Launching a golf ball into a high arc that seems to hang in the air is one of the most satisfying experiences in the game. Yet, trying to force it high often results in the opposite: a low scuttler that dives into the first patch of rough. The good news is that hitting high, soft-landing shots isn't about manufacturing some herculean upward lift. This guide breaks down the simple setup and swing adjustments you need to send your shots soaring, covering the essential changes to your ball position, setup, and swing motion to help you get the ball flight you’re looking for.
Before we tweak your mechanics, let’s quickly understand the physics at play. Every club in your bag has a built-in loft angle. A 9-iron has more loft than a 5-iron, and a sand wedge has more loft than a 9-iron. This static number is your starting point, but it isn't the whole story.
The real determiner of your shot's height is dynamic loft&mdash,the actual loft you deliver to the ball at the moment of impact. You can change this number considerably based on how you swing. For example, if you push your hands way forward at impact, you "de-loft" the club and take loft off, leading to a lower shot. To hit the ball higher, our goal is to increase the dynamic loft we deliver at impact, without resorting to the dreaded "scoop."
The final element is your angle of attack (AoA). This is the vertical direction the clubhead is traveling as it strikes the ball. A steep, downward AoA (common for slicers) tends to produce lower-launching shots with a lot of backspin. To hit the ball high, especially with longer clubs and your driver, we want a shallower, or even slightly upward, angle of attack. The following adjustments are all designed to naturally create this shallow swing path and present more dynamic loft at impact.
Over 80% of what it takes to hit a high golf shot happens before you even start your backswing. Your setup dictates the arc your club will travel on, so getting this right is paramount. Let's make a few small adjustments that have a big impact on trajectory.
Where you place the ball in your stance is a powerful lever for controlling shot height. Moving the ball farther forward in your stance allows the club to reach the lowest point of its arc before it strikes the ball, meaning it will be traveling slightly upwards at impact. This shallow-to-upward strike is a recipe for a high launch.
Once your ball position is set, we need to adjust your body to support that ball position and encourage an upward sweeping motion. The goal is to feel like you are "behind" the ball at address.
The most important setup change you can make to hit the ball higher is to introduce a slight spine tilt away from the target. Stand up straight, then tilt your upper body to the right (for a right Caddie) so that your head is behind the golf ball. A great way to feel this is to imagine your zipper or shirt buttons are angled slightly back, pointing away from the target line.
This tilt does a couple of big things:
With an iron, this tilt will be very subtle. With a driver, it will be much more noticeable, with your right shoulder sitting significantly lower than your left.
When you're trying to send your driver to the moon, widening your stance by a couple of inches offers a more stable base. This added stability supports a powerful rotation and helps you maintain your spine tilt throughout the swing, a combination that is a fantastic foundation for a high, booming drive.
With the setup dialed in, it’s time to talk about the swing itself. The biggest misinterpretation golfers have about hitting the ball high is thinking they need to *help* or *lift* it into the air. This action, often called "scooping," involves an early release of the wrists and completely kills your power and consistency.
A powerful, high shot is the result of letting the body’s rotation be the engine. Your pre-shot adjustments (forward ball position, spine tilt) have already created the framework for a high shot. Now, your only job is to turn back and turn through.
Feel a big turn with your shoulders and hips in the backswing, maintaining that spine tilt. On the downswing, your goal isn't to hit the ball, but to unwind your body aggressively. As your hips and torso rotate open toward the target, the club will naturally drop into a shallower path. It’s this rotational force that produces clubhead speed and allows the club to approach the ball from the inside and on a shallow plane. The loft of the club, combined with this sweeping motion, is what sends the ball skyward. Resisting the urge to "lift" with your hands is one of the biggest mental hurdles to clear.
How you finish your swing is a great indicator of how you got there. Golfers who try to scoop the ball often have a short, collapsed follow-through. To get that high launch, you need to feel like you are extending your arms all the way through impact and finishing in a tall, balanced position.
Imagine your belt buckle facing the target at the finish line. All of your weight should be on your front foot, and you should be able to hold your finish comfortably while you watch your ball sail through the air. A full, committed, high finish isn’t something you pose for, it’s the natural outcome of a free, rotational swing.
Translating these ideas into a real feel can be tough. Here are two simple drills to practice at the range to start ingraining the right movements.
This is as simple as it sounds. Take a 7-iron and place the golf ball on a very short tee, one that barely lifts the ball off the mat. Now, take your normal swing. The goal is to clip the ball cleanly off the tee without hitting the tee or digging a big divot into the mat afterwards. This drill gives you instant feedback. If you are too steep, you'll slam down into the tee and mat. If you scoop at it, you'll likely hit the ball thin. To succeed, you need to produce a shallow, sweeping attack angle - the exact motion required to hit higher shots.
To ensure you're approaching the ball from the inside on a shallow path, try the headcover drill. Place an empty headcover (or a towel) on the ground about a foot directly behind your golf ball on your target line. A steep, "over the top" swing path will cause you to hit the headcover on your downswing. To avoid it, you have no choice but to drop the club to the inside and flatten your swing plane. This promotes the inside-out, sweeping motion that is ideal for producing a high, drawing ball flight.
Hitting the golf ball high isn't about actively trying to lift it, it's about making specific, intentional adjustments to your setup and trusting your body to do the work. By moving the ball forward in your stance, tilting your spine away from the target, and committing to a full, rotational finish, you passively create the perfect launch conditions for high, powerful golf shots.
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