High, soft lob shot

You must pitch the ball over a greenside bunker and land it softly to stop it near the hole. How do you hit this shot? Much of the secret lies in the swing tempo. Select your most-lofted club, setting up with the ball placed forward in your stance, so your hands are level with or slightly behind it. Make a long, very slow backswing. Then try to swing the club down just as slowly as you brought it back. You should feel as though your swing is longer than necessary, almost as though it’s taking place “under water.” This ultra-slow tempo allows you to bring the clubhead through the ball on a very shallow arc, which in turn puts maximum loft on the clubface at impact.