Short-sided? Try this cut shot to save par

You’ve pulled your approach shot left of the green, leaving yourself a delicate uphill shot with very little green between you and the hole—we call that "short-sided." Your first inclination might be to reach for your lob wedge and try the hero flop, but that generally works only on TV. Many amateurs don’t have the skill set to pull off that shot. Your best chance to give yourself a reasonable putt for par is to use the slope and apply some cut spin to the ball. Here’s how.

Using your sand wedge, play the ball just inside your back foot with the clubface slightly open and your weight favoring your front side. Now, here’s the key: Swing steeply across the ball from out to in, making sure the clubhead stays low to the ground at the finish. You want to feel as if you’re driving the ball into the slope (above), not popping it up into the air. The ball will come out low with a lot of left-to-right spin on it. It should take one big hop off the hill and, because of the cut spin, land very softly on the green with little forward momentum.

It takes some practice, but it’s more practical and reliable than the flop when you're short-sided.

Jackson Koert, a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, is director of instruction at Atlantic Beach Country Club in Atlantic Beach, Fla.