The Fried Egg… Buried Lies!
There are two ways to attack a buried ball or the fried egg. One option involves merely excavating the ball to get out of the bunker, while the second option is reserved for trying to get the ball a little closer to the hole via a higher trajectory.
When your only option is to try to get out of the sand, start by closing the clubface at address. This will help the club dig deeper into the sand to extricate the ball out of the bunker. Keep in mind that this will create a lack of spin, causing the ball to run quite a ways after landing. This can be especially useful if the flag is faraway with a lot of green in between the fringe and the hole. Keep your thoughts simple for this shot… close the club face and dig!
The second option for the buried ball does require some extra speed on the club head, but can produce a much higher shot that lands softer, thus more controllable. Be sure you set up with more weight on your lead leg to help create a steeper angle of decent. Choke down on the grip to further enhance the vertically steep club path as this will help you get the club into the sand and under the ball. Now open the face of the club until it points to the sky! As you take the club away, hinge your wrists early in another effort to prep the steepness of the shot. Now picture a stake that is right behind the ball, sticking out of the sand… and drive this stake as deep into the ground as possible!
This is not a delicate shot… it is a violent attack into the sand that should leave a crater in the ball’s place. Now brush the sand off your shirt and go make that putt!
When your only option is to try to get out of the sand, start by closing the clubface at address. This will help the club dig deeper into the sand to extricate the ball out of the bunker. Keep in mind that this will create a lack of spin, causing the ball to run quite a ways after landing. This can be especially useful if the flag is faraway with a lot of green in between the fringe and the hole. Keep your thoughts simple for this shot… close the club face and dig!
The second option for the buried ball does require some extra speed on the club head, but can produce a much higher shot that lands softer, thus more controllable. Be sure you set up with more weight on your lead leg to help create a steeper angle of decent. Choke down on the grip to further enhance the vertically steep club path as this will help you get the club into the sand and under the ball. Now open the face of the club until it points to the sky! As you take the club away, hinge your wrists early in another effort to prep the steepness of the shot. Now picture a stake that is right behind the ball, sticking out of the sand… and drive this stake as deep into the ground as possible!
This is not a delicate shot… it is a violent attack into the sand that should leave a crater in the ball’s place. Now brush the sand off your shirt and go make that putt!
Waste Area Full Shots
Here in Part 2 of playing shots from the waste area, we’ll look at how to hit full shots. Although from the same surface as hitting a pitch shot, the techniques are much different. During pitch shots we need to make sure the angle of attack remains very shallow while full shots will benefit more from a downward strike on the ball.
We must keep in mind our tendencies when hitting shots from hard tight lies… we try to help the ball into the air with a leaning back movement that aids a lifting motion. This will cause major problems with this shot; most notably, skipping into the ball and skulling it along the ground.
We should also take this into account during club selection, especially if you’re hitting fairway woods or long hybrids. Try taking less club which has more loft to help get the ball up.
If you only remember one thing from this section, let it be that we need to trust the loft of the club to send the ball skyward and not try to help it. In fact, I can think of no shot in golf that this thought wouldn’t help!
In the meantime, lets keep a couple swing keys in mind to give us the best chance at success. Starting with the address position, I’d like to make sure your weight or pressure is not leaning towards the trail leg. Keep the pressure even or slightly favoring the lead leg. Now be sure you don’t move off the ball during the backswing but keep your head right on top of the ball… this should really be your motto for the entire golf swing which will help control the low point of the swing! Keep your base solid and stable so that your torso/head doesn’t move about!
We must keep in mind our tendencies when hitting shots from hard tight lies… we try to help the ball into the air with a leaning back movement that aids a lifting motion. This will cause major problems with this shot; most notably, skipping into the ball and skulling it along the ground.
We should also take this into account during club selection, especially if you’re hitting fairway woods or long hybrids. Try taking less club which has more loft to help get the ball up.
If you only remember one thing from this section, let it be that we need to trust the loft of the club to send the ball skyward and not try to help it. In fact, I can think of no shot in golf that this thought wouldn’t help!
