Hitting a Three Quarter Golf Swing

One of the best golf shots to get really good at is the three quarter golf swing. It’s essential for hitting clubs in between distances as well as hitting with control.

When you find yourself in between clubs, you will question whether you should play the lesser club and swing harder to gain extra distance or play the more powerful club but swing with 3/4 swing to hit it shorter than full distance.

My favorite example of when I use the three quarter golf swing is 90 yard wedge shots.

Instead of trying to fly a 54 degree wedge a full 90 yards, I’ll elect to swing a pitching wedge instead. My pitching wedge can fly about 130 yards for a normal golf swing, but I’ve dialed in the three quarter swing to 90 yards.

You should consider this same approach of hitting for control when you get inside 150 yards.

If you find yourself in between club distances, go for the longer club that hits further but reduce the swing from full to three quarter for less power and distance.

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How to Master the Three Quarter Golf Shot

Here are some important tips to help you strike solid three quarter golf swings with ease:

1. The ball’s position in your stance should be more centered to help you make contact at the bottom of your swing arc
2. During the back swing, you hands normally extend all the way up to your head / ears with a full swing. But for the three quarter swing you want the hands about shoulder height
3. The club should be pointing almost vertically to the sky on the backswing (three quarter) instead of laying parallel to the ground (full swing)
4. You should feel as if you’re hitting this golf shot with mostly your upper body and chest. It will help you control your wrists and prevent them from flipping or scooping the golf ball.
5. After impact, your follow through is still the same with your hips pointing at your target, completing the body’s turn.
6. Hand position should extend up to shoulder height again on the follow through just like with the back swing.

The three quarter golf shot will take lots of practice to master. I started working on it on a Trackman which allowed me to see my distances after every shot and understand what different distances “feel” like.

But for most golfers who don’t have access to using a Trackman for wedge shot practice, find a target at the driving range that sits 70-90 yards and practice three quarter swings hitting the front, center, and back of that green so simulate different pin positions.

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