Approach Shot Strategy - 5 Tips For Mastering Approach Shots

The approach shot can make or break you when it comes to scoring on the golf course. A great approach shot strategy will help you to make a putt easier and score better. I have put together a few of the best tips to help you with your golf course approach strategy. It's true that a good golf strategy is a lot more than just 5 tips, but these tips can be applied to a golfer of any skill level and should make the ability to score considerably easier.

Set A Goal

The first approach shot strategy is to set a goal for yourself. The goal can be to hit a straight shot, or it may be to hit the ball a few feet from the pin. The key here is to ensure that you have at least set a goal.

When you have a goal in place, it becomes considerably easier to reach that goal. When you blindly go into hitting a golf shot and just hope that it ends up near the hole, you are not giving yourself the best possible chance of success.

Keep in mind that the pin shouldn't always be the goal. If there's a tricky pin position, make sure you aim a few yards away from the flag and make sure you hit the green and putt for birdie. Don't be too aggressive since it can backfire on you. You can play aggressive, but you need to know when. 

Learn To Control Ball Flight

You need to control your ball flight if you want a great approach shot strategy. Knowing how to hit great golf shots is important, but you must also know how to hit high and low shots and be able to control the ball flight at times. I wouldn't say it's crucial, especially for beginner golfers, but it can definitely help your approach shot strategy.

When there is trouble in front of the green, it can help to hit a higher shot that flies over the trouble and lands softly on the green. When there is a clear path to the pin, you may find you have more control when keeping the ball low.

You will eventually learn whether high or low shots are best for you and what situation to use them in. 

Focus On Aim

Approach shots are very exacting when it comes to aiming. You must ensure that your golf club face, feet, and shoulders are all aimed in the direction that will help you benefit the most from your golf shot. Approach shots don't leave much room for error when it comes to aim.

With aiming, it is important to think about your stance in addition to your clubface angles. If you are smart about practicing aim, you will use alignment sticks as you practice. A great golf alignment stick setup will help you ensure that all your lines are properly set up and ready for the golf course.

Pick The Right Club

With all of the golf technology on the market, there is no reason to miss club. Golfers can use a GPS, a rangefinder, or a combination of both to help them pick the right club for their approach shot. The club selection needs to be a smart one and consider both carry distance and total distance. Here's also an article I wrote about average club distances based on HCP if you're curious 😉

You need to carefully narrow down exactly how far you hit each of your golf clubs. Until you have this set, it can take some time to narrow down your exact club distances. Even the golf ball you choose can impact the club that you should select.

This is a very important part of the approach shot strategy, and you need to lock in your yardages.

Consider The Entire Green

When hitting an approach shot, it's best not to get too caught up with the pin location. The entire green should be considered to ensure your ball ends up on or near the hole. The green can also have a slope to it so make sure to take this into consideration as well.

Players that are smart will use the green to their advantage and think about where to land the ball. Start to evaluate each green and maybe even make some notes in a yardage book. This will help you a lot if you are a frequent guest of the same course.

A golf GPS app can teach you about the distance from the front to the back of the green. It can also help you with the slope or any trouble surrounding the green. If you normally hit a draw, and the pin is on the right, you may have to aim just right of the green to get it to land appropriately.

Conclusion

Hitting great approach shots can be hard, but it can also help you become a much better golfer. Approach shot is also one of the most important golf shots so don't neglect it!

Learning how to hit your 7 iron 140 yards and straight is only part of the battle. To get really great at golf, you must think on a deeper level about how to get the ball close to the hole and how to do it consistently. Many times everything comes down to a good golf strategy and tactics. If you don't have a golf strategy in place yet, make sure to prepare one. I know it can help you lower your score for at least 3 shots per round!