In the meantime, lets keep a couple swing keys in mind to give us the best chance at success. Starting with the address position, I’d like to make sure your weight or pressure is not leaning towards the trail leg. Keep the pressure even or slightly favoring the lead leg. Now be sure you don’t move off the ball during the backswing but keep your head right on top of the ball… this should really be your motto for the entire golf swing which will help control the low point of the swing! Keep your base solid and stable so that your torso/head doesn’t move about!
Waste Area Wedge Play
As you play this crazy game, you will undoubtedly run across a multitude of lies at all courses, including the waste area. In this two part article, we will discover some of the ideas and techniques necessary to navigate this situation. This section will be about hitting successful wedge shots off the super tight and firm waste areas.
Before we even hit the shot, you must take a few things into consideration for your plan before we begin to execute the shot; 1. Even a perfectly struck shot will come off lower and with less spin. 2. Wedges with higher bounce can we used successfully, however, some may find it more beneficial to use a wedge with a lower bounce angle.
Both of these items will have a direct correlation to the balls actions after you hit the shot so it is imperative that you take them into account while reading and planning the shot.
As we’ve found with most wedge shots, a shallow angle of attack is crucial for this shot as well. Anything steep will tend to dig and either hit the shot fat or skull it across the green like a cat running from a sprinkler. Keeping the angle of attack shallow with increase the margin of error as the club slides across the ground, allowing you to have a flat spot at the bottom in which the ball can lay at any point to create a clean strike.
Any vertical movement like wrist hinge or lifting of the arms will therefore require you to drop the club back down to the ground forcing a steep angle of attack. Quick and jerky movements and a lot of tension can also create many digging motions.
We need to focus on everything that will keep the club head moving softly and close to the ground, starting with an extremely soft or light grip. This leads to better touch, feel & control. The overall swing motion should be very much Rounded as though swinging in a circle with the center of the circle at your feet. This will keep the club head from getting to vertical. Please feel as though you are swinging your arms or elbows and everything below that (hands,club) are just along for the ride. Be sure to Let Contact Happen as any desire to hit at the ball will only cause you jerky movements and poor results…. In the words of Frozen… Let It Go!
Before we even hit the shot, you must take a few things into consideration for your plan before we begin to execute the shot; 1. Even a perfectly struck shot will come off lower and with less spin. 2. Wedges with higher bounce can we used successfully, however, some may find it more beneficial to use a wedge with a lower bounce angle.
Both of these items will have a direct correlation to the balls actions after you hit the shot so it is imperative that you take them into account while reading and planning the shot.
As we’ve found with most wedge shots, a shallow angle of attack is crucial for this shot as well. Anything steep will tend to dig and either hit the shot fat or skull it across the green like a cat running from a sprinkler. Keeping the angle of attack shallow with increase the margin of error as the club slides across the ground, allowing you to have a flat spot at the bottom in which the ball can lay at any point to create a clean strike.
Any vertical movement like wrist hinge or lifting of the arms will therefore require you to drop the club back down to the ground forcing a steep angle of attack. Quick and jerky movements and a lot of tension can also create many digging motions.
We need to focus on everything that will keep the club head moving softly and close to the ground, starting with an extremely soft or light grip. This leads to better touch, feel & control. The overall swing motion should be very much Rounded as though swinging in a circle with the center of the circle at your feet. This will keep the club head from getting to vertical. Please feel as though you are swinging your arms or elbows and everything below that (hands,club) are just along for the ride. Be sure to Let Contact Happen as any desire to hit at the ball will only cause you jerky movements and poor results…. In the words of Frozen… Let It Go!
Get The Most Out of Your Practice
Almost all of us spend time practicing, but only a tiny percentage of those get the most out of their time. How you practice is almost more important than working on technique! In fact, proper practice habits are the fastest way to make new techniques take hold.
In this conversation, we must also broach the topic of what to practice as there are certain aspects of the game that you will benefit the most from. According to the data compiled by Shotlink on the PGA Tour, Mark Broadie has proved that the number one attribute to lower scores is Driver Distance. Coming in a close 2nd is Approach Shots.
Lets look at what most people have called the most important part of the game…Putting! Most of the people I see practicing putting do so by using 3-4 balls to roll 20 footers. This couldn’t be a bigger waste of time as the data shows that even if a 90’s shooter becomes as good as a PGA Tour player from this range, they shave off less than 1 stroke per round. Don’t waste your time here!
The most important range with a putter is 3 to 8 feet, with PGA Tour players making 50% of their 8 footers. My favorite drill for working on this range is also a great way to practice as it covers all the main aspects of a great practice session; 1. Hitting different shots is just like what happens on the golf course, whereas, hitting the same shot over and over again is only good for exercise. 2. Add some meaning and pressure to your practice to further mimic the real game. 3. Make the practice quantifiable so that you can compare your results & progress. 4. Be sure you go through your entire routine so that your practice perfectly mirrors what you would do on the golf course.
The 3,5,7 Drill begins by picking a putt that is uphill and dead straight. If you choose a downhill putt it could cause you to baby your stroke a little bit instead of making a confident stroke. No braking putts as this is not a drill for reading greens which can make quantifying & analyzing results difficult. Put down a few tees to mark the 3 foot, 5 foot and 7 foot points. This will help to keep you from wandering accidentally into a breaking putt. Please only use 1 golf ball to help force yourself to go through your entire routine on every putt. You must make three 3 footers in a row before you can advance to the 5 foot mark. Three more from there before the 7 foot mark. If you miss anywhere on the way to finishing your three 7 footers, you must start over. It is this element that adds that sense of meaning and pressure that make the drill so good!
In this conversation, we must also broach the topic of what to practice as there are certain aspects of the game that you will benefit the most from. According to the data compiled by Shotlink on the PGA Tour, Mark Broadie has proved that the number one attribute to lower scores is Driver Distance. Coming in a close 2nd is Approach Shots.
Lets look at what most people have called the most important part of the game…Putting! Most of the people I see practicing putting do so by using 3-4 balls to roll 20 footers. This couldn’t be a bigger waste of time as the data shows that even if a 90’s shooter becomes as good as a PGA Tour player from this range, they shave off less than 1 stroke per round. Don’t waste your time here!
The most important range with a putter is 3 to 8 feet, with PGA Tour players making 50% of their 8 footers. My favorite drill for working on this range is also a great way to practice as it covers all the main aspects of a great practice session; 1. Hitting different shots is just like what happens on the golf course, whereas, hitting the same shot over and over again is only good for exercise. 2. Add some meaning and pressure to your practice to further mimic the real game. 3. Make the practice quantifiable so that you can compare your results & progress. 4. Be sure you go through your entire routine so that your practice perfectly mirrors what you would do on the golf course.
The 3,5,7 Drill begins by picking a putt that is uphill and dead straight. If you choose a downhill putt it could cause you to baby your stroke a little bit instead of making a confident stroke. No braking putts as this is not a drill for reading greens which can make quantifying & analyzing results difficult. Put down a few tees to mark the 3 foot, 5 foot and 7 foot points. This will help to keep you from wandering accidentally into a breaking putt. Please only use 1 golf ball to help force yourself to go through your entire routine on every putt. You must make three 3 footers in a row before you can advance to the 5 foot mark. Three more from there before the 7 foot mark. If you miss anywhere on the way to finishing your three 7 footers, you must start over. It is this element that adds that sense of meaning and pressure that make the drill so good!
See What the Pros See
How can we use this knowledge of the architect’s attempts to our benefit? What do the Pros see when they’re hitting the same shot? These are the questions we will answer in this article.
Every good golf course architect will use the land and the hazards with one main goal in mind; To make you think! That one bunker out there that you might hate…in reality, the architect did a great job placing it there because he’s got you writhing over your next visit to that tee box. One of the greatest compliments a hazard can get, is one of complaints, because it truly is making you think!
Thinking is the reason that hitting a good shot is so much easier on the range than the course, as there is no trouble on the range…nothing to make you think and a huge pile of balls laying in wait, just in case you miss the shot. But what are we thinking about on the range that makes it so much easier for the great shots on the range?
Our thoughts are only on the target & shot shape with a detached sense of caring about the result.
