So the weather across most of the country is finally starting to act like spring, golf course superintendents are beginning to mow their greens down to mid-season levels, and golfers are starting to turn up at the first tee, ready to put their games on display. At my own club, New Seabury on Cape Cod, this weekend's tee sheet is jammed full, and our Saturday morning group has more players than ever.
But what if you're one of those golfers coming out for the first time this year, and you feel like, as Dan Jenkins once said, the golf club feels like a parking meter in your hands? That's where this column will help you. Here are three tips, from some of the game's top feel players and teachers, to get your touch back fast. The last thing you want to do is three-putt all day, or take extra shots from just off the green, or snap-hook your tee shots.
1. Feeling your hands. When you haven't played in a while, your hands feel weak. So it's only natural to grip the club tighter to compensate. Resist that and do the opposite. As Davis Love Jr. and Bob Toski wrote in How to Feel A Real Golf Swing, with Bob Carney, "Your hands generate clubhead speed. They control the face. They shape the path of your swing. But nothing can sabotage a good grip or good swing quicker than excessive or inconsistent grip pressure. Tension is the enemy of the swing, and it emanates from the grip. Pick up a pencil and write your name. How tightly did you hold the pencil? Just tightly enough to accomplish the task at hand. Which is how you hold your steering wheel, how you hold a book, how you hold your sweetheart's hand. For most golfers, holding a golf club only as tightly as enables the club to swing will seem much lighter than normal." So remember to hold the club lightly, and you'll regain your feel in no time.
2. Feeling the putter. Gain control by giving up control. Sport psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella once told Paul Azinger that he could see tension and artificiality in his stroke. In his book, Putting Out of Your Mind, Rotella recounts how he told Azinger to putt like he hit bunker shots. "I just look at where I want it to go," Azinger said, "splash the sand, and it goes there." Rotella told Paul he had to become relaxed, even nonchalant, at the moment of truth in putting as well. Try it and your stroke will free up and become more natural. You'll regain your stroke very quickly.
3. Feeling your feet. When you've had a long layoff, usually your feet and legs are a little slow; you've lost some agility. Get that footwork back by trying this piece of advice, from Tommy Armour's book How to Play Your Best Golf All the Time. "In simplifying footwork, I'll give you one little tip that probably will greatly improve the hitting portion of your swing. Have the right knee come in fast at the right time. The knee action in a good golf swing is practically identical with knee action in throwing a baseball."
So give these thoughts a try and good luck with your game this weekend. I'll be pulling for you (unless I'm playing against you).
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
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Weekend Tip: Mickelson solves the hated half wedge
A brand-new golf instruction book just hit my desk today, from the editors of Golf Digest. GOLF: PLAY THE GOLF DIGEST WAY was put together by my colleague, Ron Kaspriske, and it's an impressive, full-color compilation of everything you could possibly need to play better golf. Here's a sample from the book, based on an article by Phil Mickelson on the Hated Half Wedge. Use this tip this weekend when you get in those in-between situations with a wedge in your hand.
Good luck with your game, and please follow me on Twitter @RogerSchiffman
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Here's Phil:
Many amateurs find the half-wedge shot to be awkward, and when sand or water are involved, downright scary. If you tend to hit the ball fat or thin, can't decide how big a swing you should make, or find yourself coming up long or short, try my system. It will erase your fear and give you the consistency and control you've been looking for.
When playing this shot, open your stance, play the ball forward of center, and aim the clubface at your target.
In the backswing, cock your wrists fully, but limit your arm swing. Then swing down and through, but end the swing when your arms are parallel to the ground.
Good luck with your game, and please follow me on Twitter @RogerSchiffman
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Here's Phil:
Many amateurs find the half-wedge shot to be awkward, and when sand or water are involved, downright scary. If you tend to hit the ball fat or thin, can't decide how big a swing you should make, or find yourself coming up long or short, try my system. It will erase your fear and give you the consistency and control you've been looking for.
When playing this shot, open your stance, play the ball forward of center, and aim the clubface at your target.
In the backswing, cock your wrists fully, but limit your arm swing. Then swing down and through, but end the swing when your arms are parallel to the ground.
