Five shots you’re bound to find in the rough, and how to execute them (Part 4)

Continued from blog entry – “ROUGH STUFF: Five shots you’re bound to find in the rough, and how to execute them (Part 3)”
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THE HIGH-LOFTED SHOT

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Real panic time. You’ve got only 20 yards to a green sloping away from the hole, and the pin is tucked close to the edge. Worse yet, you have to clear a bunker (11) or pond to get there, and still land the ball softly–very tough to do when you’re not able to generate much spin on the ball because of the rough. Par looks impossible.

.Photography by Leonard Kamsler

To pull this shot off successfully, you need to make a long, lazy swing, à la Phil Mickelson. Most amateurs don’t have the kind of pa­tience in the face of panic to hit that kind of shot. So, to make it easier, think of tossing a softball underhand to home plate. It’s the same kind of motion: long and slow with a whole lot of motion. A few other keys:

• Take your most lofted club;
• Position the ball slightly forward in your stance;
• Put more weight on your back foot;
• Increase the grip pressure in your left hand.

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Don’t Panic, Practice

Any time you’re confronted with a trouble shot around the green, like the one above, don’t panic and rush to get the shot over with. Take five or six practice swings (12), as many rehearsals as necessary, to get the feel for the length and pace of the swing you need. Slow yourself down and try to dispense with all of those negative thoughts.