Think about that last line for a moment… ‘target & shot shape’ means… I’m going to hit a fade at the red flag. ‘detached sense of caring’ means that we really don’t much care about what happens, mainly because we won’t have to chase the ball and also because we have a giant pyramid of balls at our feet!
When you get out on the golf course, begin to view each hole with looking for what the architect ‘wants’ you to think about. Follow then to the area the architect gives you as the safe area (there’s always a widening or target area). Ask your self what club and what kind of shot can you easily get to that target. Now pick something more specific as your target like a tree trunk or the edge of a distant bunker. Visualize the ball taking off at the appropriate trajectory, peaking and curving toward your specific small target. Visualize what the ball will do when it lands at that target. Now go hit your shot as though you’re only playing a silly game…who cares what happens!
Every good golf course architect will use the land and the hazards with one main goal in mind; To make you think! That one bunker out there that you might hate…in reality, the architect did a great job placing it there because he’s got you writhing over your next visit to that tee box. One of the greatest compliments a hazard can get, is one of complaints, because it truly is making you think!
Thinking is the reason that hitting a good shot is so much easier on the range than the course, as there is no trouble on the range…nothing to make you think and a huge pile of balls laying in wait, just in case you miss the shot. But what are we thinking about on the range that makes it so much easier for the great shots on the range?
Our thoughts are only on the target & shot shape with a detached sense of caring about the result.
Think about that last line for a moment… ‘target & shot shape’ means… I’m going to hit a fade at the red flag. ‘detached sense of caring’ means that we really don’t much care about what happens, mainly because we won’t have to chase the ball and also because we have a giant pyramid of balls at our feet!
When you get out on the golf course, begin to view each hole with looking for what the architect ‘wants’ you to think about. Follow then to the area the architect gives you as the safe area (there’s always a widening or target area). Ask your self what club and what kind of shot can you easily get to that target. Now pick something more specific as your target like a tree trunk or the edge of a distant bunker. Visualize the ball taking off at the appropriate trajectory, peaking and curving toward your specific small target. Visualize what the ball will do when it lands at that target. Now go hit your shot as though you’re only playing a silly game…who cares what happens!
Less is More for Your Golf Swing
Overdoing it could be the most common mistake I see on the practice field. It also seems to be heavily misdiagnosed with a fix that can only lead to temporary results. Best seen as a long backswing, or going past parallel, this can lead to an incredible amount of swing faults.
Unfortunately, this fault is too often associated with the body parts closest to the golf club… the hands, arms and torso. Fact of the matter is, the golf swing stems from the ground up and this swing fault is no different.
These issues stem from overusing the feet for balance and stability which allows the knees and hips to get out of position. This problem follows the rest of the link to the club…once the lower body is out of position, the upper body cannot be in the correct position.
A great drill to fix the flat shoulder plane is to create instability in the trail foot which will force the knee & hip into a stable position. Use a 1.5″ angle iron, which can be picked up at any home improvement center for less than $10. Place this underneath your trail foot and make sure that your foot stays on top of the rail, not on either side of the rail. This is the instability we need for your foot to force your knee & hip to become the stable entity.
Unfortunately, this fault is too often associated with the body parts closest to the golf club… the hands, arms and torso. Fact of the matter is, the golf swing stems from the ground up and this swing fault is no different.
These issues stem from overusing the feet for balance and stability which allows the knees and hips to get out of position. This problem follows the rest of the link to the club…once the lower body is out of position, the upper body cannot be in the correct position.
A great drill to fix the flat shoulder plane is to create instability in the trail foot which will force the knee & hip into a stable position. Use a 1.5″ angle iron, which can be picked up at any home improvement center for less than $10. Place this underneath your trail foot and make sure that your foot stays on top of the rail, not on either side of the rail. This is the instability we need for your foot to force your knee & hip to become the stable entity.
Poor Posture or Poor Fit?
One of the most important and overlooked aspect of putting is your posture at address. This can have a direct affect on how your shoulders work during your stroke, and therefore, the path of the putter head.
A couple things we will need to check to see if your putter and body posture are a good fit… eye/ball alignment, putter/ground interaction & spine angle:
In our first test, we will need 2 golf balls…one for the ground to setup to and a second to test your eye to ball alignment. Once you have taken your address position, hold the second ball right in front of your eyes and let it drop straight to the ground. Your eyes should be 1″ to 2″ inside the ball.