Weekend Tip: Don't sole the club at address
When I watch a PGA Tour event, Champions Tour event or LPGA Tour event, I'm often struck by how many players hover the club at address. They do not rest it on the ground before starting their takeaway. To name a few players: Bubba Watson (click on the link here), Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Matt Kuchar, Steve Stricker, Davis Love III, Jay Haas, Greg Norman, Yani Tseng, Cristie Kerr. Get the picture? Yet, I rarely see average golfers do this. These tour players all hover the club when the ball is teed, but a number also use the same technique on pitches and even putts. You should try it, too, especially if you feel you have difficulty bringing the club back, or would like to smooth out your takeaway, or have trouble making solid contact on pitches from tight lies. In the April issue of Golf Digest (on sale this weekend and currently available on the iPad and Kindle Fire), Jack Nicklaus talks in detail about why he rarely soled the club at address. "I often would sole it lightly, but there were times when I didn't ground it at all, mostly with an iron or fairway wood when I thought it might cause the ball to move," he says. "Or with my putter on windy days. You never want the ball to change position while addressing it--golf is hard enough without incurring penalty strokes."
Amen, Jack.
Nicklaus says with the driver, he would sole the club lightly and then "un-weight" it. Why? "When I felt the club resting on the ground, my grip and arms were too relaxed. By un-weighting the club--hovering it off the ground--I had to firm up my grip pressure just enough. Once I did that, everything seemed ready, and my hand and arm pressure felt uniform. I was then able to take the club back smoothly without fear of stubbing the club in the grass behind the ball."
Jim Flick also wrote about this several years ago. Click on the link here.
And David Leadbetter talked about the same concept two years ago. Click on the link here.
If these great players and teachers all advocate hovering the club at address, you should at least give it a try. Good luck with your game this weekend, and remember to follow me on Twitter @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
How He Hit That: How Mahan recovered from a s_ _ _ _
Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of
Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf
Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key
shot. This week's entry is not what you'd expect. Hinton looks at the shanked wedge shot Hunter Mahan hit in his semifinal match versus Mark Wilson in the Accenture World Match Play Championship, at Dove Mountain, near Tucson. Yes, like average golfers, even tour players hit the dreaded ho-zell when they least expect it. But unlike with average golfers, Mahan's shank (dare we say the word?) did not lead to more shanks. He recovered with a superb pitch to three feet on his next shot, went on to defeat Wilson, and then tamed Rory McIlroy, 2&1, in that afternoon's final. Kevin gives you some quick advice for the next time you get the shanks. And if these tips don't work, click on the second video.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
Here's Kevin: Definition of a shank: A mentally debilitating shot in golf in which a player makes contact on the hosel of the club, causing the ball to shoot viciously sideways and potentially bring oneself to the brink of tears. Blame is typically cast upon a wide range of sources . . . normally including the caddie, swing coach, boss, or often a higher power.
Here's a case where you need to watch the video before reading my comments. Pay special attention to the slow-motion replay of Hunter's downswing on this approach shot:
Now, here are my five keys to stop the shanks:
I typically see only a handful of reasons a golfer is shanking. If you do tend to hit the occasional "hosel rocket," check these common causes and fixes.
1. Not enough distance from the ball. Many golfers simply stand too close to the ball at address. If you start shanking, the first thing you should do is try backing up and playing the ball more toward the toe of the club.
2. Severely inside-to-out swing path. An excessive inside-out path can definitely lead to shanks. This is typically how a better player would shank it (though in Hunter's case in the video, see No. 3 below). If your normal ball flight is a draw, and it often turns into a push-hook, then this applies to you. A simple fix is to go to the range and practice fading the ball. By doing this, you'll greatly reduce your chances of shanking. You'll also make your swing more neutral, allowing for straighter shots.
3. Severely outside-to-in swing path. This is how a "slicer" would shank the ball, and it's actually why Hunter shanked in the World Match Play--strangely, his path was too severely outside in. He clearly corrected his path on the very next pitch shot, and played brilliantly the rest of the day. He knew enough to trust his swing, and made sure he kept his arms and shoulders relaxed on his downswing, promoting a more inside path into the ball. While many slicers typically hit their shots off the toe, if your arms get disconnected enough in the downswing, it can definitely lead to heel contact. Your fix is to learn to draw the ball. If you learn to hook it, you'll likely shank far less often.
4. Too much weight on your toes. If you set up up with too much weight on your toes at address, or move in toward the ball in your backswing, you can definitely shank the ball. Try to feel your weight more in the center of your feet, and err with your weight toward your heels.
5. Excessively open clubface at impact. Finally, if you've tried all of the above and you are still shanking, the cause can be as simple as leaving the clubface severely open through impact. Think of a race to impact between the toe of the club and the heel. Try to get the toe to win. Worse case, you hit a few hooks, but that's far better than shanking. If all else fails . . . it's much harder to shank a tennis ball!
