TROUBLE
DO THIS Greenside shots from the rough are tough because you need power to get through deeper grass but finesse to stop the ball by the hole. Swing too slowly and the club doesn’t get through. Add speed in the wrong way and you’re hitting it over the green. A feel I like is a fuller backswing and then consistent speed from the beginning of the downswing through the ball. At the finish, I’m tall and have my chest rotated towards the target – or even past it. The clubhead doesn’t turn over like it does on an iron shot. The face stays open, which helps get the ball up and out of the rough while allowing it to land softly on the green. A way to think about this open-face concept is if the face had a light on it, the light would shine over my left shoulder at the finish ( left ). Commit to the through- swing – don’t decelerate in fear of hitting it too far. NOT THAT If you think about swing speed on greenside shots like the accelerator pedal on your car, pushing it to the floor as the club approaches the ball will likely lead to a fender-bender. All that acceleration comes from trying to muscle it through the rough or feeling like you need more power to correct too short a backswing. When you jab at the ball, you’ll likely dump the shot or hit it into somebody’s house. Don’t ram and dig; let the back of the club glide through with even speed.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 99
JULY/AUGUST 2024
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator