Advanced Golf Instruction On How To Escape From The Trees
Easy tips to handle the trees and get out unscathed
One of the most frustrating things to happen in golf is landing among the trees after a wayward swing. The dense forested region that surrounds a golf course is generally named as jail due to the player being restricted from making good shots. If you find yourself in such a situation, you need to first know the exact location you are in and the area before you, so you plan your shot well and return to the fairway fast.
Here are some useful tips to handle a woody situation.
Consider the lie of the land
Consider whether the area before you is clean and devoid of any roots or other obstacles. When you need to make a recovery shot amidst trees, you can face issues such as restricted swing, roots, hanging branches etc. These can make the situation bad, if you don’t proceed carefully. Think of the shots you can play in such a situation.
Swing assessment
To get your swing right, you need to assess the available space present. This will help in giving you an idea of the follow through or backswing you can make.
Look for openings
Evaluate the line from the target to your ball and find out the safe openings you have to the right and left of the line.
Selection of club and trajectory
Once you have assessed the area well, you need to look at the height of ball you have to maintain and the distance, which suits the selection of the shot. In case of a low hanging branch, you need to keep the ball at a low level. You should use a 5, 4, or 3 iron and exert force on the club. A punch shot with less of forward and backward swing is very necessary.
Safe shot
Find out the safest shot direction to get out of the trees without any trouble. It can be a sideways shot or at the flag, so make sure you find out the right spot.
Execute
Whether it is a short distance to the target or a long one, you need to practice your usual routine and go at the shot as planned.
When faced with obstacles such as trees, you need to keep your body and head still. You should only move your hands and arms during the swing. You need to keep in mind that the fairway is the spot you are targeting at, and not the green.