Your wayward tee shot found a hard patch of gravel, or hardpan, otherwise known as simply the desert where I teach in Phoenix.
Your first reaction is likely to pull your sand wedge to get the ball back to safety, like you normally do in a sand bunker. Uh-uh. The bounce angle on your wedges is too high to navigate this sort of lie — so the club will literally bounce off the gravel once it hits the ground, so you’ll end up sculling the shot. This situation calls for some creativity.
First step is to go for a longer club with a more upright lie and little bounce. Say 7-iron. Stand close to the ball with your feet together, and, instead of trying to make a full swing, use your putting stroke. (You can even go as far as to use your putting grip.) Now putt the ball. The length of your 7-iron is more than enough to get the ball safely down the fairway.
The best part? Using your putting stroke guarantees that you won’t hit up on the ball, which is another way to catch these kinds of shots too thin. I mean, who ever tries to lift the ball in the air with their putter? Get back in play and go make your par.
Tina Tombs is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher who operates Tina Tombs Golf at the Arizona Biltmore GC in Phoenix.
