“Adjust your focal point to a spot in front of the ball on the target side. . . . that aim point gets you to catch the ball first and then the sand.”
3. ROUGH LIES
Drop it down on the ball
The 7-wood’s mass and deeper centre of gravity make it a rocket-launcher from the rough, provided the lie is good. First, test the grass by making a few practice swings to the side of the ball. If you encounter little resistance and the club passes through smoothly, you are cleared for launch. To set up correctly, inch your feet closer to the ball and narrow your stance to promote a steeper backswing and downswing. That prevents interference from the grass as much as possible. Hinge the club up sharply on the
backswing (top photo, above), then feel a big weight shift onto your front leg prior to dropping the clubhead down onto the ball ( bottom photo, above ). Make sure you turn your hips through and finish in balance. You should be able to chase it up to the green – and you owe it all to that wonderful new 7-wood. I should get a commission for all the new ones sold after this article. NICK BOVA, voted Golf Digest’s Best Teacher in New Jersey, is director of instruction at Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Gladstone.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 55
JUNE 2026
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator