Master your golf approach shots: types of shots, club selection, technique and drills

Why working on your approach shots in golf changes your score

Between 20 and 60 meters, at the edge of the green, in the rough, or behind a bunker: approach shots occur on almost every hole. Analysis of playing strategy (the "strokes gained" method, popularized by statistician Mark Broadie) shows that high-handicap golfers lose the most strokes to higher-ranked players on shots of less than 100 meters—well before the driver.

Most big holes result from a chain of poor approach shots → missed chips → two putts. Securing the approach breaks this chain. And unlike driving, this shot is decided primarily by decision-making (type of shot, club, landing zone) rather than pure power.

It is also the most accessible stroke to work on without being an athletic player: a short and repeatable swing, combined with a good reading of the green, is enough to gain several strokes per round, regardless of your starting level.

The 4 types of golf approaches to master

1) The’rolling approach — the most profitable for an amateur. Little flight, lots of roll. Choose it as soon as the green is clear in front of you, with no obstacles to overcome. Less timing, less risk: think "a slightly longer putt with a short flight.".

2) The’approach lifted — the standard to know. Medium flight, moderate roll. Useful for clearing a slight obstacle or aiming for a flag in the center of the green, with a sand wedge, gap wedge or pitching wedge depending on the distance and the lie.

3) The’lobbed approach — Useful, but not plan A. Lots of flight, quick stop, but it's the most timing-dependent shot. Reserve it for a short pin with little green in front, and only from a clean lie (fairway or light semi-rough).

4) The bump and run — a technical roll, low trajectory and very regular contact, particularly effective in strong winds, on fast greens or in links conditions.

Which club to choose based on distance and riding

The choice of club depends primarily on two factors: the remaining distance and the proportion of ball flight to roll that the situation allows. The table below provides starting point guidelines, which should be adjusted according to your equipment and the firmness of the green that day.

Situation analysis: lie, green, flag

The lie conditions the choice of shot: on fairway or short grass, all options are open; in semi-rough, favour the lift; in thick rough, avoid the roll and look for a more vertical exit with the sand wedge; on a buried ball, the objective becomes simply to put the ball back on the green, not to get close to the flag.

The green influences the landing zone: uphill, the ball rolls less; downhill, aim for a wider area; on fast greens, reduce the landing zone; on slow greens, the bump and roll becomes even more profitable.

Finally, adapt to the position of the flag: on a short flag, aim for a safer area rather than the pin; at the back of the green, the putt is often the best option; near an edge, play in the center to secure your shot.

Distance technique and control

For consistent contact: feet slightly apart, narrow stance, 60 to 70% of weight on the front leg, ball in the middle or slightly behind the stance, hands slightly ahead of the ball, clubface fairly square (only open it if you know exactly why). The stroke should remain a short, consistent swing—calm wrists to avoid a flip, torso rotating like a mini-swing, same tempo on the backswing and downswing. Key point: finish with your chest facing the target, even on a very short shot.

For distance, two complementary methods work well: the flight/roll formula (a more closed club like an 8 or a 9 gives less flight and more roll; a more open club like a PW or a SW gives the opposite), and the "3 swing lengths" method — short (hands at ankle), medium (hands at knee), long (hands mid-thigh) — combined with only 2 or 3 clubs to cover a wide range of distances without forcing or multiplying adjustments.

Strategy, common mistakes, and field tips

On an approach shot, the goal is not to aim for the flag but a realistic landing area — the size of a towel — which leaves an uphill putt and avoids risky areas (short bunker, thick rough, extreme slope).

The most frequent mistakes among amateurs: always taking the sand wedge, aiming for the flag rather than an area, using the wrists too much (tops and scrapes), moving the weight back on the backswing, looking at the flag at the moment of contact rather than the ball, changing technique with every ball, or playing a lob shot from a bad lie.

Some useful landmarks on the course: on a dubious lie, fly the ball a little higher to get it out cleanly; in the wind, favour the roll or the bump and run (low trajectory, less sensitive to gusts); in case of stress, prioritize the quality of contact above all; and always keep the same routine (a practice swing, a look at the landing zone, then the swing).

Golf approach drills (20 minutes, quick results)

These three exercises take about twenty minutes to complete in a small-game training area and each targets a specific skill: accuracy, distance calibration, and pressure management.

• Landing circle — Place a target area (towel or circle) and play 10 balls; the goal is for 7 out of 10 balls to land in the area. This works on the accuracy of the landing point.
• Distance scale — Play 5 balls at 5 different distances (10, 15, 20, 25, 30 m) while maintaining the same swing length and changing clubs. Practice calibration.
• One ball, one score — Play an approach shot then putt to the hole: 2 points for an up & down putt, 1 point for a maximum of 2 putts. This develops pressure management skills under course conditions.

Find the details of these exercises, and four additional variations, in our dedicated article on 7 golf approach drills to improve quickly.

Where to effectively practice your golf approach shots

The quality of your practice is just as important as its duration. Choose an approach area that replicates real green conditions: slope, varying grass height, and ideally a nearby bunker to practice different situations. On the driving range, consistently alternate distances rather than repeating the same shot over and over: variety builds the ability to adapt on the day of the round.

The Belvedere Golf practice has a dedicated area for small games, ideal for reproducing these exercises in conditions close to the course before testing them in competition.

4-week progress plan

Week 1: roll approach only, with 2 clubs (9 iron and PW), target contact and landing point — it's the simplest and most profitable shot, it lays the foundations.

Week 2: Addition of the lift approach with PW, GW and SW, objective medium trajectory and controlled roll, to broaden your range when facing obstacles.

Week 3: working on distances and routine with the distance scale and the "one ball, one score" exercise, to transform technique into numerical results.

Week 4: simulation with 10 different configurations, evaluating each time the lie, the obstacle, the landing zone and the club before playing — the objective is to reproduce the real decision-making on the course.