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When your ball finishes in a divot, your heart falls and

you are filled with dismay and perhaps a little anger

towards the inconsiderate player before you who has not

repaired after taking his divot.

So easy to throw a little

sand over the depression isn’t it?

Any way, what to do? You can play a punch shot with the

ball just inside your right toe, and run the ball onto the

green,

or, hit with your right hand, with open club face

and ball well forward in your stance to get the ball up

into the air and fly to the green..

In this article, I want to talk about other bad lies from

simple depressions to ditches and a bit more on playing

from a divot.

Firstly, if your ball finishes in a divot, you can use one

of your fairway metals to get your ball out and onto the

green.

This is a technique to use if you want distance.

It is superior and much easier than using a long iron to

achieve the same result.

This also applies not only for

divots, but small depressions whether with grassy base or

not.

Don’t use a metal with a flat sole, but pick the one

with the most rounded one.

This obviously gets into the depression better than a flat soled club.

Line up your shot a little to the left of the target, and then

open your club face a little. This gives you more loft and will aid in

getting your ball up.

If you do not open your club face, it

will meet the ball too squarely and the ball will have every

chance of running along the ground instead of getting up in

the air.

A bit like opening the face of one of your wedges

to get the ball up in the air more. You have aimed to the

left of your target because with an open club face, your

ball will fade to the right.

Have the ball 2 or 3 inches further back in your stance

than normal, and hit firmly down onto the ball.

I emphasize the word firmly.

Ok, how about hitting out of a ditch? One of those placed

lovingly by the course designer between the fairway and the

edge of a hazard.

This is a difficult, shot and you can take a drop and a one

shot penalty. This will probably allow you to get your ball

onto the green.

The danger is that you may not get your

ball out of the ditch and this will cost you a shot.

If you think it is worth a try, here is how you should go

about it.

Have the ball in the middle of your stance, and

bend your knees – I mean really bend them.

Bend them enough so that your club head can reach the ball.

Then during your shot, make sure you keep your body at this level during the

whole swing.

This is one important point.

Then next is to hit DOWN on the ball. This is so important. If you try to

sweep it, you will almost certainly fail.

The back swing should be done by picking the club up sharply breaking your

wrists quickly.

Your down swing should be a punch type shot

straight down onto the ball. You will not be able to follow

through, so don’t worry about this part of the swing.

This is for a dreadful lie in a ditch. Sometimes the ditch

is wide enough for a more orthodox swing.

In this case, bending your knees and hitting down on the ball still

applies and are a must, but the swing can be a little more

of a swing instead of a punch.

The important things are to keep your body at the same level

and your head still.

Watch the ball and keep looking at the spot where it was long

after it has left.

You will be able to have some sort of a

follow through and the ball will fly high and long.

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Source by Bill Maitland

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