Tip From the Archives

Edge of the Fairway

Problem

You have a short distance to the green but ball is lying on a ridge of grass between the fairway and rough.

Cure

If your swinging path is too much on the inside, then the clubface is more likely to catch in the taller grass. You need to make a soft cut-spin onto the ball. To achieve this, adjust your swinging path so that it is more on the outside-in to help you avoid contact with the rough. The ball will not fly as far when making a soft cut; so select a wedge or iron that will give you a little more distance than what you would normally use from this location.

Therapy

Address the ball with an open stance so your body is pointing a little left of the target. Use a slightly stronger grip with your forward hand and aim the clubface at the target. Hover the club just above the grass to prevent it from catching and turning during your backswing. Take the club back outside, away from the target line. As you swing down into the ball, you should open the clubface a little while the club moves back across the target line at impact. After impact, try to hold the clubface open a little as you make a restricted follow-through. Since you are adding a little bit of a left to right spin onto the ball, you should expect to see it land a little left of the pin.

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