ONE of the hardest shots in golf is to play a three wood from the fairway on a par five hole or a lonag par four.

The reasons for this are that you are playing a club with relatively low loft (ie 15 degrees – a driver is around 11 degrees) and hitting it from the floor. Comparing it to a driver, which has only four degrees less loft is unfair as your driver will be teed up, allowing you to hit the ball on the upswing and launch the ball high in to the sky.

The three wood from the fairway doesn’t allow you to hit up underneath, as the ground is in the way, which means that it will launch quite low.

A lower launching shot makes it difficult to control and also get good distance. Next time you have this shot, reach for a club with a little more loft, such as a five or seven wood or even a hybrid.

These clubs have more loft and are easier to get the ball airborne with some decent distance.

The higher loft will produce more spin on the ball which will keep the ball in the air and also help keep the ball straight.

Play these shot from around two inches inside your left heel to assist in the strike.

Give Golf A Go sessions with Simon started at Bowood this week. Clubs provided. Email s.shanks@bowood.org or call 01249 823881