HITTING OVER A TREE

You've sliced your drive and you've come to a stop behind a tree. You're still a long way from the green and you need to win the hole. After assessing the situation, you realize that your only shot is going over the tree. You've seen Haji Bujang doing it, but this is your first time, so you're a bit apprehensive. But if you can pull it off, you'll eliminate a big number from your scorecard and maybe save par.

Here are six tips on hitting over a tree:

Check your lie carefully before addressing the ball. If the ball doesn't have a cushion of grass beneath it, the shot could end up a disaster.

After addressing the ball, look high in the sky. This effectively drops your back shoulder, shifts your weight to your back foot, and positions your head and the club's shaft behind the ball. Also, slide the ball forward in your stance.

To hit this shot, you need speed, speed, and more speed. Use a big swing. You should end up in that old school reverse "C" position you've seen in photographs of players like Shahary Alias, Latif Sabry or perhaps Shahminan.

This type of swing creates a more upward hit through the ball, resulting in a much higher launch than usual. To achieve the kind of speed you need for a shot like this, try hitting some practice shots with the small finger of your left hand (right for left-handers) off the club. This slight lack of control gives you an idea of the type of speed you need at impact to launch the ball high enough to get it over the tree.

Video: Simulation of 6 tips by Soo Kee Man

Posted by @pgabsec on 8:00 PM. Filed under Rules In Action .You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0