GOLF TIPS
By Poh Eng Wah
Golf Professional

Trouble Shots
Ball above feet in rough on bunker wall

Very often, players consider themselves lucky that their ball headed towards a bunker, did not enter it but has instead come to rest in the rough on its wall. In a situation like this, address the ball with the following in mind: *Avoid using a club with too much loft (e.g select a PW instead of SW). *Choke down on the grip so that the club feels shorter. *Aim slightly to the right as the ball will tend to go towards the left when it takes flight.

When making the swing, avoid too much body movement. Use more of a hand action and keep your eyes focused on the ball.

Upon impact, follow through along the gradient of the slope. With the correct distance control and alignment, the ball should land nicely on the green

Golf Tips
by Emma Poh
Golf Instructor

TROUBLE SHOTS
“Punch” it low

It happens at times ..... when your ball is driven into the trees and you need to get it out safe and easy for your subsequent shots. How do you optimise the situation to get back to the fairways? Try using a less lofted club and swing easier, such as a 4- or 5- iron.

Keep your backswing low and "punch" it out swiftly.

The ball should fly low back to the fairways. There is no need to exert extra effort when hitting this shot nor aim to get it as far as we can. Just play safe to get it out of trouble. Practice these shots as it will help you tackle them with confidence on the course.

Golf Tips
by Serene Poh
Golf Instructor

TROUBLE SHOTS
When a tree is in the way of your stance, you can either do a back chip or a lefty.

Back Chip    Use a wedge as the clubface is big and has more room for error. Turn the clubface toe-down so that the shaft is vertical and the club face is aiming to the fairway. Choke down for more control. Practise swing several times to get a consistent swing path. Bring up the club to waist-shoulder height and hit down on the ball

Lefty    Using a wedge, turn the clubface toe-down such that the clubface is square to your target (on the right). Ball is positioned left of centre to ensure contact.