Delo’s Divots: Did you see what a bad bounce I got?
How many times have you heard or thought that very question.
Most often you have to ask yourself if you really expected the ball
to defy gravity and bounce uphill.
Did you see what a bad bounce I got?
How many times have you heard or thought that very question. Most often you have to ask yourself if you really expected the ball to defy gravity and bounce uphill.
I was amazed recently at how upset a playing partner of mine got when he faded his shot to the right of the green he was approaching. This green sloped severely to the right, so when his ball jumped further right he threw a temper tantrum.
But let’s back up a minute and survey the terrain before you hit the shot. If the fairway or green approach slopes from left to right, don’t try to bring your shot in from right to left.
Aim left of the flag and let the slope bring the ball right to the hole when it hits the green. You wouldn’t aim to the right of the hole on a putt that breaks left to right, so why do it on an approach shot?
The same is true on your tee shot. Look at any terrain changes where you expect to land your ball, like which way it is going to bounce when it hits the ground. Also, favor the higher side so it bounces into the fairway, not out of the fairway.
Much of this is just common sense, however. We seem to get so wrapped up in just hitting the ball that we forget to engage our brain when it comes to course management. To play the terrain like a pro you have to play it like a chess game. You must know that if you land a ball in a certain spot, the ball may end up in a different spot.