And if you don't like tennis, take a tip from Tin Cup's caddie, Romeo (Cheech Marin):
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
Here's Kevin: Definition of a shank: A mentally debilitating shot in golf in which a player makes contact on the hosel of the club, causing the ball to shoot viciously sideways and potentially bring oneself to the brink of tears. Blame is typically cast upon a wide range of sources . . . normally including the caddie, swing coach, boss, or often a higher power.
Here's a case where you need to watch the video before reading my comments. Pay special attention to the slow-motion replay of Hunter's downswing on this approach shot:
Now, here are my five keys to stop the shanks:
I typically see only a handful of reasons a golfer is shanking. If you do tend to hit the occasional "hosel rocket," check these common causes and fixes.
1. Not enough distance from the ball. Many golfers simply stand too close to the ball at address. If you start shanking, the first thing you should do is try backing up and playing the ball more toward the toe of the club.
2. Severely inside-to-out swing path. An excessive inside-out path can definitely lead to shanks. This is typically how a better player would shank it (though in Hunter's case in the video, see No. 3 below). If your normal ball flight is a draw, and it often turns into a push-hook, then this applies to you. A simple fix is to go to the range and practice fading the ball. By doing this, you'll greatly reduce your chances of shanking. You'll also make your swing more neutral, allowing for straighter shots.
3. Severely outside-to-in swing path. This is how a "slicer" would shank the ball, and it's actually why Hunter shanked in the World Match Play--strangely, his path was too severely outside in. He clearly corrected his path on the very next pitch shot, and played brilliantly the rest of the day. He knew enough to trust his swing, and made sure he kept his arms and shoulders relaxed on his downswing, promoting a more inside path into the ball. While many slicers typically hit their shots off the toe, if your arms get disconnected enough in the downswing, it can definitely lead to heel contact. Your fix is to learn to draw the ball. If you learn to hook it, you'll likely shank far less often.
4. Too much weight on your toes. If you set up up with too much weight on your toes at address, or move in toward the ball in your backswing, you can definitely shank the ball. Try to feel your weight more in the center of your feet, and err with your weight toward your heels.
5. Excessively open clubface at impact. Finally, if you've tried all of the above and you are still shanking, the cause can be as simple as leaving the clubface severely open through impact. Think of a race to impact between the toe of the club and the heel. Try to get the toe to win. Worse case, you hit a few hooks, but that's far better than shanking. If all else fails . . . it's much harder to shank a tennis ball!
And if you don't like tennis, take a tip from Tin Cup's caddie, Romeo (Cheech Marin):
You Tried It: Think 1-2-3 for consistent chips
On Wednesdays at the Instruction Blog, we often turn to our readers for the best tips they ever received. Please submit your favorite tip to Editors@GolfDigest.com. This week we hear from Scott Morgan on better chipping:
"I'm fairly average around the greens, but a golf buddy of mine always struggled. He could never stay in rhythm from his practice swings to the real shot and frequently either skulled the shot across the green or flubbed it three feet with an abbreviated, jabby stroke.
"After a long summer watching these mis-hits, I finally offered some unsolicited advice: Slowly count to yourself on both the practice swing and the actual chip. Say 1-2-3 in your head, starting the swing on 1 and making contact on 3. He found better rhythm, better contact, and better results. And he was rather annoyed I hadn't said something sooner."
Thanks for the tip, Scott. So many times, good rhythm back and through will make up for poor technique, not only in the short game but also in the full swing. A wise pro once told me: "No matter how great your mechanics are, you'll still hit bad shots occassionally if you don't have good tempo. But smooth tempo can often take care of faults in your swing."
A number of great players had swing flaws, but managed to have incredible careers because they swung the club rhythmically. In fact, the smooth tempo masked their flaws, and they even had reputations for having great swings. Some prominent players who come to mind include Sam Snead (backswing was inside his downswing); Jerry Pate (closed clubface going back and at the top); Payne Stewart (club well past parallel at the top); Nancy Lopez (manipulative wrist cock and closed clubface on the takeaway); Julius Boros (significant re-routing of the club--outside going back, inside coming down); Larry Nelson (club pointing well across the line at the top). All of these players had wonderful tempo and won major championships.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
"I'm fairly average around the greens, but a golf buddy of mine always struggled. He could never stay in rhythm from his practice swings to the real shot and frequently either skulled the shot across the green or flubbed it three feet with an abbreviated, jabby stroke.
