3 Expert Tips To Improve Your Ball Flight

Improve your ball flight and find your target more consistently, with three top tips from Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Steve Robinson...

3 Expert Tips To Improve Your Ball Flight: Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler striking an iron shot
These 3 expert tips will help you control your ball flight and find your target more consistently...
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Controlling your ball flight is crucial for any amateur golfer looking to lower their handicap, and with the right golf tips it's not that hard to achieve. Whether you change something in your swing and set-up, or you opt for alternate gear, perfecting this crucial aspect of your on-course performance will help you to shoot lower scores.

With that in mind, we asked Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Steve Robinson to share three expert tips to improve your ball flight...

1. Ball Position

Common causes of too low a flight would be ball position, as the ball too far back or hands too far forward will de-loft the club. An average handicap golfer might hit down by three or four degrees with an iron, so the low point will be four to five inches after the ball.

To hit it higher, shallow out your angle of attack by having the ball further up in your stance, stay behind it at impact, and swing through to a high finish, rather than curtailing the follow-through.

2. Attack Angle

Xander Schauffele hitting an iron shot

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Placing a tee four inches target-side of your ball is a good way to learn how to hit the ball higher. Typically with an iron, you should find you hit both ball and then tee as your arc bottoms out after the ball with a descending blow.

To hit it higher, you must reduce your angle of attack so you hit the ball but miss the tee. Putting the ball a little further forward in your stance will encourage the shallower angle of attack needed.

3. Opt For A Hybrid

Rather than tweaking set-up or technique, many golfers will find the best change they can make to help them flight it better is to put their long-irons away and get a hybrid.

The hybrid’s clubhead is specifically designed to make it easier to hit better-flighted shots from long range, and a simple club swap alone will give many players a lot more elevation, especially if they don’t generate a lot of clubhead speed.

How Do You Hit A Golf Ball Consistently Straight?

Neutral Golf Grip With Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Ben Emerson


(Image credit: Future)

To hit the golf ball consistently straight, start by checking you are adopting the perfect golf grip. A great visual checkpoint is the 'v' shape that you should create between your thumb and forefinger on your right hand, as this should point towards your right shoulder.

A push shot is often caused by that 'v' pointing towards your chin, leaving the clubface open at impact. Conversely, if the 'v' is pointing at past your right shoulder, this will likely result in a pull shot.

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Barry Plummer
Staff Writer

Driven by a deep passion for golf and a commitment to helping others improve their game, Barry Plummer leads the instruction section across Golf Monthly's print and digital platforms. Drawing upon his own experience and in close collaboration with the prestigious Golf Monthly Top 50 Coaches, he provides actionable and expert-backed advice to help amateur golfers improve their game and achieve lower scores. As an active member of Sand Moor Golf Club in Leeds, he maintains a practical, on-course understanding of the challenges faced by golfers. His commitment to providing evidence-based advice, combined with his continuous involvement in the golfing community, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative voice in golf instruction.

Barry is currently playing:

Driver: Benross Delta XT Driver

Hybrid: TaylorMade Stealth 4 Hybrid

Irons: Benross Delta XT 5-PW

Wedges: TaylorMade RAC 60, Callaway Jaws MD5 54

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour