Getting out of those rough situations

By Gord Percy Kevin Haime Golf School

WHLE PLAYING GOLF at many of the local courses, no doubt you’ve probably yourself in a predicament. No worries. The tips below are sure to assist you in a few parts of your game. Commit them to memory and you’ll be out of the rough and enjoying this quality low-impact exercise. Grip Pitching from the rough

If you are righthanded, your left hand is the one closest to the end of the club. The grip is more in the fingers than in the palm with the heel pad of your left hand on top of the club, with the thumb down the center or slightly to the right side of the grip. Grip pressure should not be tight or tense, just snug. The right hand grip is in the fingers and not the palm. You can overlap/interlock one finger or have all on the grip so long as both hands are together. Your right hand should feel more on top of the grip with no sign of your left thumb and right thumb slightly over to the left side of the grip. If you have a good grip, you should see two knuckles in the left hand with the heel pad on the top of the club. The creases formed between the thumbs and index fingers should point toward your right shoulder. If you have a good grip, you should be able to hinge the club up towards your nose – this is how they work during the swing. This shot is often required to get the ball out of, or over, trouble such as rough, sand, or water. The ball is placed closer to the middle of your stance and your weight should be 50/50 to start with. Hold down on the club a bit for control. This setup and shot are just mini-versions of your normal full swing. The backswing should not be as long as a full swing. You want to control distance by how far back you take the club. You should feel some wrist hinge and your weight should shift to your back foot, just as you should in a full swing. If you are in trouble on the course, use this technique to get yourself back safely to the fairway. You should feel some ground contact as you come forward to the ball. Accelerating past the ball is a must to ensure you get the ball up into the air and the club through the rough. Your follow-through should at least match the length of your backswing and you should finish with most of your weight on the front foot.

Chipping is a low shot required only to go far enough in the air to get on the green so it can get rolling along the ground. To do this, the ball must be off your right toe (for RH), hands in front of the ball, and more weight on the left foot. Hold down on the grip for better control. On the back swing, the weight must not shift like on a normal swing. The weight stays on the left foot and your stroke must be controlled by the arms and shoulders. Using your wrists when you chip only leads to disastrous shots. If you need to go past waist height, you are likely to far away for chipping. It is essential when moving forward to keep the weight on the left leg and not try to lift or scoop the ball using your wrists. Your hands must remain ahead of the club head in the follow through. Your forward motion should be short and crisp, never decelerating.

In a good setup for putting, it is essential to have your shoulders and eyes aligned parallel to the target line. Right-handed putters should have their left eye directly over the ball. Precisely aim the putter — most golfers are too casual and do not aim anywhere near their target. On the backstroke, do not allow the putter to rotate open. Keep it square to the target line. Your stroke should be controlled by the rocking of your shoulders and therefore you should not have any wrist action or leg movement/rotation. The distance you hit should be controlled by the length of your backswing. In your forward stroke, like the backstroke, you should keep the putter square while not using your wrists or turning your lower body. If you have done a correct stroke, the putter will accelerate but remain close to the ground and your followthrough should be as long as or longer than the backswing.

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Available at the following local stores: Armstrong Shoes, Glebetrotters on Bank, Golf Town, Chuck Brown’s, J E Letellier Ltd.

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