When you absolutely have to hit the fairway, it’s nice to have a go-to shot you can be confident in. The more unsure you are, the more likely you are to steer the club to try to keep the ball in play, and that’s how you wind up in a fairway bunker, water hazard or worse. You want a shot you can be cautiously aggressive with, because that’s the way you put a good swing on the ball and knock it down the middle.
For most pros, this safety shot is a low-flying, low-spinning cut, because the less time the ball spends in the air, the less chance it will get into trouble. To hit this low cut, tee it down so the top of the ball is even with the top of the clubface. That will encourage a slightly steeper angle of attack and less effective loft on the face at impact, resulting in a lower launch. Aim slightly left of your target (for righties) with your feet and shoulders to promote more of an out-to-in swing through the ball.
Now, here’s the key: Make a full turn going back, but with a shorter, wider arm swing (photo, top). Keep your arms extended as much as you can, both on the backswing and downswing, while finishing with your arms lower than normal.
JD Cuban
Don’t be afraid to give it a good rip (above), because the one thing you don’t want to do is slow down and guide the ball. By swinging shorter and wider on both sides, your clubhead speed will be less and the ball won’t spin as much. A little lower launch and less spin means a penetrating flight and a tee shot that will keep you in the game.
Dan Carraher, a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, teaches at the Golf Club at South Hampton in St. Augustine, Fla.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