The second test is to ensure the sole of the putter and the ground are interacting properly. This is a simple check to make sure that the sole is flat to the ground and neither the heel nor toe of the putter are off the ground more than the other. Some putters have slightly curved bottoms so you must have equal parts of toe & heel off the turf.
Chances are, if you’ve already passed the first two tests that your posture is good and the putter fits your body and stroke. We do still have to take into account your spine angle as some can accommodate a poor spine angle with poor arm alignments. We must make sure that your spine is neutral… as opposed to having a rounded C shape or an arched S shape. You should also not be severely bent at the hip but more erect in nature. Not vertical but somewhere around 60*-70* degrees depending on the person.
If you have now passed all three tests, you should be making some wonderful strokes and rolling the ball at your target. If not, we should take a look at the putter itself to make sure it isn’t hindering your success. Too often I see people with putters that are too long which makes it impossible to achieve proper posture and arm alignments. This will make it extremely difficult to create a repeatable stroke with great speed control.
If you’ve having any problems with your putter, posture and fitting are the best place to start!
A couple things we will need to check to see if your putter and body posture are a good fit… eye/ball alignment, putter/ground interaction & spine angle:
In our first test, we will need 2 golf balls…one for the ground to setup to and a second to test your eye to ball alignment. Once you have taken your address position, hold the second ball right in front of your eyes and let it drop straight to the ground. Your eyes should be 1″ to 2″ inside the ball.
The second test is to ensure the sole of the putter and the ground are interacting properly. This is a simple check to make sure that the sole is flat to the ground and neither the heel nor toe of the putter are off the ground more than the other. Some putters have slightly curved bottoms so you must have equal parts of toe & heel off the turf.
Chances are, if you’ve already passed the first two tests that your posture is good and the putter fits your body and stroke. We do still have to take into account your spine angle as some can accommodate a poor spine angle with poor arm alignments. We must make sure that your spine is neutral… as opposed to having a rounded C shape or an arched S shape. You should also not be severely bent at the hip but more erect in nature. Not vertical but somewhere around 60*-70* degrees depending on the person.
If you have now passed all three tests, you should be making some wonderful strokes and rolling the ball at your target. If not, we should take a look at the putter itself to make sure it isn’t hindering your success. Too often I see people with putters that are too long which makes it impossible to achieve proper posture and arm alignments. This will make it extremely difficult to create a repeatable stroke with great speed control.
If you’ve having any problems with your putter, posture and fitting are the best place to start!
Limitations Create Your Swing
Everyone has a physical limitation that has a direct impact on their golf swing. Even Tour players are working diligently to overcome their own limitations. Some limitations though, aren’t necessarily limitations but come in the form of excessive mobility… for instance, if your wrists are hyper mobile, you may have problems with the golf club getting out of control at the top of your backswing.
A few of the more common limitations that I see when testing players and how they affect the swing;
Lead Hip Rotation – When the Lead Hip(left for a right hander) has limited mobility, the player may resort to sliding through the downswing in an effort to regain what has been lost in the hip.
Thoracic Spine (Upper Spine) – Many players who have limited rotation away from the target may use lifting their arms and coming out of posture to try to compensate for their lack of a full turn.
Trail Shoulder (right for a right hander) – Some players who have limited rotation in their trail shoulder will create a very vertical backswing with their hands because they cannot physically get into the ‘pizza tray’ position at the top of the backswing.
Loss of X Factor – Also known as separation, the X Factor generates 80% of your power! When one loses the ability to separate their pelvis from their torso…so do they lose the ability to generate power.
Clearly, these limitations are a major part of all our golf swings, which begs the question; what are we to do about it?
1. The first step is to find out what your limitations are so that your and your golf coach know if a problem is something your can handle, or if you will need to find a way to work around it.
2. Find yourself a good TPI Physical Therapist to help you work on your limitations. When the limitations have been improved, you and your golf coach may now entertain a real fix for that problem instead of the original ‘work around’.
