August 8, 2008  












Tip #54 - Three Trick Shots

I hate taking unplayable lies, and you should too. It's like an admission of defeat. The following three shots are for those situations that seem unplayable but are not. They just require a little ingenuity.

Sometimes a little ingenuity is all that's needed to prevent taking an unplayable lie.

The first shot is played when your ball lies so close to an obstacle that you can't take a stance or swing from the conventional side. So you play it left-handed.

If the ball is sitting cleanly, the best club to use is a putter (if you have one of those models that may be hit either right- or left-handed). Failing this, take a 9-iron and turn the club so that the blade stands on its toe. Grip it like a lefty, with your left hand below your right on the club.

Take a couple of practice swings to get the feel of this shot. Then address the ball with the toe of the club, and make a short, crisp swing. The ball may go several yards, it may go only a few feet, but in either case you should be better off than if you were to take an unplayable lie.

The second shot is an alternative to the lefty shot, when you need a bit more distance. I call it the one-handed chop. Take the same 9-iron, grip it with only your right hand, and stand with your back toward your target. The ball should be positioned about nine inches diagonally in front and to the right of your right toe.

From this position the swing is nothing more than a wristy chop. Again, make a couple of practice chops before you try the real thing. If you hit this one squarely, you can move the ball fifty yards or more.

Finally, when your ball comes to rest under a low-lying tree or bush, try the kneeling shot. If you follow the U.S. PGA Tour, you'll recall the controversy when Craig Stadler played this shot in the 1987 San Diego Open.

Stadler famously played a shot from his knees during the 1987 San Diego Open.

Stadler spread a towel on the ground and knelt on it to protect his slacks, unaware that a recent USGA decision had deemed such a practice to be a way of building a stance and thus a breach of the Rules.

A day after Stadler committed the foul, a TV viewer who saw a tape of the shot reported the infraction. Stadler was penalized, and because he had failed to assess himself the penalty, was disqualified for signing an invalid scorecard.

So if you decide to play this shot, kneel on the ground and on nothing else. Take a wedge or 9-iron and align yourself well to the right of where you want to go. With your arms at shoulder height you'll be making a very flat swing, and with the loft of the club actually pointing to the left, you'll have to compensate.

Once you're aligned, lock your eyes on the ball and make a short, stiff-wristed swing-almost like a big putt. You'll be surprised at how well you can recover, even after the course has brought you to your knees.

- Greg Norman


Golf Tip Archive
Tip #61Gamesmanship - Posted Dec. 31, 2003
Tip #60The Seven-Fingered Shot - Posted Dec. 24, 2003
Tip #59Slice An 8-iron On Long Bunker Shots - Posted Dec. 17, 2003
Tip #58Reading The Green - Posted Dec. 10, 2003
Tip #57Handling Heavy Grass - Posted Dec. 3, 2003
Tip #56The Pitch Shot - Posted Nov. 26, 2003
Tip #55Post Impact - Posted Nov. 19, 2003
Tip #54Three Trick Shots - Posted Nov. 12, 2003
Tip #53Getting Out Of The Trees - Posted Nov. 5, 2003
Tip #52Fades and Draws - Posted Oct. 29, 2003
Tip #51Sixth Sense In The Sand - Posted Oct. 22, 2003
Tip #50The Downswing - Posted Oct. 15, 2003
Tip #49Low Shots - Posted Oct. 8, 2003
Tip #48The Right Club On The Tee - Posted Oct. 1, 2003
Tip #47Reinforce On The Course - Posted Sept. 24, 2003
Tip #46The Lob - Posted Sept. 17, 2003
Tip #45Brave And Bold Putts - Posted Sept. 10, 2003
Tip #44Club Selection - Posted Sept. 3, 2003
Tip #43Meaningful Practice - Posted Aug. 27, 2003
Tip #42Tackling Trouble Shots - Posted Aug. 20, 2003
Tip #41Adapt To Different Sands - Posted Aug. 13, 2003
Tip #40Difficult Lies - Posted Aug. 6, 2003
Tip #39The Takeaway - Posted July 30, 2003
Tip #38The Chip Shot - Posted July 23, 2003
Tip #37The Punch - Posted July 16, 2003
Tip #36Shotmaking Strategies - Posted July 9, 2003
Tip #35Metal Readiness - Posted July 2, 2003
Tip #34Aptitude Starts with Attitude - Posted June 25, 2003
Tip #33Perfect Your Putting Position - Posted June 18, 2003
Tip #32Take the Right Position - Posted June 11, 2003
Tip #31Learn to Read the Green - Posted June 4, 2003
Tip #30Dig it out of the Rough - Posted May 28, 2003
Tip #29Get the Stiffest Shaft You Can Handle - Posted May 21, 2003
Tip #28Get Hungry around the Green - Posted May 14, 2003
Tip #27Blast it Out of the Water - Posted May 7, 2003
Tip #26Think Your Way Out of Trouble - Posted April 30, 2003
Tip #25Overhaul Your Game - Posted April 23, 2003
Tip #24Become a Sand Expert - Posted April 16, 2003
Tip #23Know When to Pick Your Shots - Posted April 9, 2003
Tip #22Learn to Work Your Shots - Posted April 2, 2003
Tip #21Countdown to Takeoff - Posted March 26, 2003
Tip #20Perfect Your Alignment - Posted March 19, 2003
Tip #19Learn the Basics of Sand Play - Posted March 12, 2003
Tip #18Playing in the Rain - Posted March 5, 2003
Tip #17Should You Swing the Same? - Posted Feb. 26, 2003
Tip #16Finish Your Swing Strong - Posted Feb. 19, 2003
Tip #15Hit it Through the Wind - Posted Feb. 12, 2003
Tip #14Put Horsepower in Your Swing - Posted Feb. 5, 2003
Tip #13Hit the Right Club - Posted Jan. 29, 2003
Tip #12You Can Spin the Ball Back - Posted Jan. 22, 2003
Tip #11Don't be a Sucker - Posted Jan. 15, 2003
Tip #10Make Your Practice Meaningful - Posted Jan. 8, 2003
Tip #9Hit it Deep - Posted Jan. 1, 2003
Tip #8Learn to Love The Sand - Posted Dec. 25, 2002
Tip #7Get Inside Their Head - Posted Dec. 18, 2002
Tip #6Get a Handle on Flyer Lies - Posted Dec. 11, 2002
Tip #5Hitting it High - Posted Dec. 5, 2002
Tip #4Swing a Knockout Punch - Posted Nov. 28, 2002
Tip #3Spin it Out of the Sand - Posted Nov. 21, 2002
Tip #2Hit off the Deck - Posted Nov. 14, 2002
Tip #1Attack Every Putt - Posted Nov. 7, 2002

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