Rough And Tough Shots

Escape Tough Lies With Ease

By Bobby Hinds, PGA, Photos By Ari Perilstein

Labels: Iron Play, Strategy/Troubleshooting, Ballstriking, Wedge Play, Power, Trouble Shots, Full Swing, Shotmaking

This Article Features Photo Zoom

DOWN AND UNDER

Now, let’s say the pin is at the opposite end of the green and I have some more room to roll the ball. The right play is to hit the ball below the limbs and play for more roll. I don’t really make a lot of changes to my pitching stance and setup. As with a high shot, I play the ball in the center to slightly forward in my stance. Only now, instead of concentrating on a faster release of the hands, I try to delay the release of the hands to help hit the ball lower and with forward roll. I’m not intentionally trying to keep my weight on my left side, nor do I change my impact position all that much (for proof, check out the two sequences and note the similarities). Instead, by delaying, or slowing, the release of the hands, I’ll make contact with less loft and create less backspin. The key is to remember to rotate the body and finish the shot with the shaft below the hands, as you see in the photo to the right.

BEND IT LEFT

Target Line

ALIGN TO RIGHT

Just because you found the fairway, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll have an open shot into the green.

In this case, I need to hit a draw around a tree to have any chance at a birdie. To start, align your clubhead as you normally would: right at the target. As for your body, aim to the right. The face will look closed, but trust you’re setting up correctly.

RELEASE THE HANDS

To hit the draw, the hands have to release, and the clubface has to close through the shot.

Notice how the shaft is parallel to the ground? Now look at the clubface. It’s facing down, further indicating I’ve hit a draw/hook effectively around the tree.

SWING ALONG BODY LINE

The key here is to trust your alignment and swing out to the right! Don’t feel as though you need to tug the clubhead back to the left. Because the clubface was square to the target (and closed relative to your body line), a draw is imminent. Swing along your body line and be ready for a right-to-left ballflight.

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