Getting Out Of Tree Trouble

In almost every round of golf, you are going to hit an errant shot. The best thing you can hope for is that you can minimize the damage done to your score with that shot. As golfers we love the beauty of the course and all the trees and shrubs that line the fairways, but when our ball heads that way, all we want is a hacksaw. Here are a few tips that will help you with these tough shots.

The best thing you can do when you see your errant shot heading toward tree trouble is try and remain calm. Getting up tight won't do your game any good; in fact it usually makes the situation worse. Go to your ball and take a good look at where it is, hopefully you can get out of trouble without having to take any penalty strokes.

Analyze your lie very carefully. For example, is it sitting down, is it sitting up, do you have a full swing or is something in the way. Remember that as of right now you are just trying to get the ball back in play will not ruining your score, breaking a club or a hand.

How to Deal With a Tree Trunk

Landing near a tree trunk is a tough shot. Most of the time it is impossible to get full swing on the ball, so you will need to be a little more creative in your shot. The first thing you need to do is see if you can get a club on it at all. To get a club on it you will need to be several inches away from the trunk.

Next thing to do is tap around your ball to see if there are any unforeseen roots that you may hit when you swing. Remember you are not trying to make the situation worse so if you cannot manage a good swing on the ball take your medicine and declare the lie unplayable and take your drop as the situation dictates.

Taking a penalty shot is far better than risking injury to yourself and your club. But really analyze your shot you may not be able to advance the ball but perhaps you can punch out sideways or even backwards, and get a little creative, many people overlook their putter as an escape club.

So Do You Think You Have A Shot?

If you have determined that you have a shot you need to look at where you are planning to land. Do you have any branches in your way? Will you need to get the ball up quickly or do you need to keep the ball low? Make sure that you choose the correct club and make sure that the shot you are going to take does not require a "perfect shot" if that is the case you should rethink your choice.

Being able to get the ball into play should be your only goal with a tough shot like getting away from a tree trunk. Being able to advance the ball would be nice but don't try a shot that you are really not capable of hitting. For example, if you need to get the ball up quickly and hook it, and you are no good at hooking your ball, just take a club and punch out to the fairway.

If you are fortunate enough to have a shot, commit and hit. Commit to the shot and hit it, don't decelerate or you will get yourself in more trouble. The most important thing to remember with tough shots is that you need to minimize the damage and just get the ball back into play.