When your ball finds seriously tall grass, fret not: All you need is the right technique to escape. The trick is to “cut” the junk behind the ball (which can slow down your swing) and the grass in front of it (which can impede distance).
First, play the ball up in your stance. Then, as you settle into your stance, take your trail hand off the grip and rotate it to the weakest position you can imagine — like it’s on top of the handle.
Swing back, hinging your wrists immediately so the club shaft gets to vertical as quickly as possible. A good thought here: Point your thumbs toward the sky as soon as you start your backswing.
Now the fun part: Chop down hard and steeply, aiming for a spot directly underneath the ball. Your super on-top grip provides the downforce you need to get steep and miss most of the grass behind the ball and loft the shot up quickly. It’s why I call it the “hinge and thump.”
So, instead of stewing over a bad lie, go pound it back into play. Now, about the swing that got you here in the first place..
Jeff Smith is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher who teaches at Bonita Bay Club in Fla. and Eagle Springs GC in Wolcott, Colo.
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