THIS IS

WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM HOW THE

PROS PLAY THESE SHOTS AT AUGUSTA

BY DAVID LEADBETTER

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT AUGUSTA NATIONAL IS TRUE — TELEVISION DOESN’T DO THE PROPERTY JUSTICE. I’M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF THE PLACE. I ALSO MEAN THE TERRAIN. IF YOU’VE NEVER BEEN THERE, YOU CAN’T TRULY APPRECIATE HOW HILLY AND UNDULATING THE GOLF COURSE IS. EVEN IN THE FAIRWAY YOU CAN FIND YOUR BALL IN A TOUGH LIE! • MOST WEEKEND GOLFERS DON’T PRACTISE ON ANYTHING BUT FLAT, STABLE SURFACES, SO WATCHING THE MASTERS IS A GOOD TIME TO REVISIT THE FUNDAMENTALS OF HOW TO PLAY FROM VARIOUS AWKWARD LIES. STARTING WITH THAT GREAT PHOTO OF TIGER WOODS HITTING FROM THE PINE STRAW AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS ARTICLE, LET’S LOOK AT SOME OF THE GAME’S BEST PLAYERS FROM LAST YEAR’S MASTERS AND BREAK DOWN HOW THEY PLAYED SHOTS FROM THESE DIFFICULT POSITIONS. REMEMBER THE KEY POINTS, AND THESE SHOTS WON’T SEEM SO UNNERVING THE NEXT TIME YOU ENCOUNTER THEM.

—DAVID LEADBETTER WITH RON KASPRISKE

UNSTABLE-GROUND LIE: DIG IN, STAY QUIET

Tiger could make any trouble shot look easy, so his play from the pine straw on the fifth hole probably wasn’t as tough as playing from a similar lie might be for you. The first thing is to note that it’s kind of like playing off of pick-up sticks. If you get too close, the pine straw you move could force more pine straw to move and possibly the ball. Remember to approach with caution.

Whenever you’re playing off an unstable surface — not just pine straw — set up with your feet feeling “dug in”. Pine straw is slippery, so get your balance from the start. A wider stance helps, too. When you swing, keep your footwork to a minimum to ensure good contact. This is not a place where you want to go 100 per cent. Back down your effort. Tiger even gripped down on his iron for better control.

Although unrelated to playing in pine straw, this “hold off” look that Tiger has at the end of his swing shows he was trying to shape the ball left to right. What that should tell you is that it’s possible to curve a shot from this lie and possibly knock it on the green. But your priority should be getting the ball back in play. Advance it and take your chance at an up-and-down save.