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Ever get trapped by a tree?

“yeah, she had her arms all around me”…

OK, that’s a different subject. I’ll talking about being in a very poor shot position on the course - where a tree if preventing you from making a good shot.

The best way to approach the situation of being trapped by a tree, so to speak, is to put yourself into a trance.

Put the pocket watch down, that’s not the kind of trance I’m talking about.

Listen, every golfer tends to miss a high percentage of shots that are in serious trouble, such as one where a tree limb is totally preventing a full backswing. And all too often, the reason for a mess is not the awkward lie, but rather a failure to be able to concentrate on the execution.

 Switch Your Thoughts 

You start to think about the tree instead of hitting the ball. What you should do for any such shot as this is to take your position over the ball and try a tentative backswing. Once you have established how far back you can take the club, repeat the restricted swing over and over until you feel comfortable enough to make the swing within your restricted zone.

Once you have done this, put yourself into a trance and forget about the obstacle. Put all your concentration into striking the ball as firmly and properly as possible. Even if your club hits the tree on the backswing, you are now prepared for this and your new-found concentration will help you to complete the shot.

(when I snap my fingers you’ll be the best golfer in the world… )

Hit em straight

Ben

Truth be told, one of the best things about golf is having a good LIE… :-)  

Seriously though - when you have the opportunity for a perfect lie, why give yourself a mediocre one?

I ask this question to myself every time I’m on the golf course and I see golfers, some good and some bad, hitting a tee shot on a par-3 hole without ever teeing up the ball.

Drives me crazy…

These golfers just drop the ball and then roll it around with the end of their club until they “think” they have a satisfactory lie. Most of the time that’s far from the truth (pardon the pun). In any case, it’s certainly NOT the best possible lie.

 The Guaranteed “Best” Lie 

Even on the most accurately mowed tee areas, tiny blades of grass will come between the ball and the clubface should the ball not be totally clear up and above the ground. These tiny blades of grass can reduce the backspin as well as magnify any mistakes you might make in your swing.

The most frequent result is a shot that holds its line pretty good but has a tendency to “sail” up and over the green. A par three hole is already hard enough as it is without making any mistakes that could be easily prevented.

What you need to do is always tee up the ball so that it sits above the top of the grass. You now are clear for a clean, crisp shot, with absolutely no obstructions from grass.

The official rules of golf state that when playing your shots from the green, you have to make an important decision regarding the flagstick. You have to decide whether you would like to remove the pin from a hole or leave it in and have your golf partner or
caddie watch over it.

This may not seem like a hard decision, but what happens when you have to play a very short shot, what should you do? There is no right or wrong answer to this question, however there are definitely pros and cons to making each choice. Here are a few scenarios to help you make an informed decision about whether or not to remove
the flagstick when the time comes:

Pulling The Flagstick

Pros: The benefit of removing the flagstick is that you totally clear the pathway of the hole so that the ball can make it inside without any obstructions getting in the way. When the pin is removed, there is no worry about the ball bouncing against the flagstick and back out of the hole, which can be very upsetting to watch.

Cons: If you just made a shot and the ball is heading directly for the hole, but is moving too fast, it now has an opportunity to roll right over, skipping the hole entirely.

Keeping The Flagstick Inside

Pros: If you decide to keep the flagstick in the hole, it can serve a good purpose by blocking a ball which is traveling at high speeds. Also, you may even sink the ball into the hole as a result of the pin remaining inside, due to it stopping the ball from passing over so fast.

Cons: If you do not remove the flagstick, it may prevent the ball from falling into the hole. It may bounce right off of the pin and depending upon the terrain of the green, especially if it is downhill from the hole, the ball may roll far away from the intended target.

Last Minute Tip: As we stated earlier, there is no hard and fast rule to making the decision of whether or not to remove the flagstick. We have given you some sensible pros and cons when it comes to the flagstick, but you must also keep stock of other variables on the course you are playing on. Take note of the green. You may want to leave the
flagstick in the hole when hitting the ball on a downhill slope, or leave the pin in if you are making a shot up hill towards the hole.

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Hit ‘em straight

Ben

OK, we all know that most golf courses have 18 holes.

However, in addition to these popular 18-hole courses, there are also locations that only have 9 holes.

A typical 18 hole full-size golf course can take five or more hours to play through, especially if you have a large group playing with you. The 9-hole course, on the other hand, can be finished in less than half that time.

For many players, especially beginner golfers, the 9-hole course offers more fun and enjoyment while in the beginning stages of their game.

For regular folks whom have busy lives, careers, and family, the 9-hole golf course offers a more realistic time period to get a decent game in. It’s just not practical to spend five to seven hours a day playing through a full 18 hole course.

Hey, and it’s cheaper, too

 Tip: Even if you prefer playing on an 18-hole golf course, stop by the 9-hole location on the weekends. It is never quite as busy as full courses and you will have more time to concentrate on your game skills.

 Hit ‘em straight

Ben

What is the best thing to do if stranded in the middle of the course during an electrical storm?

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