Backing off from the rough around the greens can be difficult, but this technique will make the ups and downs much easier.
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You missed the green, you got a deep twilight on the rack. This is not the time to rely on your run-of-the-mill approach. Dealing with short shots isn’t always easy, especially when there’s grain involved, whether it’s for you or against you. Here is a clever game.
First, you need to put the ball back in your place. If you’re like most players, you put the ball in the center. For chips from the foul, place them in front of your back foot.
As you can see in the picture above, I hang my navel from my nose to show the center and the ball behind it.
As for the swing, picture yourself lifting the club with your hands and hitting the ball. Combining this movement with the back ball position will limit the amount of time the club meets the grass. As always, it’s a good idea to take a few chops to see how much power you need to move the cabbage.
Shawn Callahan is a GOLF Top 100 instructor who teaches at Abacoa GC in Jupiter, Fla.