Lesson Tee: Tree Trouble

You have to admit, trees are really quite lovely. On the golf course, trees have a specific purpose and give definition to the holes we play. Sometimes they can save a poor shot, other times they can wreak havoc on players.

If you play golf in the Pacific Northwest, you spend a fair amount of time around and under the trees. This month’s lesson will give you a few hints and tips to help you escape their grasp.

Common Mistakes

Too much club and not enough loft: I see a lot of 4-irons, hybrids, and fairway woods from the trees. This is a problem because the first thing we need in the strike is a little lift. Under a tree, the ground will either be loose pine needles, dirt, or unkept grass. None are beneficial to a longer club with minimal loft. On loose ground the player will often times hit behind the ball in an effort to keep the flight low, leading to chunky shots that don’t go far or pop up into the branches. In long grass, the club face can close at impact.

Uneven golf swing: This happens a lot with a longer shafted club. The player will take a short and fast backswing and stab through the ball. The pace of the golf swing is typically too fast for the intended swing.

Unrealistic Expectations: This is where the “hero” shot comes into play. The player tries to do too much with the shot. This is a recipe for extra strokes on the scorecard.

How to Escape From the Trees

Setup: Take a normal stance and place the ball near the middle of your stance. Place slightly more weight into your lead foot. This will encourage a downward strike and in this body position the player is more likely to hit the ball first.

Club Selection: Unless the tree has limbs that go all the way to the ground you will want to grab a club with some loft, like a six or seven iron. This will give the ball much needed lift at the strike, but the flight can still be controlled with proper pace.

Swing: If your swing is fairly restricted the goal on this shot will be to simply put the ball back in play. In the backswing, take the club about hip high without setting the wrists. For the downswing we are looking to rotate our trunk through and finish with our hands and club pointing towards your target. Pace is a big key for this shot. The faster the motion, the more spin you will impart to the ball and the higher the flight will be.

Alan Reese

PGA Professional Salem Golf Club

areese@pga.com