision-making ability. Do all that and you're on your way to achieving a single digit golf handicap.