Today we're going to talk about how we swing when we want to hit a knockdown shot. The tip stems from a question raised by Peter Williams, a Welsh Surgite who wanted to know where to stop the club during the shot.
Well, Peter, the answer to that questions depends on what you are trying to do, of course. There are a number of situations where knowing how to properly hit a knockdown shot is critical. I cover the skills you need more fully in my Working The Ball instructional video, but I can give you a short overview in this video tip.
First off, why do we need to know how to hit a knockdown shot in the first place? Most of the time, it's because we are contending with the wind and we want to keep the ball on a lower, more penetrating trajectory so that it stays on the target line. This can be when we're playing almost directly into the wind or it can be when we have a crosswind that is opposite to the normal curve of our shots. For example, if you normally draw the ball and have a strong left-to-right breeze, you can hit a knockdown and your natural draw will help keep the ball on target. Same would be true if you normally cut the ball a bit and have a right-to-left crosswind.
Another reason to hit a knockdown could be when the pin is placed toward the back of the green and we want to land the ball short and let it run to the hole. This "bump & run" style of play is quite prevalent in the UK and other places when Mother Nature has been a bit stingy with the wet stuff and the fairways and greens get rather hard.
Once again, conventional instruction tells you to play the ball back in your stance and nip the ball off the grass. I don't like to do this because it imparts too much backspin on the ball that will cause the ball to balloon up and lose distance. So play the ball wherever you would normally play it using the Surge Swing and stop your FUS short.
Watch the video for important details of how to do this and to what extent you cut short your swing. But if you really want the Graduate Level course of instruction on this topic (and many others) consider purchasing Working The Ball and its companion video, Situational Shots: On The Course. Between them, you'll have everything you need to bend the ball to your will in any conditions and from just about any conceivable lie.
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
If you can't view the YouTube video above try CLICKING HERE. You must allow popups from this site for the link to work.