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6 Short-Game Solutions For Saving Par

How to get out of the worst greenside jams

: < 3. Dealing With An Elevated Green; When you have a short shot to an elevated green, your No. 1 goal should be distance control. If you don't hit the ball far enough, it might end up rolling back down the hill, stopping at your feet. And because you can't see the cup, it's much harder to rely on feel to get the ball to fly the correct distance. In this situation, you need to play the percentages and go with the least risky shot. The bump-and-run is the play, because pitching the ball to the hole requires a much more precise swing.

How To: First, club selection: Take a less-lofted club, nothing higher than a 7-iron. Set up with your weight and clubshaft leaning toward the target, and maintain that hands-ahead position through impact (left). The quicker you can get the ball on the ground, the better. The ball should bounce a few times before rolling onto the green.

: 4. Lagging A Long Putt; You might not make a lot of 40-footers, but you can give yourself a chance by getting the ball to the hole. The tendency on a long putt with the standard shoulder-driven, quiet-hands stroke is to come up short because it lacks power. But if you use some wrist action, you generate enough energy without a big stroke, which could cause poor contact.

How To: Focus on keeping the butt end of your putter pointing at the same spot on your abdomen, as you would if you had it anchored like a belly putter (left). You'll have to hinge and release your wrists, back and through, to keep the shaft pointing at that spot. Try it, and notice how much more power you can produce with a little flick (release) of the wrists.

: < 5. Escaping A Downhill Bunker Lie; One of the hardest shots in golf for any player is the downhill lie in greenside sand. The most important thing to remember is that it's nearly impossible to hit a high-lofted shot from this lie, so don't even try. At best, the ball will come out low and roll. Even if the hole is cut close, your goal should be getting the ball on the green.

One of Golf Digest's Top-20 Teachers Under 40, is based at Stanford (Calif.) University Golf Course and Presidio Golf Club in San Francisco. His website is mysmartgolf.com.