"After a long summer watching these mis-hits, I finally offered some unsolicited advice: Slowly count to yourself on both the practice swing and the actual chip. Say 1-2-3 in your head, starting the swing on 1 and making contact on 3. He found better rhythm, better contact, and better results. And he was rather annoyed I hadn't said something sooner."
Thanks for the tip, Scott. So many times, good rhythm back and through will make up for poor technique, not only in the short game but also in the full swing. A wise pro once told me: "No matter how great your mechanics are, you'll still hit bad shots occassionally if you don't have good tempo. But smooth tempo can often take care of faults in your swing."
A number of great players had swing flaws, but managed to have incredible careers because they swung the club rhythmically. In fact, the smooth tempo masked their flaws, and they even had reputations for having great swings. Some prominent players who come to mind include Sam Snead (backswing was inside his downswing); Jerry Pate (closed clubface going back and at the top); Payne Stewart (club well past parallel at the top); Nancy Lopez (manipulative wrist cock and closed clubface on the takeaway); Julius Boros (significant re-routing of the club--outside going back, inside coming down); Larry Nelson (club pointing well across the line at the top). All of these players had wonderful tempo and won major championships.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
Weekend Tip: Year-end help from the game's top-3 teachers
As 2011 winds down, and we prepare for the holidays, there is still lots of golf to be played in the warmer parts of the country. So what better way to keep your game sharp than by checking out tips from America's top 3 teachers. I selected what I consider to be three of the best pieces of advice during the past year's issues from Golf Digest's No. 1 instructor, Butch Harmon, No. 2 David Leadbetter and No. 3 Jim McLean. The full ranking appeared in our November issue. Give these tips a try, and good luck with your game this weekend.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
BUTCH HARMON
Keys to longer drives (August, 2011)
Go wider with your right foot. When you really want to pound a tee shot, widen your right foot out a few more inches, keeping your left foot and the ball where they are. That'll drop your head farther behind the ball and tilt your spine away from the target. You'll feel a little heavier on your right foot; that's perfect. In effect, this setup pre-loads your weight shift to your right side.
Then, make a more deliberate backswing. Notice I didn't say slow: I don't like a slow start because then you have to kick it into a higher gear. What you want is a smooth takeaway that allows you to finish your windup before you start down.
Finally, stay fast to the finish. As you shift to your left foot, the club will drop to the inside, so you can extend your arms into impact. Keep your speed up. Feel as if you're accelerating the clubhead all the way to the finish.
DAVID LEADBETTER
For better chipping, check your buttons (June 2011)
Set your shirt buttons ahead of the ball, and keep them there. If you want to improve your chipping, you need to make solid contact by striking down on the ball. Your body position can help. Take a narrow stance, position the ball slightly back, and lean toward the target so your shirt buttons are ahead of the ball.
When you swing, make sure those buttons stay ahead of the ball. This will promote a slightly
Read more
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
BUTCH HARMON
Keys to longer drives (August, 2011)
Go wider with your right foot. When you really want to pound a tee shot, widen your right foot out a few more inches, keeping your left foot and the ball where they are. That'll drop your head farther behind the ball and tilt your spine away from the target. You'll feel a little heavier on your right foot; that's perfect. In effect, this setup pre-loads your weight shift to your right side.
Then, make a more deliberate backswing. Notice I didn't say slow: I don't like a slow start because then you have to kick it into a higher gear. What you want is a smooth takeaway that allows you to finish your windup before you start down.
Finally, stay fast to the finish. As you shift to your left foot, the club will drop to the inside, so you can extend your arms into impact. Keep your speed up. Feel as if you're accelerating the clubhead all the way to the finish.
DAVID LEADBETTER
For better chipping, check your buttons (June 2011)
Set your shirt buttons ahead of the ball, and keep them there. If you want to improve your chipping, you need to make solid contact by striking down on the ball. Your body position can help. Take a narrow stance, position the ball slightly back, and lean toward the target so your shirt buttons are ahead of the ball.
When you swing, make sure those buttons stay ahead of the ball. This will promote a slightly
Read more
Weekend Tip: Like Luke Donald, finish low on chips
Other than Bill Haas with his Fed-Ex Cup bonus, who won more money playing golf around the globe than anyone else in 2011? The answer is Luke Donald, who is also the current No. 1 player in the World Ranking. And what was the key to his success this year? A better short game.
