What Is A Knockdown Shot In Golf?

If dealing with wind is an issue for you and you struggle to play the shot accurately, you might want to try the knockdown shot in golf. The knockdown shot is one of the many ways you can keep the ball trajectory slightly lower and ensure you even have more accuracy from time to time when playing. However, it takes plenty of practice.

Another term used to describe the knockdown shot is the punch shot and the main reason for playing the shot is to keep the ball as low as possible to avoid some of the effects that a crosswind will have on the trajectory and flight of the ball. The shot can even be used to get underneath certain obstacles that are blocking you.

As a new golfer, you might never have heard of the term knockdown shot, but it is a good idea that you spend some time learning the shot to add it to your arsenal. The knockdown shot can help you out of a few tricky situations and ensure that you don’t have some of the trouble that other players have when dealing with the wind.

What Is The Knockdown Shot?

While most golf shots will launch the ball as high as possible to help with distance, the knockdown shot does the opposite. With the knockdown shot, the ball will apex much sooner before coming down and continuing on this lower trajectory. The lower trajectory will also keep the ball flying in a more accurate direction.

Players commonly use this shot to compensate for a strong crosswind on the golf course. Since compensating in the wind can be tricky if you don’t have experience, you could revert to the knockdown shot to help you reach your target. It can even be used to fly underneath objects like branches when coming out of the rough.

How To Master The Knockdown Shot In Golf

Knowing what the knockdown shot is will only get you so far. You should consider mastering the knockdown shot to ensure you can use it in a game of golf. If you have never played the knockdown shot, this will help you better understand it and know how to integrate it into your shot arsenal:

Play The Ball Farther Back In Your Stance

While you want to play a standard golf shot with the golf ball almost in the middle of your stance, it slightly changes for the knockdown shot. You want it to be about 60-70% to the rear of your stance when playing the shot. The more you have it angled to the rear, the more you will force a downward blow.

Once you strike the ball, the trajectory should be slightly lower, which means that the ball can stay underneath some of the obstacles and avoid being picked up in the wind as much as possible.

Focus On Hitting The Ball And Not The Ground

With the setup of the shot, it can be easy to play your standard shot and often miss hitting the golf ball. You want to put some of your focus on hitting the ball and trying to avoid hitting the ground first. It will take some practice to master.

Practice The Shot

With so many changes to your technique, you might find that you could slam the club into the ground without striking the golf ball. If you are serious about learning to play this golf shot, you should practice it more often. While you could play it with your driver, it is often better to use an iron to play the knockdown shot.

Wrap-Up

The knockdown shot is one of the best shots you can play if you want to avoid obstacles and get underneath the wind. While it will take plenty of practice, the shot is a great addition to your arsenal and will significantly improve your game. Let us know if you have ever played the knockdown shot in golf.