Many people have trouble getting to grips with the fact that, in order to impart the desired spin on the ball, and thus control its trajectory, you must hit down on it through impact (the degree to which you do this depending on the exact nature of the shot you are looking to play).
You have to experiment. For a relatively low-flying and controlled pitch, you’re looking for a crisp ball-then-turf strike that creates backspin. And the key is to ease into the shot; ‘soften’ your knees and let your weight favour your left side. With the ball played fairly well back in your stance, your hands will naturally fall ahead of the club, the shaft leaning towards the target. You have now ‘pre-set’ impact. Combine arm-swing with body turn for a compact, repeating action.