He contends that a couple of years ago he was struggling with his full swing, missing a lot of fairways and greens, so he was forced to improve his putting, chipping and pitching. Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say. Then, he figured out his full swing, and because his short game was so much better, he became the best player in the world.
What can we learn from that? When you really want to improve your scoring, work on shots around the green. And when you want to become the best you can be, work on your weaknesses.
Donald wrote a cover story on this subject for the October issue of Golf Digest (Short Game Do's and Don'ts). One of the most interesting points he made was about chipping. He wants you to accelerate to the ball, but finish low. That is such a good tip, but most players do just the opposite, taking the club back shorter and making a longer follow-through. This causes them to pull up on the ball so the club bottoms out too early. The result is fat or thin shots, and in severe cases the dreaded double-hit.
Read more
He contends that a couple of years ago he was struggling with his full swing, missing a lot of fairways and greens, so he was forced to improve his putting, chipping and pitching. Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say. Then, he figured out his full swing, and because his short game was so much better, he became the best player in the world.What can we learn from that? When you really want to improve your scoring, work on shots around the green. And when you want to become the best you can be, work on your weaknesses.
Donald wrote a cover story on this subject for the October issue of Golf Digest (Short Game Do's and Don'ts). One of the most interesting points he made was about chipping. He wants you to accelerate to the ball, but finish low. That is such a good tip, but most players do just the opposite, taking the club back shorter and making a longer follow-through. This causes them to pull up on the ball so the club bottoms out too early. The result is fat or thin shots, and in severe cases the dreaded double-hit.
Weekend Tip: Rickie Fowler's pitching secrets
By Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
I was happy to see Golf Digest Playing Editor Rickie Fowler finally break through last week and win his first tournament as a professional, the Korea Open. He beat a strong field by six strokes, including Rory McIlroy. He did it with some tremendous ball-striking in the third round (shooting 63), but he also pitched the ball extremely well to "hang on" (as he put it) in the second round. Here are some of his thoughts on pitching, which ran in the August issue of Golf Digest. They are simple to remember, and I bet they help your game.
Rickie Fowler's 3 setups for 3 hole locations
Remember: Pin in the middle of the green, play the ball in the middle of your stance. Pin front, ball front. Pin back, ball back.
1. Standard pitch: (For middle hole locations.) Set your hands slightly ahead to give the shaft some forward lean. Then just flow that heavy wedge back until your wrists start to hinge. Feel
Read more
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
I was happy to see Golf Digest Playing Editor Rickie Fowler finally break through last week and win his first tournament as a professional, the Korea Open. He beat a strong field by six strokes, including Rory McIlroy. He did it with some tremendous ball-striking in the third round (shooting 63), but he also pitched the ball extremely well to "hang on" (as he put it) in the second round. Here are some of his thoughts on pitching, which ran in the August issue of Golf Digest. They are simple to remember, and I bet they help your game.
Rickie Fowler's 3 setups for 3 hole locations
Remember: Pin in the middle of the green, play the ball in the middle of your stance. Pin front, ball front. Pin back, ball back.
1. Standard pitch: (For middle hole locations.) Set your hands slightly ahead to give the shaft some forward lean. Then just flow that heavy wedge back until your wrists start to hinge. Feel
Read more
Mid-week Lesson: Beyond the splash, part 2
By Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
Contrary to popular belief, Bill Haas did not invent the splash shot from a water hazard. As we documented on Monday, Seve Ballesteros demonstrated how he used to do it, and now we'll show you how Jerry Pate wrote about it for Golf Digest back in 1982! Pate put on an exhibition in his backyard practice area right on a Gulf of Mexico bayou in Pensacola, Fla., for then Associate Editor Jerry Tarde (now Chairman and Editorial Director) and Staff Photographer Stephen Szurlej. Here's hoping you can benefit from Pate's advice, in case you find yourself in such a do-or-die predicament.
Here's what Jerry Pate said: I used to think I could play a shot out of water only if the ball were partially submerged or just below the surface, but after practicing this shot, I know I can play it successfully from as much as six inches under water. I figure it could mean the difference between winning and losing a tournament sometime. Unless I'm in a critical situation, I won't play this shot if the ball is more than two ball-widths submerged. I don't
recommend that you take off your shoes, but in this case I did because I could see the water's
Read more
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
Contrary to popular belief, Bill Haas did not invent the splash shot from a water hazard. As we documented on Monday, Seve Ballesteros demonstrated how he used to do it, and now we'll show you how Jerry Pate wrote about it for Golf Digest back in 1982! Pate put on an exhibition in his backyard practice area right on a Gulf of Mexico bayou in Pensacola, Fla., for then Associate Editor Jerry Tarde (now Chairman and Editorial Director) and Staff Photographer Stephen Szurlej. Here's hoping you can benefit from Pate's advice, in case you find yourself in such a do-or-die predicament.
