Working the ball and hazards
 

I have often heard it said that a player should try to work the ball away from the hazard. If there was a lake down the left I should aim a little to the right of it and hit a fade. I question whether this is the best play. It seems to me that I would lower my percentages of hitting it in the lake if I aimed just right of the fairway and hit a draw. Even if I hit a pull draw (snap hook is a different story) I'm still not in the lake. A push and I'm still safe. If I try to hit the fade if I pull it and don't get much fade I'm in the lake, and if I am trying to put left to right spin on it my swing path is probably toward the lake.

I guess if this post establishes nothing else it is that the conventional wisdom in regard to working the ball away from hazards may not work best for you.

Know your procedure, know your hinge action, control the three functions and forget about the hazards. Golf ball control can be yours!!


todd

LBG Event
 

Lynn,
I think this kid wants to attend your event- Love the motivation Matt! We'll get you there!:)

me want to be learndid real gooood!

Clear Intent
 

Trying not to hit into a hazard tends to produce massive bailouts ! I select the spot I want to the ball to land and try to land it there. I always liked Johnny “the Mormon Mouth” Miller’s traffic light shot selection system. I think it terms of ABC. A - I can pull it off 20% of the time B - 60% C - 90%+

Story: I once watched a really good player hook three consecutive 5 irons out of bounds. The thing was it was a long par 4 and an especially tough driving hole. The idea was to play it like a par 41/2, or something. He proceeded to make three scared swings. Watching this implosion unfold before my eyes, I put my 2 iron back in the bag and laced my best drive of the day!

The key is not so much about moving it towards or away from trouble, but rather focusing on where you want the ball to land. If you like to hit a draw, you gotta start it right and visa versa I tend to drive the ball better on tree lined courses, as opposed to the links-type layouts. Why? My target is better defined for me. Scared golf is not much fun.

Maybe Hennybogan, or the other tour caddies could weigh in on this one

Hazards
 

Avoid fancy play. The harder the shot, the more you should hit your stock shot. The better you hit it, the more you see your target, and the less you see the trouble.

What is wrong with you???

I concur with Hennybogan; hit the shot your are most comfortable and confident in hitting. If it means hitting a fade that starts over the middle of a lake and comes back to the fairway, so be it. If it's your "go-to" shot, you'll probably be more apt to pull it off rather than trying to hit a draw when you know you aren't as comfortable hitting it.