Arnold Palmer demonstrates how to hit out of water in this classic video

Do you really need to know how to hit out of the water? If you’re a PGA Tour pro, sure, because loads of money and history can be won or lost with one stroke. If you’re a recreational golfer, there’s probably a more effective way to spend time improving your game.

But who among you wouldn’t want to watch the late, great Arnold Palmer personally demonstrate that very skill?

Thanks to @scratchgolftips on Instagram, we all have that opportunity. They recently dug up an old video from “Play Great Golf,” an instructional book and video series helmed by The King. It’s fantastic.

The video captures a 90s’-era Arnie, decked out in a full tan rain suit and a classic white cap. He approaches his ball, which is resting in an inch of water at the edge of a lake, and starts expertly talking through the key steps to hit the shot.

“We’re going to address this shot much the same as we would if it were a buried sand shot,” Palmer begins, directing players to close the blade of their sand wedge in order to cut through the water. Why? Because, according to Arnie, “water is hard.”

He closes the tip by saying, “Let’s give it a try and see how it works,” and then hits the shot with just a little help from a video editor.

After Arnie takes a mighty swipe, the camera cuts to the ball landing on the green (with no Palmer in the frame), then cuts back to Arnie who is bellowing with his infectious laugh, as if his first try went haywire.

You can watch the classic video below and read a full transcript of Arnie’s tip below that.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1r2-ONF09p/

“We’re going to address this shot much the same as we would if it were a buried sand shot. The ball is down in, we’re going to take a sand iron, we’re going to close the blade just slightly. So that as the club enters the water is has the ability to cut through the water. water is very hard, and as the club hits it, it will have a tendency to reflect or bounce off. So we’re going to close the blade just a little, keep our hands forward, and go into the water just a little bit in back of the ball, and that degree is determined by how deep the ball is in the water. Let’s give it a try and see how it works.” – Arnold Palmer

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