Weekly Golf Tip as seen in The Winnipeg Sun --

July 3rd, 2007

Tempo, rhythm key to punch shot out of trees

I am aware that most of you who have been reading my column this year will not need this tip. For the new readers or for those that are still hitting it in the trees once in a while -- here is a very useful shot.

Notice in the pictures (see link at end of story) I have pulled my tee shot into the trees left of the fairway but have an opening out towards the green. Do not get too aggressive with the target you choose and keep a low trajectory (picture 1) unless you want to spend the next 10 minutes looking for your ball even deeper in the trees.

Rule number 1 -- Get it out.

Rule number 2 -- Get it somewhere you can get your next shot on the green or at least out of trouble.

In this situation, I have taken a 6-iron (2) and have the ball back in my stance with slightly more weight on my left or front leg. This will help me keep the ball from going to high and hitting a tree branch. My hands are in front of the ball, creating a slight forward shaft lean. As I hit the shot, my swing is compact -- about a three-quarter swing length, at most (3). My follow through is short and abbreviated and I maintain the forward shaft lean into the follow through.

From the behind view (4), you can see I have picked a reasonable sized window between several trees to hit my ball through. Do not try a shot that has too small an opening unless you want to make a big number. Play smart.

Take several practice swings (5) to get the feel for the distance you want to hit the shot and the three-quarter swing with the short follow through (6 and 7). Be sure to have a smooth tempo and a relaxed rhythm when you hit this shot. If you panic, and swing too hard the ball will go too high or you will not make solid contact.

With this shot and some good judgment, you will be able to save some pars or eliminate the big numbers that can ruin a game.

Derek Ingram is the Head Teaching Professional at the Elmhurst Golf & Country Club in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is a past winner of the Canadian PGA's Teacher of the Year and one of the top High Performance Golf Coaches in the World.

- Derek Ingram