3. No matter your age or physical ability, you must stretch before any physical activity, but especially golf. Go get some great stretches from your PT or golf coach that are strictly for warming up. You must Never warm up to hit golf balls by hitting golf balls. This is begging for injury.
Now that you understand a little more about how your body creates your swing, do your game a favor and get your body on the right track!
Wedges from Downhill Lies
The secret to success when pitching from a downhill lie stems from your set up position. As with any uneven lie, the first step is to widen your stance to create more stability in your base. Please now lean onto your forward leg by adding flex to your knee. You will now need to open your stance quite a bit so that the flexed knee doesn’t get in the way of your hands as they swing though the shot.
A great way to check for the correct amount of knee flex is to hold the club across your chest to simulate the ground slope you are standing on. Try to flex your knee until the shaft and the ground are parallel… Now add a little tilt of your spine towards the target to ensure your club path is now steeper than the slope the ball is on.
Now let’s work on your ball and club position to put the final touches on preparing you for success. The ball should go a little further back in your stance than you normally play a stock pitch shot…careful not to put it too far back as it could cause you to get too steep and chop into the ground!
The handle of the club should be leaning towards the target to further enhance the ability to strike the ball on a downward path. Now with all this action moving towards the target, we will need to open the face of the club until the dynamic loft closer resembles the clubs true loft… think of it this way; in leaning your body towards the target, leaning the handle towards the target & standing on the downslope, you have effectively turned your 60* wedge into a 48* wedge. You must therefore open it until you achieve the effective loft you desire.
You may now strike the ball with an Angle of Attack that is steeper than the slope you stand. Try to use your normal pitching mechanics to keep this shot as simple as possible. Remember, all the important work was done during your setup!
Better Wedge Contact from the Rough
The key to consistent wedges from any lie, but especially from the rough, is consistent contact. Without such, the spin rate and launch angle of each shot will vary drastically.
It all begins with the set up and there are a few keys that must be constant to ensure the consistency we need. Beginning from the ground up lets look at your feet: these need to be close together with only a fist or two between your heels. Your heel line should be open to the target by approximately 15-20 degrees. Weight should be favored towards your lead foot by about 55-60%. All of these set up keys will make it easier to contact the ball with a slightly steeper angle of attack. This will keep as much grass as possible from getting in between the ball and the club face.
Moving upward, we will look at the torso and use the buttons on your polo as an indicator of proper position. Just like your feet, we need your torso to be open to the target to help move the low point of your stroke to the target side of the golf ball. I would love to see your buttons point in the same direction as your lead foot.
Please grip down on the club to help initiate a more vertical take away and hinging of the wrists. This will help your angle of attack become steeper to keep grass from getting in between the ball and the club face. Lastly, make sure your wrists stay firm together through and past contact as we must be sure there is no scooping or flipping of the hands. This alone may ruin all the preparation we’ve achieved.
Last but not least… make a few practice swings while looking at the spot you want the ball to land. Continue with a few practice swings until you feel the correct speed of the arms and club head… now Let It Go!
It all begins with the set up and there are a few keys that must be constant to ensure the consistency we need. Beginning from the ground up lets look at your feet: these need to be close together with only a fist or two between your heels. Your heel line should be open to the target by approximately 15-20 degrees. Weight should be favored towards your lead foot by about 55-60%. All of these set up keys will make it easier to contact the ball with a slightly steeper angle of attack. This will keep as much grass as possible from getting in between the ball and the club face.
Moving upward, we will look at the torso and use the buttons on your polo as an indicator of proper position. Just like your feet, we need your torso to be open to the target to help move the low point of your stroke to the target side of the golf ball. I would love to see your buttons point in the same direction as your lead foot.
Please grip down on the club to help initiate a more vertical take away and hinging of the wrists. This will help your angle of attack become steeper to keep grass from getting in between the ball and the club face. Lastly, make sure your wrists stay firm together through and past contact as we must be sure there is no scooping or flipping of the hands. This alone may ruin all the preparation we’ve achieved.
Last but not least… make a few practice swings while looking at the spot you want the ball to land. Continue with a few practice swings until you feel the correct speed of the arms and club head… now Let It Go!
