Lottie Woad is the No. 1 ranked amateur in the world. The 21-year-old, who attends Florida State University, knows what it takes to separate herself from the throngs of talented golfers across the globe.

Her most notable win to date came in 2024, when she won the Augusta National Women’s Amatuer in stunning fashion—by birdieing three of the last four holes to win the tournament by one. During the event, she relied on a shot that she believes all elite junior golfers should know how to hit.

“I think they should be able to flight their golf ball down,” Woad said. “Coming from England, I’m obviously exposed to more wind than other people, and I think it’s a really important skill to be able to knock the ball down and take the spin off. It got really windy at the ANWA and that shot helped me. It’s not just for links courses. It’s an underrated skill.”

It’s a shot that you’ll want for the wind, of course. But it can help you in wind-free situations, too.

“They just want to get up high and stop it quick, but sometimes it requires the slightly lower shot,” Woad said. “When trees are in the way, or sometimes if it’s a back pin on a tier and you can’t land it on top, you might want to take the spin off and play a little low and chase it up.”

To learn how to hit the low-spinning, knocked-down shot, we talked to Trillium Rose, a Golf Digest Top 50 Teacher in America.

“The key adjustments that you would make when you’re trying to lower the ball flight is first to move the ball back slightly in your stance, maybe just an inch,” Rose says. “You want to maintain a flex lead wrist through impact. This can also help keep a forward press, keeping your hands ahead through impact.”

By keeping your hands forward, you’re delofting the clubface, which will help keep the ballflight lower. Rose also said you can use a three-quarter swing instead of a full swing, because people with longer swings can struggle to create this feeling of having the clubhead lagging behind. With a shorter swing, she said, it becomes much easier.

“You want to feel like your weight’s on the front side, that you’re not hanging back and flipping through. A lot of people don’t realize that when they are swinging, they may be adding loft so that’s something to be aware of,” Rose adds.

It’s easier to have the face open up when your weight is back. With your weight pressing forward, you’re more likely to close the face, promoting lower ball flight.

Rose said that this is a great shot for adult amateur players to know how to hit, too. Next time you find yourself playing in the wind, or trying to get back to a tucked pin, you’ll be happy you know how to hit Woad’s knock-down shot.

Main Image: David Cannon