Why Do My Approach Shots Keep Coming Up Short (How to Fix)

Most amateur golfers hit only six or seven greens in regulation per round, meaning they miss 12 to 13 greens. Where do your misses usually end up—left, right, short, or long? For most players, the majority of misses come up short (and right). If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why do my approach shots keep coming up short?” here are a few potential reasons.

The clubface is open at impact

An open clubface at impact can cause a golf shot to come up short. You’ll add some loft and increase spin with an open club face. The combination of extra loft and spin creates a weaker ball flight.

Learn to square the clubface through impact and you should get a few extra yards of distance.

Your clubface could be opening directly in the takeaway, but some players don’t have the clubface square in setup. Here’s a great drill and practice routine to get the club set right from the start.

You’re looking at total distance instead of carry distance

When you say that you hit your 7-iron 155 yards, do you know if that’s how far you carry the 7-iron or how far your total distance is with your 7-iron? One of the most important benefits of owning a launch monitor is to check in on your carry distances.

Knowing how far your golf ball flies is much more important than total carry. Focusing on carry distance and planning for a little roll will help you clear more hazards and get the ball closer to the hole.

You have the wrong golf ball in play

By now you should know that the golf ball you have in play matters. Maybe you’re playing with something that is too soft or has too much spin and it causes you to come up short on your approach shot.

Golf balls perform differently from the tee, on the approach, and around the green. Take a look at some of the golf balls that we have tested that are strong in the iron distance category and see if they help you hit better approach shots.

Incorrect ball position

Placing the ball too far back or forward in your stance can have an impact on your angle of attack. If it’s not correct your shot may come up short. For most approach shots the ball will be in the middle of your stance or just slightly forward.

You can play around with ball position to get the perfect ball flight and shot type but just know that if it’s slightly off it can take a few yards off your approach shot.

Trying to force the shot

Swinging with a little extra speed isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, trying to force a shot is a problem. When you force a shot, you usually have increased tension and poor tempo.

Stop forcing your approaches, taking an extra club, and staying more controlled should get you on the green. Does it matter if you hit the 8 or the 7-iron if you are putting for birdie?

Not in my book.

Poor body rotation and weight distribution

Where is your weight when you strike the golf ball? If you want to maximize your distance potential and hit more greens, the weight must be on the lead foot at impact. So many players get the weight stuck on their trail leg, and lose yardage because of it.

Focus on a full body rotation, get the weight on the lead leg at impact. For shorter iron shots and wedges you can even feel like you put a little weight on your lead leg at setup.

In this video, Chris Ryan shows a drill in which you can learn to keep your lead side a little lower through impact and force the weight shift to move in the right direction.

Inconsistent swing path

Inconsistency in your golf game is a killer. If your golf club isn’t traveling on a straight path or a slight inside-to-square path on the downswing, you will hit a variety of shots, some of which will come up short.

The best tip here is to practice at the driving range with one tee on the outside of your golf ball and one tee on the inside of your golf ball. This will create a runway for the club to travel straight through to the ball, and then you can transfer that visual to the course.

Too much tension in hands and arms

One of the things that causes the most tension in your golf swing is hitting bad shots. You hit one bad one, which frustrates you, so you tense up. Hit another bad one; add some more tension. You get the point.

This tension causes you to lose any fluid motion in the swing, and because of the rigidity, you may even lose some flexibility and rotation. Adding a deep breath to your pre-shot routine could help release some of that tension and give you an extra few yards to get on the green.