Here's what Jerry Pate said: I used to think I could play a shot out of water only if the ball were partially submerged or just below the surface, but after practicing this shot, I know I can play it successfully from as much as six inches under water. I figure it could mean the difference between winning and losing a tournament sometime. Unless I'm in a critical situation, I won't play this shot if the ball is more than two ball-widths submerged. I don't
recommend that you take off your shoes, but in this case I did because I could see the water's
Read more
Monday Swing Analysis: Beyond the splash
Editor's note: Every Monday, PGA professional Kevin Hinton examines
the game of a recent tour winner and tells you what you can learn. A
Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, Kevin is the Director of Instruction at
Piping Rock Golf Club, Locust Valley, N.Y., and is a Lead Master
Instructor for the Jim McLean Golf School at Doral Resort & Spa. He
also teaches at Drive 495 in New York. He has seen thousands of swings
and has helped golfers of all abilities, from rank beginners to tour
players. This week, Kevin examines the miraculous "water-explosion" shot Bill Haas pulled off in the playoff to win the Tour Championship as well as the Fed-Ex Cup worth $10 million, and he shows you how to apply the same principles to some other tricky on-course situations.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest Twitter
@RogerSchiffman
Kevin Hinton: Much has already been written about Bill Haas' incredible splash shot from the water on the second playoff hole Sunday to stay alive against Hunter Mahan, and how he went on to win the Tour Championship.
It may not seem like a shot you would need, but there are other shots you will encounter (from land) to which you can apply the principles of Haas' water explosion shot. Haas essentially played it like a bunker shot, combined with a lot more guesswork and some good fortune. He pulled it off beautifully. Here are three greenside situations where I'd recommend taking a similar approach.
1. Pine Straw
You've hit an errant approach and your ball comes to rest on pine straw. To make matters worse, you need to hit a lofted shot because of the large bunker between you and the green. Definitely not a good situation. Low is not an option, just like it wasn't for Haas. If it were, I'd recommend you play it as a bump-and-run of sorts and take your medicine. The ball likely won't end up on the green, but the mistake will be far less penalizing. However, here you need loft. Try to do just as Haas did and play it like a long explosion shot from a bunker. You're going to get some pine straw between the ball and the clubface, so be certain to make a committed swing with some speed. Your mistake needs to be hitting down too much and coming up short. Be sure that you don't miss the pine straw and make ball-first contact. Home-runs are only good in baseball!
2. Deep Rough
A similar situation--you've missed the green and are in another unfortunate lie (think U.S Open). It's not that the shot needs to be hit with a lot of loft, but the chances of making ball-first contact are slim at best. No chance of taking a standard chipping approach. The club will get Read more
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest Twitter
@RogerSchiffman
Kevin Hinton: Much has already been written about Bill Haas' incredible splash shot from the water on the second playoff hole Sunday to stay alive against Hunter Mahan, and how he went on to win the Tour Championship.
It may not seem like a shot you would need, but there are other shots you will encounter (from land) to which you can apply the principles of Haas' water explosion shot. Haas essentially played it like a bunker shot, combined with a lot more guesswork and some good fortune. He pulled it off beautifully. Here are three greenside situations where I'd recommend taking a similar approach.
1. Pine Straw
You've hit an errant approach and your ball comes to rest on pine straw. To make matters worse, you need to hit a lofted shot because of the large bunker between you and the green. Definitely not a good situation. Low is not an option, just like it wasn't for Haas. If it were, I'd recommend you play it as a bump-and-run of sorts and take your medicine. The ball likely won't end up on the green, but the mistake will be far less penalizing. However, here you need loft. Try to do just as Haas did and play it like a long explosion shot from a bunker. You're going to get some pine straw between the ball and the clubface, so be certain to make a committed swing with some speed. Your mistake needs to be hitting down too much and coming up short. Be sure that you don't miss the pine straw and make ball-first contact. Home-runs are only good in baseball!
2. Deep Rough
A similar situation--you've missed the green and are in another unfortunate lie (think U.S Open). It's not that the shot needs to be hit with a lot of loft, but the chances of making ball-first contact are slim at best. No chance of taking a standard chipping approach. The club will get Read more
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