Sure, most golfers can get the ball airborne at some point, but you want to be able to get air under the ball all of the time. You won't be able to properly plan your strokes as you make your way around the course unless you can rely on your ball to come off the ground every time you take the club back. That's not always going to happen, especially if there are any holes in which you have to hit the ball long distances. The first thing you need to understand is that getting the ball up in the air doesn't mean you're going to hit it far. The more powerful your swing is, the higher the ball will go, but also the faster it will come down. The more easily you can get the ball up in the air, therefore, the less likely you are to hit long distances with your shots. There are two ways to get the ball up in the air: with a wood or iron club. With a wood, such as a driver, the ball is struck just above the center of the face (the portion that contacts the ball). This means there is more chance of the ball rising because there is more surface area extending away from the body. As for irons, these clubs have curved faces that contact the ball when it is being played straight. Therefore, they tend to fly lower than drivers do. The second factor that determines how high the ball goes is how open or closed the face of the club is when it is swung.