How to Hit High, Soft Approach Shots on Soft Ground

Soft ground and slow greens change everything about how your short game performs. That crisp, low chip that normally releases toward the hole? Now it hits a patch of soft turf and stops dead — or worse, kicks offline from a random bounce.

That’s why mastering the high, soft approach shot is critical — especially in conditions where the ball won’t roll much after landing.

The good news? You don’t need pro-level touch to hit this shot well. You just need:

• The right setup
• A clean strike
• And the confidence to trust your technique

Let’s break it all down.

The High, Soft Approach Shot – Step-by-Step

This shot is typically played with your most lofted wedge — a 58° or 60°, or anything with significant bounce. The goal is to slide the club under the ball, launch it high, and land it softly with minimal rollout.

Here’s how to set it up and execute it.

🔧 1. Setup: Stable and Slightly Open

Foot Position

• Stand with your feet slightly open to the target (about 10–15°)
• This helps your body rotate naturally during the swing

Alignment

• Open your stance slightly (hips and shoulders aiming slightly left if you’re right-handed)
• Ball position just forward of center
• Weight slightly forward — about 60–70% on your lead foot

Hands

• Unlike a low chip, your hands should be at or just behind the ball
• This keeps the loft working for you and prevents de-lofting the club

✅ Why it matters: An open stance and neutral hands help activate bounce, not dig, and encourage a clean, gliding strike.

🔄 2. Open the Clubface Before You Grip

This is a critical step. To hit the shot high and soft, you need to open the clubface slightly — but do it before gripping the club.

• Rotate the clubface open
• Then take your grip
• This adds loft and engages the bounce of the wedge

⚠️ If you open the face after gripping, you may misalign your swing path and unintentionally change your direction or contact.

This setup helps the club glide under the ball, rather than digging or bouncing off the turf.

💨 3. The Swing – Soft, Smooth, and Relaxed

This is a feel-based shot. No jerking, no forced acceleration — just smooth motion and soft hands.

Backswing

• Light grip pressure (about 3–4 out of 10)
• Let your wrists hinge naturally
• Avoid tension in your hands and arms

Downswing

• Maintain rhythm — no need to hit “hard”
• Let the club slide under the ball with a brushing motion
• Keep your eyes focused on the spot just beneath the ball

🧠 Mental cue: Think of “brushing the grass under the ball” — not scooping or stabbing at it.

This swing allows the loft and bounce to do the work, launching the ball upward without digging.

📐 4. Finish – Quiet and Balanced

• Let the wrists release naturally
• Allow your body to rotate through gently
• Finish low and calm, without a forced follow-through
• Maintain balance, facing the target

🎯 You’re not trying to generate distance — you’re trying to control trajectory and softness.

If you do it right, you’ll feel a clean, shallow strike that lifts the ball into the air with spin and control.

Practice Drill: The Invisible Tee

This is a great drill to train precision and clean contact, especially on mats or soft ground.

How to do it:

1. Imagine a tiny tee just beneath your ball
2. Your goal: slide the club between the ball and the turf without disturbing that “invisible tee”
3. Focus on brushing the grass, not digging or lifting
4. Repeat slowly at first, then build to full swings

✅ Great for indoor practice, winter mats, or wet practice ranges

✅ Builds touch, confidence, and shallowness in your strike

Course Strategy: Land It Close — Don’t Count on Rollout

When the ground is soft, rollout becomes unpredictable. Even perfectly struck chips can stop short, plug, or veer off-line.

That’s why your strategy with this shot should be:

• Carry the ball almost all the way to the flag
• Expect minimal bounce or rollout
• Adjust your landing spot accordingly — even aim a few yards past the hole if needed

Avoid trying to run the ball through wet fringe or rough. It’s unreliable, and you’re better off flying it over trouble with a high-lofted shot that lands softly and stops.

When to Use This Shot

This isn’t just a shot for wet or muddy conditions — it’s a great go-to when:

• You need to clear a bunker or soft slope
• The pin is tucked near the edge
• The fringe is unpredictable or soaked
• You’re short-sided with little green to work with
• You want to land it soft and stay close

It’s not about style — it’s about choosing the highest-percentage play for the conditions.

Final Takeaway: Master Loft, Not Force

The biggest mistake golfers make with high-lofted shots is trying to help the ball into the air.

Here’s the truth:

You don’t need to lift the ball. You need to let the loft do the work.

A proper setup, soft hands, and trust in the bounce will give you more:

• Height
• Spin
• Control
• And confidence in tough conditions

So next time you face soft turf, a tight pin, or unpredictable bounces around the green, don’t chip low and hope.

Float it high and land it soft — with a swing built on sound technique and repeatable feel.

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