Tip #53 - Getting Out Of The Trees

There are four ways of getting out of the trees: going over them, under them, to the right or to the left. The nature of your lie will eliminate various options and dictate others.

Visualize your ball shooting through an opening in the trees and keep that image sharp as you make your swing.

For instance, if you're in heavy grass, you won't be able to put much sidespin on the ball, so you can forget about hooking or slicing around the tree. You'll also have trouble hitting a low shot, because in order to get the ball airborne at all you'll have to go at it with a steep swing. Thus, your best bet from rough is usually a high shot. That's one of the reasons I always look upward when I'm in tree trouble.

If, on the other hand, you're sitting on hardpan or any type of tight lie, the high road is hazardous. A low shot or a slice is often the best route out of this situation.

Of course, occasionally you'll find yourself in a predicament where none of the traditional escapes will work. Let's say you're in the final hole of a dead-even match. Your opponent has just played his approach to within birdie range, and you're stymied by a big tree. In this situation you have only one option -- you must hit through the tree.

It's a desperate shot to be sure, but if you analyze and approach it intelligently, you'll maximize your chances of pulling it off. First, don't just slug the ball indiscriminately at the tree. Look for the most sparsely foliated area of the tree and then fit your shot to that opening. The distance to the green may be 150 yards, but you may have to hit anything from an 8-iron to a 2-iron to make the shot work.

Second, take at least one club more than you think you need. This will allow the branches to slow the ball's flight a bit. After all, a tree may be 90 percent air, but so is a screen door, so expect some resistance along the way.

Finally, once you have the ideal shot in mind, take a clear mental picture of it. Visualize your ball shooting through that opening in the trees and keep that image sharp in your mind as you make your swing. You'll be surprised at how this positive mental picture will help you out of most negative situations.

- Greg Norman