If there’s a pro golfer who knows a thing or two about hitting incredible approach shots, it’s Tony Finau. Sure, we know Finau is good with his driver, but it’s his approach stats that really separate him from his peers.
Look no further than this year’s stats, where Finau ranks No. 2 on Tour in SG: Approach the Green, a key metric when it comes to hitting greens in regulation and being in better position to shoot low.
So what’s his secret when it comes to success on approach shots? In the video below (courtesy of Titleist’s YouTube channel), Finau delivers a go-to guide to dial in your distances with different clubs — which should lead to less strokes and lower scores in no time.
Tony Finau shares his tips for better approach shots
In the video, Finau tackles approach shots from different distances, walking through how he game plans and what helps him stick it close.
The 140-yard approach shot
When the flagstick’s in the middle of the green and Finau has 140 yards in, he says it’s an opportunity to be aggressive and “try to land it pretty much next to the hole” — but the key is understanding the carry distances with your irons.
On this particular shot, Finau says he’s using a light pitching wedge (although that doesn’t mean you will).
“I’ve got my pitching wedge, which [I hit] anywhere between 145-150 yards, so I’m going to have to take a little bit off,” Finau says. “I like hitting a little fade, so I’m looking for it to be a little flatter from this distance and move left-to-right.”
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What does success look like on this shot for Finau?
“I’d say anything from 20 feet and in from this distance is a great shot.”
Finau then explains what he visualizes prior to hitting an approach shot from this distance with his pitching wedge, saying he relies on “seeing a window.”
The 100-yard approach shot
Next, Finau tackles a 100-yard approach shot and discusses how he strategizes for hitting this to a pin in the middle of the green.
“On a 100-yard shot, I’ve got my 56 degree, which is about a 115-yard stock club — so [again] I’ve got to take a little bit off of it,” he explains. “I always like flighting the wedges, so flight this down and fly something past the hole so the ridge brings it back towardsthe pin.”
After hitting his shot, Finau gives a tip on controlling distance, saying it’s easier to do so without such a high ball-flight.
“It’s easier to control the distance as it stays closer to the ground. I just see the flatter one, and then on the green, it’s got more spin [with a lower ball-flight],” he says. “The higher you launch it, it actually has less spin. The lower you launch it, it actually has more.”
Approach shot from the rough
Every golfer knows hitting shots from the fairway is preferred (and a little bit easier), but for a mid-handicapper like me, it’s not always realistic to think that’s going to happen. So what about hitting solid approach shots from the rough? Finau explains that next.
“You can predict the ball flight and spin a lot easier when hitting from the short grass, but when you’re in the rough, you’ve got to read the lie,” Finau says.
Since there are tons of different ways the ball might come out of the rough. Finau says reading the lie and knowing what shot type to hit is critical for making good contact. So for his shot, he simply wants to get out safely.
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“I’m not going to get too cute here or too creative on trying to flight it and things like that — those shots are more for the fairway,” Finau says. “[When hitting from the rough] the most important thing is good contact and just letting the ball do what it does.”
He adds that when hitting an approach from the rough, the ball will have less spin than it would coming from the fairway, so that’s a factor every golfer should consider when choosing their club and distance.
The 25-yard pitch shot
Finally, Finau shares how to hit a pitch shot that’s resting just off the green, with this particular shot calling for a 60-degree wedge given the elevated green and distance (25 yards).
“This doesn’t really allow for much of a bump and run, so I’m going to have to fly something onto the green,” he says. “That’s where I think it can get tricky for some amateurs, [but if you’re able to put the proper amount of spin on it], you can get away with these types of shots.”
Finau then dives into how to hit this tricky type of pitch shot.
“You go ball first, with the weight on the lead side — which is always a must when you’re hitting a chip shot — and then you just allow the ball and the club to do the work for you,” he says. “When you’re chipping, you want everything to move toward the target. It just makes it a lot easier to to get the back of the ball and make that consistent strike.”
For those who struggle keeping their weight forward, Finau offers up a simple adjustment — try lifting your trail foot, which forces you to balance all your weight forward and provides instant feedback.
“If you have a hard time lifting your trail foot up as you chip, then you know you don’t have enough weight on that lead side.”
By using Finau’s tips above, not only can you dial in your approach shots from different distances, but you can save strokes by getting up-and-down more frequently as well. Happy shooting!
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