Stephen Denton
When your ball finds dangerously tall grass, don’t worry: all you need is the right escape technique. The trick is to “cut off” the junk behind the ball (which can slow your swing) and the grass in front of it (which can get in the way).
First, play the ball in your position. Then, when you’ve settled into your position, take your hand off the handle and rotate it to the weakest position you can imagine—as if it were on top of the handle.
Swing backwards, immediately hanging your wrists so that the racket shaft turns vertical as fast as you can. Good idea here: Point your thumb skyward as soon as you start to swing your back.
Now the fun part: cut hard and sharply, aiming for a spot just under the ball. Your superior grip on top provides the downforce you need to slide in, miss most of the turf behind the ball, and hit the shot quickly. That is why it was called “Hinge and Shock”.
So instead of whining about a bad lie, toss it back into play. Now, about the swing that got you here in the first place..
Jeff Smith is a Top 100 GOLF Instructor and teaches at Bonita Bay Club in Florida and Eagle Springs GC in Wolcott, Colorado.