How to hit the ball higher: 6 tips to make your ball soar

By: Kellie Stenzel, Top 100 Teacher

March 16, 2021

Everyone wants to hit the ball higher, but it's easier said than done.

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There is a true art to hitting high, beautiful golf shots. It’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing shot to watch, and one that everyone enjoys watching.

Golfers with higher speed and power can do this with ease, and it’s a shot everyone aspires to. But in order to hit these shots, you first have to understand the key elements to produce this ball flight.

Here are tips for hitting the ball high.

1. Good posture

Good golf posture, especially for women, involves bending forward from your hips so that your chest is over your toes, and so that your hands can hang below your shoulders. This posture puts your weight centered toward your toes to offset our centers of gravity. You should be able to tap your heels to check that your weight is forward enough that the club can reach the ground.

2. Straight trail arm

When you make a proper back swing your trail elbow will fold to create and store power. This trail elbow needs to straighten and extend down as if you are throwing a ball to the ground. This straightening and extending will allow the club to get down to the turn. While it can feel steep at times, it is necessary.

3. Keep lofted clubs in the middle of your bag

In the middle of your bag you will have the choice between lower numbered irons, hybrids and more lofted fairway woods. If you struggle to hit your golf ball high enough, try adding an 11 wood instead of a 5 iron or 5 hybrid. Or choose a 9 wood instead of a 4 hybrid. These clubs might be unconventional, but if you struggle to hit the ball high, they will help your game.

4. Lofted clubs will look open

These more lofted club selections, due to their design, may look more open if you are not used to it. Your golf clubs will likely have markings on the grip to show you when the club is sitting properly on its bottom. While this may look different at address, it is the true loft of the club and will help to produce high lofted shots.

5. Get fitted

Having a properly fitted driver with enough loft to launch the ball can make a huge difference. We have come a long way since thinking, incorrectly, that lower ball flight will roll more and therefore go farther. I like a high-trajectory driver in many cases when looking for launch.

Ed. note: Want to overhaul your own bag for 2021? Visit the expert fitters at our sister company, True Spec Golf.

6. Forward ball position

A proper setup is when the ball position is forward, in line with the lead foot instep, and shoulders tilted away from the target. This upward tilt in the shoulders will help to create direct contact with the back of the ball producing better square contact and higher launch.