The
lob pitch is the shot of choice when one needs to land a
golf ball softly on the
green, and has more rough than green to work with. Use a
lob wedge, and place the hands even with the ball or just slightly ahead. Place the ball in the center of the
stance or just slightly behind.
Swing with full
extension along the
plane formed between your shoulders and the ball. Try to achieve a whippy, sweeping strike at the bottom of the swing, and follow through completely. Do NOT hit down on the ball with a
descending blow. The ball will fly out incredibly softly. Depending on the level of the
whip induced and the ball/hand position, the ball will either roll a bit, stop upon impact with the green, or back up. Playing
balata helps a great deal with the backing up part, although U-groove lob wedges do a lot of
damage to a golf ball while they work their
magic.