7 ROUND-DEFINING SHOTS
2 Long-iron approach over water
A long shot over water, like the approach to the 18th at The Belfry, is one of the scariest shots in golf. But if you’re able to hit a solid longiron shot, there’s no reason you can’t go for the green with confidence – and it’s easier to do than you probably think.
A lot of amateurs struggle with long-irons because you don’t see a lot of loft when you look down on it. You have to trust the club to launch the ball into the air if you make a good swing, because it will.
Feel the release
You want to feel like your right arm stays long and releases to the target, so make some practice motions doing that without the club to ingrain the feeling. This will help you hit it solidly and reduce the fade or slice a lot of players have with the less lofted clubs.
3 Driveable par 4 with danger
A short par 4 is a great opportunity to make a birdie or maybe even an eagle, but there’s still danger involved, especially when the green is as well protected as the iconic 10th hole at The Belfry. You have to think of it like any other drive. If you start attaching greater importance to a shot like this, you’re going to get nervous and tense and probably won’t make your best swing. It’s important to be precise, so really hone in on a specific target – the pin itself or a tree behind the green. Stay balanced and smooth throughout the swing to maintain good rhythm.
Accurate alignment
Good alignment is vital when you’re playing to a specific target, especially if it’s quite a long way away. I like to use a line on my ball and aim it where I want to start the ball. Get the clubhead square to that line and build your stance around it, so your body is aligned correctly too.
4 Punch under the trees
The ability to hit a recovery under overhanging branches will enable you to be aggressive and save shots when you get out of position. You need a lie that will enable you to play the punch shot, so you don’t want to try it from rough that’s too thick. You also need to be able to get the ball running up the fairway, so the amount of rough you have to carry to reach it and the angle you’re playing up the hole are also important.
Take the lowest lofted iron you have. You want to hit down on the ball more and have less loft on the clubface at impact than for a normal iron shot, but a lot of this can be achieved from how you set up at address. Grip down the shaft, position the ball an inch or two further back in your stance, shift a little more weight into your lead leg and aim your body a touch left of the target to account for the impact coming slightly earlier in the swing arc. Then, make a smooth three-quarter swing.
5
Flop shot over trouble If you’re short-sided and there’s a hazard you need to carry, the only way to stop the ball close to the hole is with height. But the flop shot is high-risk, so don’t be afraid to play a simpler shot long of the pin if you aren’t confident.
You need the right lie to give yourself a realistic chance of success. The ball sitting just above the ground in light rough gives you more room to slide the clubhead under the ball. Take the most lofted wedge you carry and treat it a bit like a bunker shot. Open the face as much as you can and then grip the club with the face already open. Take a wide stance with the ball a little forward of centre. Bend your knees, drop your hands a touch and favour your lead leg with your weight, which will get the open face aiming at the target.
Release with speed
Imagine there’s a smiley face on the clubface and get it pointing back at you in the follow-through and finish position to encourage the correct path. Take a few practice swings to get used to how the club will move through the grass and picture how much force and speed you need to put into it.
6Fairway bunker recovery
There’s always a big decision to be made from a fairway bunker that has a reasonably steep face. It’s all about the lie, because if it’s not sitting well and it looks like you’ll get some sand between the clubface and the ball at impact, it makes it more difficult to hit a clean shot. If it’s sitting down, you probably have to take your medicine and get it back on the fairway.
Choose a club that guarantees you get the ball above the lip and out of the bunker, even if that doesn’t quite reach the green. You can still make a par from just short, but the last thing you want to do is hit the face and leave yourself with the same shot again. Use your normal grip, stance and ball position, but don’t dig your feet into the sand as much as you would for a greenside bunker shot, because that drops your swing arc and increases the chances of fatting it. Get your feet into the sand as little as you can while still finding a stable base. Pick out a mark just ahead of the ball to focus on, keep your legs pretty quiet during the swing and hit down on it to contact the ball before the sand.
7 Going for it from rough
What you do when faced with a long approach from rough can have a huge impact on your scorecard, especially when there’s water involved. There are two options: lay up to a sensible yardage or go for it, which could save you shots.
When the ball is in the rough, you need a club that’s going to help you get it into the air and maximise your carry distance. A hybrid is a much better option than a long-iron because it’s designed to launch the ball higher and will maintain more clubhead speed as it goes through the rough.
Play it like it’s an iron shot, so you’re hitting down on the ball. Get the ball a clubhead’s length inside your left heel and swing just like you would for a mid-iron, so you have a slight descending blow that contacts the ball before bruising the turf or taking a small divot.