Finding yourself behind a big ol' tree is no fun. But slamming your next shot into the trunk is enough to make you want to walk in. Like I tell my students, "When you're in trouble, get out in one shot."
In recent years we've learned from TrackMan and other launch monitors that the angle of the clubface at impact determines a shot's starting direction much more than the swing path does. So when players swear they swung left or right of a tree but hit it anyway, it means the clubface was pointing at the tree at impact.
Here are four simple steps to getting around obstacles:
Follow this plan. You'll save strokes--and lots of aggravation.
Anytime you're in a stressful situation, you can choose to think of it as a burden or an opportunity. Approach it like a basketball player in a slam-dunk contest: Here's your chance to show off. The way your eyes track is crucial. If the last thing you look at is the tree you don't want to hit, chances are you'll be subconsciously drawn to it. Force yourself to look only at your distant target through the opening, then give it a rip.
--Dr. Morris Pickens
Jim McLean is a Golf Digest Teaching Professional.
The best of Golf Digest delivered daily
Sign UpWill be used in accordance with our PRIVACY POLICY